If you are a contractor who is interested in installing our Bellaforté lightweight roofing materials, then you might be wondering if you can use toeboards while installing them.

As usual, our technical guru, Tim Gentry, has the answers. In the video below, Tim outlines how to go about installing a toe iron with our Bellaforté shingles - and how to "get around" the lip on the back of the shingle. Tim also shows how easy it is to remove the toe iron once you are done with installing the shingles.

Our installation guides also provide great tips and tricks like these to help you work more efficiently with our lightweight roofing materials.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, click here to view.

If you find installation tips like these helpful, you might enjoy browsing Tim's blog or even subscribing to our YouTube channel.

If you'd like to read more tips, here are some great blog posts:

• Installation Tips for Bellaforté Tiles
• Solving Roof Issues with Tim Gentry Part One
• Bellaforté installation tip

Are you a contractor that has worked with our tiles? What sort of tips and tricks have you come up with? Do you have any challenges that we might be able to address here on our blog?  Please share your comments and thoughts below.

One of the ways to truly appreciate our lightweight roofing materials is to see how they are made. There are a lot of steps that go into our manufacturing process from the product beginning in the Quality Assurance lab to our bundle sorting and blending prior to shipping to your home. After all, it's a 50 year luxury roof!

Mark Clement of MyFixitUpLife recently did a plant tour of our plant, so we thought we'd share it with you.

In the video below, Mark will walk you through our:

• Quality Assurance Lab - Learn a bit about  our quality assurance process we use to make sure we are bringing you the best lightweight roofing tiles on the market.


• Injection Molding Machines - Watch as our shingles are made using between 300 to 1,000 tons of force. This is probably the neatest part of our plant because it's where the polymers are molded and made into shingles.


• Color Blend Sorting - See how we package our shingles. We bundle them according to color and width so they arrive at your home ready to go for your contractor. This eliminates the need for sorting and blending on the job site so your contractor can get started installing your new roof as soon as your DaVinci tiles arrive.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, click here to view.

What is your favorite part of the plant tour with Mark?  What would you like to see if you came to visit our plant?

In the roofing industry, DaVinci is known for our color options.  In fact, we have many standard colors and blends to choose from - which most customers are surprised to discover. But, we didn't want to stop there.

As we received calls and inquiries from home and business owners, we realized there was more need for color options and advice when it comes to roofs.

So, as a result, we've created the DaVinci Color Studio - where you will find:

• Custom Color Tool: This tool is so fun!  I have to admit that sometimes I will just play with color for fun!  If you've got that designer instinct - you'll love this tool


• Ask Kate, the Color Expert: Know you want DaVinci, but don't know what color blend to go with? Submit a photo of your home and our color expert, Kate, will take a look at it and make a recommendation.  Of course, if you plan on changing the exterior colors of your home or anything along those lines, be sure to mention that with your submission.


• Kate's 5 Steps for Finding the Perfect Color Hues for Your Home - a PDF that will help you sort out which color hues are right for your home.


• Kate's Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior - a PDF that will help you figure out which exterior colors work well with your home.


• Kate's Blog - Kate submits content regularly to our blog where she shares color tips and tricks.

An additional resource we have available is Kate's color video to help you make the best color choices and boost your home's curb appeal!

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here to view now.

Did you go with DaVinci?  What color did you end up choosing and why?  Please leave your comments in the section below.

If you live in an area that gets a decent amount of snow, you've probably experienced or seen snow avalanches or snow slides off of roofs. To help prevent falling and sliding snow, we recommend installing snowguards with our roof tiles. Snowguards are pieces of metal that have been engineered to fit on your existing roof and to help snow stay on a roof and melt off slowly. The photos below show what snowguards look like when they are installed on our fake slate as well as an example of a roof that is in need of snowguards.

Snowguards come in a few different forms. There are also rail, bar or fence snowguards.  Depending on where you live and the amount of snow fall that you get every year, your professional roofing contractor will be able to recommend which snow retention system is best for your home or building.

Looking for a snowguard supplier? Rocky Mountain Snowguards is a great resource.

