While we love a good school or church project to feature on this blog, residential projects are what makes the DaVinci Roofscapes' world go round! Thankfully, many of the members of our DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program like to share their completed projects with us so that we may share them with you. Have a project you want to see featured? Email me at mstone@davinciroofscapes.com with the details.

Featured Project - West Des Moines, IA

Click here to read more about this Valoré Shake roof installed by a program member in Iowa.

Featured Project - Prior Lake, MN

Click here to read more about one of the first Bellaforté Shake jobs installed after the product launched last year!

Featured Project - Coon Rapids, MN

In Minnesota we have a DMC Program Member who often uses our polymer shake tiles as siding. Click here to read about these projects.

Featured Project - Leawood, KS

A home gets a subtle makeover with Bellaforté Shake! Click here to keep reading.

Featured Project - Fort Worth, TX

Click here to watch a short clip from a program member in Texas as they install a Bellaforté Slate roof.

Do you want to read about more residential projects? Click here to keep reading about more projects that have recently been featured on the blog.

Happy Friday, Architects!

In a world where every drop of water holds significance, it is becoming more important than ever to harvest rain water. While we may have plenty of clean water here in the U.S., there are many areas in the world where people don’t get a single drop of clean water, or even have enough water at all. As a result, many people have discovered the importance of conservation and have elected to do what they can to help our environment. One way to contribute to conservation is through the collection of rain water for gardening, watering, and other needs.

If you are looking for a roofing product that will help with rain water collection, then you're in luck. 

The key principle for rainwater harvesting is to secure runoff water from the rooftops in a way that the roofing substance does not leach pollution or undesirable chemicals into the water.

One of the easiest ways to save clean, fresh water is by collecting it as it falls from the sky. Polymer roof tiles engineered by DaVinci are a great way to funnel the water that falls onto the roof into a rain barrel as they have been LEED certified (WE 1.1-1.2 ) for use in potable water systems.

To learn more about the green roof systems offered by DaVinci Roofscapes, email or call 1-800-328-4624 today.

Do you collect rain water with your DaVinci roof?  We want to see!  Please consider sharing photos with us and we'll post them on our blog!

DaVinci Roofscapes has joined together with Fypon, Simonton Windows and Therma-Tru to launch the “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest. Open to homeowners nationwide, the online contest includes a $5,000 cash grand prize to help the winner add color to the exterior of his or her home.

The “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest is open for online entries from March 18 – April 21, 2013. To enter the contest, homeowners should visit the DaVinci Facebook page. After “Liking” the page, a person can enter by submitting a digital photo of their home’s exterior along with up to 250 words describing how they wish to “shake up” the exterior of their home with colorful products by the contest sponsor and partners. After the selection of the five finalists, public online voting will take place from May 13 – 26, 2013. The grand prize winner will be announced on June 3, 2013. For more information, along with the entry form, complete rules and regulations regarding the contest, visit Official Rules.

Students at New Residence Hall at The College of New Jersey slept easily when Hurricane Sandy whipped through New Jersey last year. Why? Because a DaVinci Roofscapes® polymer roof overhead helped keep them safe and secure.

            “There was lots of damage in this area and other roofs on the campus had problems with the storm, but not the DaVinci roofs,” says Gerald Strober, president of Strober Roofing & Metal Works and a member of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractors program. “We installed a Valoré Slate roof on this residence hall in 2011 in a Milano blend of roofing tile colors, including light, medium and dark gray mixed in with dark purple tiles. There are about 250 students living here and they all now benefit from the impact-resistant roof overhead.”

            Strober and his team also installed a new impact-resistant DaVinci Slate roof on the school’s Packer Hall in the summer of 2012 --- home of the aquatic center and Media & Technology Support Services program. For this project officials selected a Weathered Green blend of five colors, including light and dark green, dark tan, along with green and dark stone. Both structures are part of the 289-acre campus that includes 39 major buildings that accommodate an enrollment of 6,200 undergraduate students.

            “The College of New Jersey asked me what I recommended as the best roof for these re-roofing projects and I said it had to be DaVinci,” says Strober, whose company has been providing roofing services since 1928. “The officials at the school did their research and agreed with my recommendation. From there we picked out colors to complement the campus setting and got started with the installation project.”

