Patent No. U.S. 6,352,744 B1
Owens Corning Fiberglass Techno-logy, Inc., Summit, IL has been awarded a patent for a method of producing an asphalt roofing product having reduced voids visible on a top surface, comprising the steps of contacting an asphalt coating material having voids with a vacuum in an amount effective to reduce the voids in the coating material; and coating a mat with the coating material to make an asphalt coating product; wherein the voids are introduced into the coating material prior to the coating step, and the vacuum contacting step occurring prior to the coating step, and the vacuum contacting step causing a reduction of approximately 25% in the number of voids visible on the top surface of the roofing material compared to the same roofing product made with a coating material not contacted with a vacuum.