Would you like to learn more about snowguards? Here are some more articles on our site that might help:

• Why Snowguards?
• Keep the Snow on the Roof with Snowguards
• Can I Install Snowguards After My Roof Is Installed?

Do you have snowguards on your roof? What kind do you have? Have they helped with snow retention?

If you have additional questions or would like more information on our polymer roof tiles, please email or call us at 1-800-328-4624.

After seeing her neighbor's new DaVinci Roofscapes polymer slate roof, Oklahoma homeowner Terri Underhill was jealous. She had a bad case of "roof envy" --- and she knew what had to be done.

"When I saw my neighbor's DaVinci roof and found out it wasn't natural slate, I knew I could have the roof of my dreams," says Underhill. "We had to wait until our old roof was 15 years old before replacing it, but there was never a doubt --- I wanted the same imitation slate roof as my neighbors had."

Underhill's roofing dreams started in 2006 when she saw the dramatic change a new DaVinci Multi-Width Slate roof had on the home of her neighbors, Anita and Chuck Musgrave. Unhappy with the composite green shingles on her home, Underhill started her "dream file" of potential roof pictures in preparation for her reroofing project.

"I quizzed my neighbors, the Musgraves, on their home and then looked at 15 homes with DaVinci roofs throughout Oklahoma to see which color I liked best," says Underhill. "Next, while traveling through Texas, my husband and I looked at another 15 roofs. I took pictures of each one and ended up choosing the Aberdeen blend because I wanted the staggered roofing tiles to really show up."

Installed in 2010, the Aberdeen color blend selected by the Underhills for their composite slate roofing tiles features five different colors for an eye-catching combination: Dark Gray, Light Brown, Dark Purple, Green Stone and Dark Stone. The Musgrave home has a Multi-Width Slate roof in the European blend of Light, Medium and Dark Gray with Light and Dark Purple tiles.

"We believe it's a complement that Terri liked our roof so much that she was determined to have a similar DaVinci roof," says Chuck Musgrave. "We selected this impact-resistant roof because we were tired of hail damaging the original cedar shake shingles on our home. Since having the polymer roof installed, we haven't had that problem at all."

The "tale of two roofs" in the Edmond, Oklahoma neighborhood concludes with both families believing the DaVinci slate roofing shingles made significant differences to the exterior appearance of their homes.

"This roof helped truly upgrade the overall look of our home, and I know the Underhills feel the same way about their roof," says Musgrave. "We still have roofers and contractors come by to show our roof to their potential customers. Both Anita and I love the look of the roof and couldn't be more satisfied with DaVinci Roofscapes."

For another colorful homeowner synthetic slate roofing story visit Colorful “Safari Home” Features Custom DaVinci Roof.

The Western USA consists of a plethora of landscapes as well as a myriad of states with their own traditional roof colors.

Our color expert, Kate, reports that, "In the Northwest, natural gold-based and green hues that reflect the colors found in the natural environment are popular. Nature also influences home colors in the mountain states where the colors of stone, rock and natural woods are incorporated into the color schemes."

If you are trying to match the traditional roof colors in your area, you might enjoy looking into the possibilities of our synthetic shake shingles or our imitation slate shingles. We produce them in a multitude of colors and blends and you can even customize your blend with our online color designer.  If our exiting color blends or colors don't meet your needs, you can also discuss a custom color with us.

If you would like to read more about what Kate has to say about color and roofs, here are some popular links:

• A Simple Guide to Matching Your Roofing to the Style of Your Home
• Style Kings: NE and Midwest Homeowners Replace Roofs for Style Desire
• eBook: Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior

Do you live in the Western United States? What color is your roof? Would you say that it matches with what you think of the traditional roof colors for your area of the country?
 

To top off a redesigned 8,000-square foot custom home in Cape May, New Jersey, architect David Schultz specified weather-resistant polymer shake roofing tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes.

"The composite shake material of the DaVinci tiles holds up to the harsh ocean climate, which is exactly what the owner wanted for his three-story New England Cottage style home," says Schultz, principal architect at DAS Architects Inc. out of Philadelphia. "These multi-width shake roofing tiles are both realistic-looking and durable. They look just like natural cedar shake shingles, which was the design style the homeowner desired for this house."