Have you ever wondered how we make our polymer slate and shake tiles? Now you can check out the process in a new video hosted by Mark Clement of MyFixitUpLife where he takes you on a tour of the DaVinci Roofscapes' plant.

To explain how we make our durable, Class A fire rated tiles, he starts the tour in our QA lab and an overview of the science behind the process. Since our products are made with virgin resins, unlike quarried stone or split wooden tiles, precise measurements are needed to assure that our tiles are engineered with a precise chemical composition that results in products that are tough, pliable, and Class A rated for fire.

He then moves on to the part of the factory where the tiles are actually made. Resin particles are blended with pigment and then heated to 500 degrees. That mixture is then sent to a molding machine where it's compressed with 300 to 1000 tons of pressure to make our Multi-Width, Valoré, and Bellaforté signature tiles.

The tiles then need to be quick-cooled after all of that heat and immense pressure and although they are still warm when they come out of the machine, they are ready to beautify and protect your home and business. However, before they are shipped, we also sort the tiles by width and color to help contractors save time and money at the job site.

Take a peek at the video below to take your own personal tour of plant with Mark!

To learn more about the benefits of a DaVinci roof, contact us by email or calling 1-800-328-4624 today.

I’ve always enjoyed taking a walk in the middle of the day. It is a great way to clear my head after a full morning of work and get ready to jump back in refreshed after lunch. These walks helped me to keep my sanity when I worked as an executive in the high stress apparel industry. They also served to unwittingly hone my skills in selecting exterior colors.

As I would walk through a neighborhood I would look at each home and critique everything from the overall color scheme to the landscaping and choice of outdoor furniture. I’d make mental notes of what I thought worked well and what missed the mark. It was even better when I had a walking companion who shared my passion for good design.

We would share our observations, unabashedly voice our opinions, have lots of laughs and come up with solutions for how the homeowner could improve the appearance of their home. I admit this might seem odd to those that don't love to pick apart design schemes the way I do. I'll also admit that there was a bit more to my interest than just being a design geek.

At that time, in addition to my corporate career, I bought, fixed up and sold distressed homes. I was very good at it because I had a keen eye for a home with good bones and great potential. I also understood the importance of a great exterior.

At home in an Iowa neighborhood this home is topped with Bellaforté Slate (DaVinci Slate on Turret) in a Custom blend

In order to quickly sell a home I had to first sell the potential buyers on coming inside. The inside might be spectacular but I knew that if I didn’t get them excited before they ever walked in the front door; my chances of a quick sale were greatly reduced. Creating an appealing exterior became almost an obsession and thus the focus of my noontime walks.

It paid off and the results I got spoke for themselves. I never bought a home that had been on the market for less than 6 months and yet I resold every one of those same homes in 10 days or less. I developed quite a word-of-mouth reputation and began having both homeowners and real estate agents asking me for advice on their properties.

DaVinci Multi-Width tiles in Slate Gray on a historic home in Texas

My expertise in color that up until that point was mainly focused professionally on apparel and trend forecasting was quickly expanding to include color for the home. Unlike most color consultants, however, my focus has always been first on using color to add value rather than as just a way of making something more personally appealing. Today that is still true and it is what sets me apart from others in the industry.

As the President & Chief Color Maven of Sensational Color, I put my expertise to work showing companies large and small how to become a go-to resource for color knowledge and know-how by providing exactly the color information, tools and services that their customers are looking for.

I am fortunate to work with some of the best companies in the home industry including DaVinci Roofscapes as well as Fypon, Simonton Windows and Therma-Tru all who have joined together to launch the “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest.

Each of these companies is an industry leader and I am privileged to be helping judge the contest to determine five finalists. I will also be working with a professional artist to create renderings and product wish lists of how the five finalists can transform their home’s exteriors by adding colorful products.

Then the tables are going to be turned as I go from being critic and creator to having my recommendations being critiqued on Facebook. The original photo submission and the artist’s renderings for the five finalists will be posted on the contest site for two weeks of online public voting from May 13 – 26, 2013.