The custom beachfront home includes decorative architectural elements such as large covered porches, open decks, a lighthouse skylight, a widow's walk, facade vents and large windows to capture ocean views. The dwelling itself features subtle curved edges to complement styles found in New England.

"We used DaVinci's solid shake accessory shingles that match their roofing product line to achieve curved roof lines that we had installed along exposed roof edges," says Schultz. "This product is impact-resistant so we know it will help protect the home from severe weather. It also has a 50-year limited warranty that gave us even more confidence in specifying this product for the roof.

"Overall, the product's ability to stand up to the harsh ocean climate, the Weathered Gray color we selected for the roof and the realistic appearance that resembles an aged cedar shake roof all combined to make this the perfect selection for this home."

The Multi-Width Shake roofing products specified by DAS Architects are Class 4 impact rated and have been rated Class A for fire retardance. The cedar shake alternative roofing materials have also achieved the highest ratings for straight line wind testing at 110 mph and have passed testing for extreme weather conditions.

DaVinci shake shingles feature both wavy and straight grains throughout the blend for an authentic appearance. Multiple widths on the shake tile roof help create a natural, non-repeating look that can be laid in a straight or staggered pattern. The tiles resist curling, cracking, fading, mold, algae, fungus and insects, making them ideal for installation in a wide variety of geographic areas.

To learn what other architects are saying about DaVinci products, visit The DaVinci Roof – A Luxury Roof for the Architect.

Images courtesy of DAS Architects, Inc. and Peter Paige Photography.

Have you ever wondered what a color expert would tell you if you asked the question, "What order should I go in when selecting exterior colors for a home?"

According to Kate Smith, DaVinci Roofscapes' color expert, the correct order is roof, siding, windows, front door, trim then garage door. Unless the home is brick or stone, the largest fixed feature is probably the roof, so you will want to start there.

Interested in learning more? Are you a professional in need of a continuing education credit? Jump over to AEC Daily's website to take our new course, The FRESH Approach to Choosing Exterior Colors. It is free and available online 24/7.

With winter approaching, you may notice some of our blog posts shift gears and talk about how to care for, or install, a roof over the winter months. Something we recommend to all of our customers who live in areas prone to snow, is to install snow guards. Snow guards come in many styles and colors and can help prevent the avalanche of snow and ice off your polymer slate or shake roof. If they weren't put on as the new roof was going up, that is okay, as they come in retrofit styles as well.

DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program Member Eagle Rivet Roof Services out of Bloomfield, CT installed copper pad style snow guards on this Slate Black DaVinci Slate roof project located in Meriden, CT.

DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program Member
Eagle Rivet Roof Services
860-953-1231

The problems that occur with using a natural wood shake roof also tend to occur when you use natural shake as a siding material. Such problems include freeze/thaw cycle issues that cause cracking and splitting, insects getting into the shingles, etc. So, it comes as no surprise that we have received inquiries about using our cedar shake alternative roofing shingles as siding.

Our simulated shake roofing was recently used on a project in South Dakota. And, of course, since the product is a roofing product and comes with a roofing installation guide, there are a few tricks that you need to know. For example, the contractor on the South Dakota project pointed out, "We started with a commercial-grade Tyvek underlayment, then put on the Valoré Shakes. Making the metal trim finishing pieces was the most challenging part of the entire installation. This is a really unique application that any contractor can do to make a home exterior more unique."

You can read more about DaVinci Shake being used as siding:

• Polymer Shake Tiles Ideal Siding for Rustic Home
• Polymer Shake - Not Just for Your Roof. Think Siding.

Have you used DaVinci Shake as a siding product on your home or business?  How did it turn out?  We would love it if you would consider submitting your story.

Need help with selecting colors.  Thanks.

Ashok
Omaha, NE
Product: Bellaforté shake

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

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Ashok,

I have looked at pictures of your home and I think you are on the right track with either the Bellaforté Shake in Abruzzo or the Bellaforté Slate in Cambridge.