Throughout the process I will be sharing my thinking and giving insight into why I make the choices I do in my blog on "Color from the Top Down". So even if a homeowner isn’t one of the finalists, I hope to be able to help them feel confident when choosing colors that will shake up their home exterior.

Online entries will be accepted from March 18 – April 21, 2013. To enter the contest, visit the DaVinci Facebook page.  After “Liking” the page, you can enter by submitting a digital photo of their home’s exterior along with up to 250 words describing how you want to “shake up” the exterior of your home with colorful products by the contest sponsor and partners.

So go now and get in on the action. I can’t wait to see how you want to “shake up” your home!

Color Expert Kate Smith lends her expertise to DaVinci Roofscapes; a company that has manufactured award-winning synthetic slate and shake roofing since 1999. The polymer roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable.

Since 1990, more than 200 rustic log cabins have created the Stonebridge Log Home community in Todd, N.C. The 500-acre mountain community once relied on all-wood cedar shakes for the roofs on their homes --- but not anymore.

Almost a decade ago the property owners association for the community adopted rules that require either polymer DaVinci Roofscapes® Shake roofing products or pre-approved wood cedar split shakes for both new construction and re-roofing projects within Stonebridge.

“The push towards polymer shakes made sense due to long-term maintenance and safety concerns,” says Shawn Gentry, the developer of Stonebridge. “The wood cedar roofs on our one-of-a-kind homes are vulnerable to fire, decay damage and weather conditions.

“We did our research and found that the DaVinci Shakes are an excellent alternative to real wood. They have the tile thickness we needed plus the profiles that accurately replicate real cedar. But, most importantly, they resist weathering, insects and decay. The Mountain Blend and Weathered Gray Blend colors we’ve specified for our community perfectly replicate real cedar shingles.”

Another added benefit of the polymer shakes for homeowners at Stonebridge is the peace-of-mind that comes with having a low-maintenance roof. “Many of our homeowners don’t occupy these homes during the winter months,” says Gentry. “When they’re away from their homes for such a long amount of time they’re less likely to worry about maintenance needs on the DaVinci roof versus the natural wood shake roofs.”

If you would like additional information on DaVinci products. please email us of call us at 1-800-328-4624.

Figuring out the color scheme of an entire building can be more than a little daunting. While we offer many color choices with our polymer slate and shake roofing tiles, we acknowledge that the number of options can leave even the best of us stumped. Interested in receiving advice from our Color Expert, Kate Smith? You have come to the right place! Look to the right of your screen or click below on the button that says Ask the Color Expert. On this page you can type in information on your project and upload a picture. Not only will Kate get back to you, but your question and the answer will be posted on our blog to hopefully help others make their choice a little easier.

Happy Friday, Architects!

DaVinci Roofscapes has joined various social media platforms to give you regular updates and tips about our products. Whether you are a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Google+ fan, we are on all these websites to reach a wider audience and give you solid details on your preferred platform.

You can like our Facebook page to see photos of buildings that use our polymer roofing, join discussions and  give suggestions, ask questions, read our latest articles, watch videos, learn about roofing terminology, get color advice from color expert Kate Smith, and so much more.  You can also see many more of the lovely roofing and siding projects our products were used to complete on our Pinterest page.

We are also very active on Twitter giving you expert advice on all your roofing needs. You will be able to click on links that take you to articles about different aspects of our products, installation advice, special considerations and much more.  We are very Tweet savvy!

The fun keeps rolling on our YouTube account with videos that cover installation, testing and certification, DaVinci Roofscapes’ product line, color tips and tricks and much more.  You will also get to see some of your favorite videos and subscribe to our channel to see updates about all of our roofing products.

We also deliver solid tips with expertly written articles about our polymer slate and shake roofing on Google + and LinkedIn.  You are free to share, comment or like our articles and we will get back to you if there are any questions.

What colors of slate make up your Aberdeen mix?

Meg B.
Sewanee, TN
Product: slate roofing

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Hi Meg,

The colors that are in our Aberdeen blend are Dark Gray, Light Brown, Dark Purple, Green Stone, and Dark Stone.

If you find that you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Project Specialist for your area, Katie Wheeler, at kwheeler@davinciroofscapes.com or 1-800-328-4624.

Have a great day!

The DaVinci Roofscapes Team

The weather can be unpredictable during springtime and having a damaged roof that offers little protection can be frustrating. To protect yourself from finding out the hard way that you have a leaky or damaged roof, you might consider hiring a contractor to do an assessment for you.

Important points that need to be covered in the assessment include: age of current roof, climate, and any damage your roof might have suffered from previous storms - including hail, falling branches, weight of snow, wind, ice and rain. The earlier you get this assessment done, the quicker you can take action to remove cedar roof shingles and damaged asphalt shingles.

But what if you have cedar shakes and asphalt shingles that are showing obvious signs of wear and tear? The damage may be small, but it does leave you feeling anxious about any shifts in the weather conditions. Like most home or building owners you want to preserve the look you currently have or adopt a more modern look to coordinate even better with your surroundings. You don’t want a home that stands out like a sore thumb, but one that protects and gives you comfort in calm and inclement weather.

DaVinci Roofscapes offers a wide variety of lightweight tiles that require little maintenance and have superior performance for many years. The 50-year warranty on our products is our sign of confidence that we know that many rooftops are better protected from the high impact of hail, wind, and freeze-thaw cycles caused by snow and ice. With our environmentally friendly roof you can match the look of your current roof or adopt a color you prefer before springtime weather sets in.

For more information on DaVinci Roofscapes products, call 1-800-328-4624 or email salessupport@davinciroofscapes.com.
 

A new Black & Decker book, "The Complete Guide to Roofing & Siding" is now available nationwide at Lowe's. This comprehensive book includes all the basics on roofing, including tips on choosing your roof, estimating your roofing needs and working safely to add a roof. Step-by-step instructions with photos show everything from what tools you need to handling underlayment, drip edge and flashing installation.

While the book shows how to install a variety of roofing products, we're especially pleased that DaVinci Slate roofing tiles were selected for the section on faux slate. Along with being featured on the front cover of the book, DaVinci polymer tiles are featured in this multi-page section on understanding everything about faux roofing installation techniques!

As a bonus, the book also coverage a wide range of instruction on siding, trim and soffitry installation, along with fascia, gutters and vents. Visit your local Lowe's store to purchase this "must have" book for anyone considering a roofing or siding replacement project!

For more information on DaVinci Roofscapes products, call 1-800-328-4624 or email us at salessupport@davinciroofscapes.com.

When his clients requested a sky blue colored slate roof to remind them of their native Russian architecture, Tom Sullivan immediately thought of DaVinci Roofscapes.

“I had heard of the custom color capabilities offered by DaVinci Roofscapes for their realistic-looking shake and slate roofing tiles made of polymer and this was the ideal solution for my clients, says Sullivan, director of commercial sales at Storm Pro Exteriors in Minnesota.

Sullivan and his clients selected Valoré Slate roofing tiles in a custom sky blue color for the complicated roof design to complement their white brick home. “There are a variety of flat roof portions on this three-story home along with several bell mansard applications,” says Sullivan. “The mansard roofs were installed using half-inch sheeting which is ideal for the application of the lighter-weight Valoré tiles. We built two levels of soffits under the mansard roof areas and added 36 LED can lights, so this was an extensive roofing project.”

The finished 9,000-square foot custom home in the Lake Minnetonka area of Minnesota took nine months to complete and shines out with its European influence. “The beautiful two-stepped roof design truly enhances the architectural characteristics of this home,” says Sullivan. “I’d recommend this roofing product to anyone because of its realistic appearance, 50-year limited warranty and the ability to get the custom color that the homeowner desired. Plus, the installation went so smoothly that I’m looking forward to using DaVinci products on future projects.

Valoré synthetic slate roofing tiles are made using DaVinci’s proprietary VariBlend™ technology to form varying shades from tile to tile creating an infinite number of color shades. Each single-width synthetic slate roofing tile is carefully crafted using only virgin polymer resins to guarantee a sustainable product. Valoré Slate tiles come in 12-inch tile widths with a half-inch tile thickness, making it a lightweight yet realistic slate roofing tile option.

When I told a friend over lunch yesterday that I had been invited to be one of the judges for the "Shake It Up" Exterior Color Contest she asked me an excellent question, "What are five things that make a home exterior really standout? The things that make you want to stop your car when you're driving past?"