Going with the Bellaforté Slate will give your home a new look not just because of the updated roof but also because you are changing the type of roof. The slate profile will work with your home and the warm tones appear to blend well with the color cast in your bricks from what I can see in the picture. Slate will keep your home's classic look and the color will have less contrast to the brick and more variation in color than the Bellaforté Shake in Abruzzo.

If you decide you want to keep the look of shake, the Bellaforté Shake in Abruzzo is a nice choice because the color and texture will give make the roof stand out a bit more. Similar to your current roof but the richer color and "always new" appearance will keep your home looking up-to-date.

I understand that you were also wondering about keeping the windows white or changing the color. I think that depends on if you are thinking of adding a color that will stand out and be part of your overall scheme or just changing from white to off-white.

If you are just thinking of going to off-white I might not make the change since all of the other windows will be white. I think it would look better to keep them all the same. In most cases window grids aren’t taken into consideration is because they don’t carry much visual weight in your overall scheme. With white or off-white and will fade into the background of your façade and you don’t have to take their color into consideration when planning your scheme.

If you are looking to make more of a statement, a bronze frame could be very nice. It isn't brown or gray so will blend nicely with the color in your roofing and your brick.

I hope that helps you to make a final decision.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

Tim Gentry, also known as our Technical Guru, has been with DaVinci since day one. And before he was with DaVinci he owned and operated a roofing installation company. He also grew up installing roofs with his father in the Tahoe region.  So, to say that Tim knows only a thing or two about how to install a roof, would be an understatement.

Tim was instrumental, and continues to be instrumental, in the design of DaVinci synthetic slate roof shingles and synthetic shake shingles. His perspective as a roofer helps us to make a product that is not only great for the home or building owner, but also great for the roofer.

Often times, roofers that are not as familiar with our product can get stumped on how to approach a certain area of a roof with our tiles. While almost every installation technique is covered in our installation guides, you can also find top installation roofing tips from Tim on his blog.

Here are some of his more recent postings.

• DaVinci Shake Rake Alternative
• Installing DaVinci Tiles with No Waste
• Why DaVinci Recommends Stainless Steel Nails
• Multi-Width Means No Cutting
• Bellaforté Installation Tip with Toe Boards and Snowguards

Are you a contractor installing our product? What questions do you have about installing our products? You might also enjoy exploring DaVinci's YouTube channel where we cover installation tips and tricks as well.

Beginning July 1, 2014, homes and businesses in the city of Big Bear Lake and all the other towns in San Bernardino County, California, must have wood-free roofs. A county ordinance has mandated the changes be made as a way to help deter the spread of wildfires.

Just months away from this deadline, many homeowners in the area are reaching out to Copp Roofing and Construction, Inc. to replace their wood shake or shingle roofs with alternative products like simulated shake roofing or imitation slate shingles.

"Since 2005 we've installed more than 50 DaVinci roofs on the mountain," says Barbie Copp, owner and CFO of Copp Roofing & Construction Inc. "We recently completed a DaVinci roof installation on Big Bear Lake. The homeowner chose the Bellaforté Shake in the Espresso color blend because he loved the realistic look of the synthetic product to replicate their cedar shake roof."

In order to comply with the Roof Covering Ordinance that went into effect January 1, 2009, owners of both homes and commercial buildings must have all wood shake roofs within the San Bernardino County Fire Safety Zones replaced by July 1, 2014. The team at Copp Roofing has seen traffic increase dramatically at their Wood Shake Replacement Headquarters as people stop in to view product samples and discuss reroofing projects.

"We're busy scheduling estimates and doing bids for our fellow mountain residents,” says Copp. “Our sales team recommends the DaVinci synthetic shake product to homeowners who like the look of their cedar shake roof.  We are proud to be able to offer one of the best high-tech composite alternative replacement products on the market.  It meets the fire-resistant requirements, has proven to be a dependable product and has an aesthetic appeal. Plus, the 50-year transferable warranty that we are able to offer as DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor is extremely appealing to our customers.” 

See the story Wildfires Threaten Cedar Shake Roofsfor more information on the fire reistancy of DaVinci roofing products.  

With winter upon us, we thought that it might be an opportune time to offer some roofing tips when it comes to common cold weather roof issues. Often times, depending on the type of roofing material, like a wood shake roof, you have on your home, you can have different issues. However, for simplicity reasons, we'll quickly address how to prevent common cold weather roof issues:

1. Snow avalanches off your roof - These can be prevented by installing snowguards.


2. Ice build up on the eaves - This is called an "ice dam" - these can be prevented with proper attic insulation and ventilation.


3. Water inside your home - One of the first things to check are your gutters - if your gutters are clogged, then you will have leaks inside your home over time.


4. Icicles hanging from your gutters - Similar to ice dams, this problem can be solved by cleaning out your gutters, making sure they are free of debris and leaves.


5. Condensation - Often times if your roof is not properly ventilated, you can have condensation problems from the warm air inside your home, hits the cold surface of your roof. Roof vents and other venting options can be retro-added to your roof to help with this issue.

Do you own a DaVinci 50 year roof? How do you like it? We'd love to hear the story about how you decided on a DaVinci roof.

With the holidays approaching now is a great time to ask yourself if your home is ready to welcome your friends and family. Here is a pre-holiday checklist to help you find out.

Bellaforté Slate in Sabino Blend

Is your roof in good shape? A roof that appears well-maintained gives your guest a sense of feeling safe and protected from the elements. If yours needs updating now would be the time to find a replacement that will last long enough to welcome the next generation or two of family members.

Check the overall appearance of your siding, shutters and windows. Is anything in need of repair or sprucing up? Now may be time to make any quick fixes that can be completed before the holidays.

Photo from Laurieflower.com

Are the walkways and stairs leading to your home easy to navigate? Uneven surfaces, loose railings or slippery stairs are anything but inviting. They can be hazardous and take the joy out of your guests visit before they even get in the door so take care of those repairs now. Your home will be more pleasing to approach.

Is the pathway to your home well lit? The warm glow of lights invites your guest in makes the approach to your front door enjoyable. When choosing walkway lighting consider safety, too. Lighting can beautify your walkways, but it can also assist in safely getting your guests to and from your home.

Does your front door say, “Welcome”? As the entrance to your home, your front door begins to give visitors a sense of what to expect inside. Take the same care in choosing your color and decorative details of you front door as you do in decorating your interior. A fresh coat of paint in a new color may be all that is needed to spruce up your home. Have a bit of fun and pick a color that gives your home as much personality as you have. Not sure what color that is? Read my previous post to find out what the color of your front door says about you.

Once you've made sure your home is ready to welcome your friends and family all that is left it to put up the holiday decorations and invite everyone over. Who will you be welcoming into your home this year?

If you live in an area of the country that gets a lot of snow, then you might be looking for a solution that stops that avalanche of snow from tumbling off the roof when the snow starts to melt.

The power and force behind a roof avalanche can rip off gutters and destroy beautiful landscaping below.

So what's the solution to prevent that avalanche from happening?Snowguards.

Snowguards are devices that are installed on your roof to help hold snow on your roof while helping it melt at a more even rate. These can be installed when your roof is installed or can be retrofitted onto your simulated shake roofing or synthetic slate roof shingles.

How do snowguards work?

Snowguards are strategically placed on your roof, so that when the snow melts, it melts more evenly. That way, it doesn't have the opportunity to bind together and create that avalanche. There are several different types so talk with your roofer to determine the best snowguard system for your home.

You can read more about snowguards, how they work and why they're important in the following posts:

• Got Snow? Better Get Snowguards!
• Don't Forget Snowguards - Even in the Summer!
• Can I Install Snowguards After My Roof Is Installed?

Do you have snowguards? What made you decide to install them? Did you install them at the same time your roof was installed or did you have them retrofitted? Share your snowguard stories with us in the comments below.