Having taken a close look at thousands of home exteriors over the years, as I shared in my last post, it didn't take me long to come up with my list that I have put into a pictorial of my top five just for you.

DaVinci Multi-Width Slate - Brownstone

Image courtesy of Simonton

Image courtesy of Fypon

Traditional Exterior by Minneapolis Design-buildSicora, Inc.

Image courtesy of Therma-Tru

So there you have it. How does your home stack up? If you are missing even one of these elements click on over and tell us about it. You may just walk away with $5K and a shopping list for the essential elements that will make your home a traffic-stopper.

DON'T WAIT, ENTER NOW!

Material choice is an important factor in roofing that not only determines the success of a project, but also whether it is completed according to your preferences. The more choices, the easier it is to align with specific needs and preserve the unique look of a project. DaVinci believes in providing clients with superior lightweight roofing systems that make it easy to find the profile homeowners and building owners want . Our slate and shake tiles are eco friendly and have a Class A Fire Rating (with proper underlayments) and Class 4 Impact Rating.

DaVinci Roofscapes slate and shake products are available in seven different profiles profiles, which are as follows:

Slate:
DaVinci Slate (multi-width)
Valoré Slate (single-width)
Bellaforté Slate

Shake:
DaVinci Shake (multi-width)
Valoré Shake (single-width)
Bellaforté Shake
Fancy Shake

All of our roofing profiles come with a 50-year warranty and they can resist winds of up to 110 mph. You won't have to worry about climbing up on the roof  to do a lot of maintenance, because our products are virtually maintenance free. As well, our tiles are resistant to freeze/thaw cycles, insects, mold, mildew, and fungus.

To learn more about DaVinci Roofscapes products, please email us or call 1-800-328-4624.

Are you a building or design professional in need of a continuing education credit? Look no further! We have two courses available 24/7 and free to take at your leisure.

The FRESH Approach to Choosing Exterior Colors

The course provides an overview of the FRESH Approach, as laid out by Color Expert Kate Smith. The 1 hour course gives designers a strategic method used for the selection of colors for the exterior of buildings. The course focuses on both residential and commercial design considerations, and details the steps to follow in the color selection process to achieve a harmonious design. It is worth 1 HSW credit.

The Design Advantages of Synthetic Roofing Solutions

The more technical of the two courses, this course provides an overview of the features and benefits of slate and shake synthetic roofing products, including a discussion on the testing methods used to rate specific performance characteristics. It is worth 1 Sustainable Design (SD) credit.

Happy learning (and Happy Friday), Architects!

I watched your video and would appreciate your advice. We are in the framing stage of building a 3800 sq ft center hall colonial. Going with Hardie Plank Timber Bark or Khaki siding and board and batten for the three peaks with a contrasting color. We like charcoal color for the roof, but do you think a dark brown would look better?

Thanks

Alan Meckler
Succasunna, NJ
 

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Hello Mr. Meckler,

Although the Khaki would work very nicely with dark brown it will also work with charcoal gray in any of our roof tile profiles. The Hardie plank Khaki is one of those colors I like because it can go with either gray or brown, opening up lots of possibilities for the homeowner.

I'm not sure I'd like the charcoal gray with the Timber Bark quite as much. It could work, although I think a brown tone would look a bit better but it might be too dark if the house is also dark as it would be with this siding. The two dark tones would mean that everything else that is lighter would really stand out. Depending on the style home that may be appealing or not. Just give it some thought before you go all dark because I don't want you to feel that the overall look is too heavy or weighted down once it is complete.

Either way, find a color you love for your front door to add some spark to the facade.

I hope that helps.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

I would like help deciding which roof color and siding combination to use to add curb appeal to this house. I have extensive landscaping to do so that may help.

The house was a foreclosure and I have completely remodeled the basement and the upstairs. It is located in a very nice neighborhood with many homes near the $200,000 dollar range. This ranch home doesn't look like it belongs in this area so I am trying to give it some curb appeal. I have a brand new bathroom and kitchen from the floor up so I would like the outside to look like a million bucks also. Thank you for your time.

Dave
Davenport, IA

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Hi Dave,

It sounds like you have already done a great deal to improve your home. I bet it looks so much nicer. Now let's turn the attention on your exterior.

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by this home not fitting in but I think you may mean that the home is smaller or ranch among two-story homes. Either way my thought is to go with slate tiles to give the home a more stately look. Shake could work too but I was thinking that slate might be more what you would see on other homes and this could help add an element that allows the home to fit in a bit better.

As for color, the choices are wide open. I like the variety in color and size of the Multi-Width Slate in Castle Gray blend or the larger size of Bellaforté Slate in Villa blend. It just depends on whether you like a more even look or find the mixed sizes more appealing. I think the profile of the Valoré is to close to the width of your siding and will make the home look longer rather than taller, which is not needed on a ranch like yours.

Of course as I said the color range is wide open and I don't see a color that wouldn't work. I would just stay away from anything that is very dark because it will look too heavy not the home but other than that, whatever you like should work.

You could improved the overall look by changing to a nicer front door or, at the very least, adding color to the existing front door. The best choice would be to match the shutter color. I think you should go as dark or darker as the color you have now. The color with a gray roof can be just about any color family you like.

It looks like they are green now so just to seem like you are making a change I would go with something else, possibly a barn red or burgundy so that the change is noticeable plus that is a classic combination with the gray roof. If you go with another roof color find a color that harmonized but is still darker or more intense in color than the roof color.

Leave the color of the garage door matching the siding color. Right now it looks unpainted and like a slightly different color.

Landscaping will also go a long way in creating curb appeal and can help anchor the home to your property

I hope that gets you started in your exterior improvement project.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Color Expert

Heavy sheet-like chunks of snow and ice can cause serious damage to property and even cause serious injuries. Sloped roofs are particularly susceptible to these types of avalanches and require special consideration in states that are known to have heavy snowstorms and ice dams. Special devices such as snowguards are generally installed on these roofs to hold snow and ice in place until they melt slowly. When this happens, it is less likely to have any problems with ice or snow falling on people or property.

But are snowguards difficult to install and will you need to change your roof to install them? No. Snowguards are easy to install and with DaVinci Roofscapes fake slate; you can easily retrofit or include them during installation. Our lightweight roofing materials can be used with a wide variety of snowguards. This gives you more flexibility when shopping for these devices without worrying that your roof design will be negatively affected.

It is also important to note that excessive snow and water in eaves and gutters can cause them to become clogged. This can damage your gutter system or the interior of your home by causing leaks. Snowguards help prevent this from happening.

Snowguards also distribute the weight of the snow on your roof to ensure that its structural integrity is not compromised because of overloading. With snowguards and DaVinci’s fake cedar shake installed on your roof, you will get two superb systems working together to give you more comfort and less worry.

For more information on DaVinci Roofscapes products, email or call us at 1-800-328-4624.
 

When property owners Ed and Kim Bonk started researching a new roof for their building in historic Beverly, Illinois, they turned to DaVinci Roofscapes.

“The old wooden shake mansard roof we had on our building was deteriorating badly and out-of-character for our downtown area,” said Ed Bonk. “The Beverly area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and has many real slate roofs. We wanted to keep with that look, but because of the cost and the weight of real slate it seemed impossible. Then we found the option of man-made DaVinci polymer slate roofing tiles.

“The Multi-Width Slate Gray tiles we had installed by Durability Roofing and Construction perfectly complement the 99th Street Train Station’s roof design right across the street from us. With our new polymer slate roof there’s a newfound cohesiveness in the appearance of our downtown area.”

The building’s new roof has caused quite a stir with local residents. “We had people walking and driving up inquiring about the polymer product,” says Bonk. “I must have given away 20 samples of our materials!”

A cornerstone property in downtown Beverly, the Bonk’s 7,200 square foot building is home to a real estate firm, pizzeria and an insurance company. A landmark cupola sits atop the building, adding character to the structure.

“There are so many advantages to this polymer roof that I won’t be surprised if other area homes and businesses start using it in the future,” says Bonk. “The fact that it holds up to our tough weather conditions, is long-lasting and has no maintenance requirements are all huge assets for us.”