Going paperless? Need an update to an existing architectural binder? Our website offers all documents found in our binders in one convenient place. Click here to get to our digital architectural binder and download the latest brochures, installation instructions, testing certifications, and green information on our steep slope roofing materials.

Happy Friday, Architects!

As a manufacturing company, we work daily to be consciously aware of the environment. Moreover, as a roofing manufacturing company, we feel the need to be even more environmentally conscious when creating our green roof systems.

Why?

Roofs are something every single building and home has to have - so there are a lot of them. And many of them need to be replaced over time - so what happens to the old roof? What happens when the new roof is being put on? Replacing a roof can lead to quite a bit of waste, often headed for the landfills. So, when creating our synthetic shake shingles and our imitation slate shingles, we have not only examined the manufacturing creation process of our shingles, but we have also looked at what happens after the 50+ years that our roofs are on homes. 

Here's how DaVinci celebrates November 15th, America Recycles Day, every day:

• We make tiles in our own Kansas City, Kansas facility to save energy and transportation cost.
• We utilize the energy we consume to help heat the plant during the winter months.
• We use 100% pure virgin resins for our roof tiles to guarantee a sustainable product. Any materials that fail to meet finished specs are recycled for use in our starter tiles.
• Every DaVinci tile is 100% recyclable.
• Our Multi-Width shingle system allows for less waste at the job site, therefore less material is needed and wasted.
• We offer a "Cool Roof" product through our DaVinci EcoBlend® tiles. They are an ENERGY STAR® Qualified Product.
• We contribute to the LEED® Certification Process.
• We offer a recycling program that is two fold: contractors can return waste from a job site to our plant for recycling into starter tiles and entire roofs can be returned to our plant for recycling into starter tiles after their 50+ year life has expired. Read more about our recycling program here.

What do you do to support the environment? Do you recycle? In what ways?

Are you looking for green products for your home or business? What about on your roof?

It's no wonder you happened upon our website, as our imitation slate shingles and synthetic shake shingles are considered green roof systems because of our LEED® Certification Process as well as our recycling program.

We contribute to the LEED® Certification Process through:

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Materials and Resources

We talk more in detail about the above mentioned contributions on our website.  Read more about DaVinci's LEED Certification Process. 

In addition to LEED efforts, we also offer a recycling program for our shingles.  Our recycling program has two options:

1. Waste from a job site
2. Expired tiles

Scraps from an installation can be returned to our plant to keep them out of the landfill. Likewise, after DaVinci roof tiles have lived their 50 year life or longer, then can be returned to our facility for recycling purposes. Any scraps from installation and tiles that have outlived their lifespan will be recycled into starter tiles. Before returning them and to receive specific instructions on how to do so, we ask that you contact DaVinci Roofscapes, 855-299-5301, to schedule a return.

Want to see our recycling program in action? See how Shawn Bellis of Epic Exteriors in KC Talks "Going Green" with DaVinci's Recycling Program!

Did you choose to go with a DaVinci roof because it fit your eco-friendly roof needs? Are you pleased with your decision?

We are interested in Bellaforté Slate or DaVinci Slate tiles. We are sending pictures of our house. Could you please suggest colours in both styles of tiles.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Linda Goos, Canada
Product: Slate - Bellaforté or Multi-Width

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

Dear Ms. Goos,

Thank you for providing several images of you home. It made it easier for me to see the brick color on the back of the home and to get an idea of what was blocked by the landscaping in front.

My recommendation is to go with a warm brown slate on your home. I can see how the current color was probably chosen to carry the brick color onto the roof but it is a bit too red to blend in well with your surroundings. 

The color is also not showing your brick off as nicely as a color that blended with the warm tones but was more brown. I recommend either Brownstone or Cambridge.

I like the varied sizes of the Brownstone tiles but the Cambridge would be great too if you like a more uniform look of the Bellaforté product. I would not recommend Single-Width Valoré for your home because I think the size and pattern are too much like your brick and there needs to be more contrast in size and pattern to work well.

If you wanted to go a bit more colorful you could also go with the Aberdeen blend as it would work nicely, too.

I hope that helps you to select your color.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert