Warm creamy tones or solid brown color? Many homeowners are confused over the right roof color to cap their homes. There's no need to be stuck on color choices. Our color expert, Kate Smith of Sensational Color, has some fantastic advice to make color selection easy! Here are some of her top color tips from 2013:

1. Do your homework. Don't rush a decision. Try to envision a home exterior that you will like next year, five years from now, and then 20 years from now. 


2. Consider your options. While a solid color roof may work for some home styles, a blend of several colors may offer a "softer" look with more accent options. Pre-bundled roofing color blends are available with two, three, four or five different color blends that complement each other.


3. Investigate the different roofing color options available to you online. Use our online Color Design tool to create your own custom color blends from 49 colors or to see the company's standard 28 color blends.


4. Request life-sized samples of your favorite color roofing tiles to hold up against your current roof to see the change that a new color will make for your home.


5. Look at the other homes in your neighborhood. Your home should blend in or stand out from other homes, but never clash with the rest of the homes in your community. A roofing color can help achieve a harmonious look.


6. Get assistance from a professional. Just as selecting the roofing product is a big decision requiring assistance of a professional, so is the choice of the roof color. Consult a color expert and use the color tools offered by experts and product manufacturers to gain a strong comfort level for your color choice.

Follow these tips from color expert Kate Smith and get an awesome roof color for your DaVinci 50 year roof.

Read more about roof colors from Kate:

• Free Guides For Choosing Color For Your Home Like A Pro
• How To Get Your Colors Approved By Your HOA: Quickly and Easily
• 5 Ways For Your Home To Make A Great First Impression
• The 5 Essential Elements of a Traffic-Stopping Exterior
• Give Me 5 Minutes -- And I'll Show You How To Find A Perfect Exterior Color Scheme

Would you be surprised to know that Thomas Alva Edison, the same guy that invented the first electric lights also was the first to use them to decorate for Christmas? I sure was when I was researching the history of Christmas lights for my article Light Up Your Home For The Holidays.

His reason for putting up the first Christmas light display? Not to bring joy to the world as I had expected but as a way for him to advertise his incandescent light bulbs. An article by Brian Murray titled "Christmas Lights and Community Building in America" [pdf] explains Edison's marketing ploy of stringing incandescent bulbs all around his Menlo Park laboratory, so that commuters on the nearby railway could see the "Christmas lights" as they passed by.

Since that first marketing trick, people have had all kinds of reasons for putting lights on their homes to celebrate the holidays including illuminating their rooftop as a beacon for old St. Nick. Here are four more reasons to create a display that goes over-the-top of your roof and all the way down around your home.

1. Because my wife asked me to decorate the house."The house with a bazillion lights"—includes 32 mini trees,
over 40,000 lights, and is synced to holiday music.

2. To carry on a family tradition. The Garabedian Family in the Bronx, New York, have a 30-year-long tradition
of decorating their holiday home with nearly 200 animated figurines, all wearing
handmade costumes and programmed to "dance" to festive holiday music.

3. To delight the kids C.D. Wright of Brentwood, Tennessee, looks forward to the job of decorating
his home every year. His main motivation? The excitement on
his grandkids' faces when they see it all.

4. For a good cause. Alek Komarnitsky recreates an over-the-top display in the hope it will motivate
people to donate to the University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research; both of his
children have been diagnosed with the condition. Visit komar.org to get in on the fun.

No matter the reason, displaying lights from the top down is sure to grab Santa's attention and bring a smile to the face of any passerby.

If your roof is more than twenty years old or if there are clear signs that it is past its life expectancy, replacing your roof may be a smart idea. However, before getting your roof replaced, you need to assess the general condition of your existing roof and carefully consider the both options.

Early signs of problems include the appearance of dark areas on ceilings, damp spots near the fireplace(s), and peeling paint in areas where the roof overhangs. Shingles that are curling, buckling, or blistering also indicate your roof might be worn out.

One big question to ask: Will repair make sense? If leaks are the only problem and the roof looks otherwise sound, you might want to look into getting your roof repaired.

How much will a new roof cost? A new roof is a major investment for homeowners and business owers alike. Installing a roof  involves many steps from stripping off your old roofing, maybe removing old decking and replacing with new decking, potential repairs of structure, new underlayments, labor, etc...  And sometimes you might have multiple layers of old roofing that will need to be removed. Be sure you get reliable estimates from at least three different contractors  to see what the actual cost will be.

Another consideration: multiple layers. Often times an existing roof has been installed over an old roof layer leaving you with multiple layers on your roof. If you're considering a re-roof with DaVinci, we highly recommend that all existing roofing material be removed. In other words, it is not advisable to put DaVinci shingles on top of a layer of wood shake or asphalt shingles, etc. What's more, when you have multiple layers of shingles, your roof might look lumpy.

Getting a new roof might be expensive; however,  continuous repair costs can add up. It's wise to consult with a roofing contractor to have a thorough evaluation of your existing roof done. Carefully consider their recommendations and after thorough evaluation, schedule your repairs or know when to say when.

Are you planning to get a new roof? Consider installing one of our hugely popular roofing systems like our synthetic shake shingles. For more roofing tips, check out our blog.

Photo Credit: How to Tell if You Need a New Roof

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!

With double-digit growth projected for DaVinci Roofscapes in 2013, some people may be curious where the sales are coming from. According to Ray Rosewall, President and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes, several factors, including the rebounding housing market and unexpected severe weather situations, have positively impacted product sales for DaVinci.

"During the past few years we've made great headway with increasing our sales network," says Rosewall. "That has helped us achieve DaVinci brand recognition and sales growth throughout the United States and Canada particularly as the housing market recovers.

"We're constantly working to create a strong network of quality professional contractors who we believe will continue using DaVinci products in 2014. We have the best product mix possible connected to top-quality polymer roofing products and believe this combination will lead us to strong repeat product sales to contractors in 2014."

Along with the recovery of the housing market, Rosewall cites unanticipated severe weather as another factor that can cause short term "surges" in synthetic roofing sales as homeowners deal with the aftermath.

"Unfortunately the severity and increased frequency of extreme weather events is predicted to continue in the future," says Rosewall. "Since storm damage often affects a home's roof DaVinci polymer roofing products are embraced by insurers, contractors and homeowners in areas that have experienced severe weather.

"In some regions insurance providers offer incentives to homeowners to use our products. In other areas people make the investment in our roofs after a storm because they have seen their neighbor's DaVinci roof successfully stand up against the severe weather. As always, we'll be ready to respond to the needs of homeowners in 2014 whether they're dealing with roof damage from a storm or simply the need to upgrade an older, inefficient roof."

To learn more about how DaVinci roofs stand up to severe weather, visit Tennis Balls of Ice Demolish Roof.

I am in the process of refinishing the exterior of my house - I have just had Tudor Boards replaced - western red cedar painted with solid Arborcaat Benjamin Moore Stain. Stucco also was redone with California Stucco Travertine color # 89. Existing roof needs to be replaced asphalt shingle that looks like either a Royal Sovereign - Autumn Brown or Golden Cedar. I really do not like the look of the existing color.

I have to replace roof and am thinking of using the DaVinci Product. I really like the slate look and think it would be more aesthically pleasing than the designer asphalt shingle.

From the website the colors that I am considering for the DaVinci are European, Brownstone or Castle Grey.

I have attached some pictures of the house.

Your thoughts please.

Tom Torre
Eastcheter, NY
Product: Multi-width DaVinci Slate

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

Dear Mr. Torre,

I have looked at the photo you sent and completely agree that the slate tiles would be the better choice for your home. You are also on the right track with your choices for a new roof.

Your home's style plus the materials and colors you have chosen are a perfect fit for the product. My first choice is the Multi-Width Slate in Brownstone because I think it nicely marries with the colors in your bricks and takes the tones onto the roof complementing the overall scheme.

European could work because of the warmer tiles but it brings in quite a bit of gray that is not seen elsewhere on the home and may seem a bit cool against your main and trim colors.

I do not believe you would be as happy with Castle Gray because it would be introducing a new color without having any other elements of the home anchor it to the scheme.

Your home is already looking lovely and your new roof will be like putting a crown on the renovation.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

What color do you think will look best on our home...stone and current roof thick shingles?

John Denton
Amarillo, TX
Product:Bellaforté

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

Dear Mr. Denton,

My recommendation is to go with a roof that is lighter than the one currently on your home. A lighter color without too much variation in the tones will work best with the brick color and pattern.

It is difficult to see the colors in the brick well but I recommend taking a look at a blend of Medium Tan and Dark Tan or 1-3 tones of Chesapeake.

Keep the variation in colors subtle as to not compete with pattern in the brick. Either slate or shake will work and since you didn't say which you preferred I am showing you both.

I would also consider a mid-tone color for your shutters when you get ready to change them to blend with the overall look. You could also continue your light neutral trim color along the peaks of the roof rather than the dark you have now. This will draw the eye upward and enhance how the front of your home is perceived as visitors approach.

I hope that helps you to select your color.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

For some, there might be something magical about the icicles dangling from the eaves of a snow-clad house like something out of a children's book. However, while icicles might look attractive to some, they clearly indicate that something bad is happening under the snow.

According to roofing experts, icicles are a harmful byproduct of an 'ice dam' on the roof or eaves. Ultimately, these ice dams can cause several problems including:

• rotted roofs
• ruined insulation
• peeling paint
• mold
• moisture on the inner walls

Ice dams develop when the temperature in the attic is much warmer than the outside temperature caused by improper roof ventilation and inadequate insulation. When the roofing tile, like synthetic slate roof tile, on the top is warm, it will melt snow, but as it reaches the eaves which are cold, the water from the melting snow will freeze in the gutters and cause an ice dam and icicles.

Ice dams can cause serious damage to your roof and home, so you cannot ignore them. One way to prevent ice buildup is to keep your attic temperature close to the outside temperature as possible. Make sure you attic is properly ventilated and insulated.

For these and more roofing tips, please visit our blog.

Roofs come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, there are many different styles of roofs out there. Here are a few of the most common types - can you tell which one you have?


Mansard: A Mansard roof can be recognized by two slopes on all four sides of the roof. The lower slope is very steep and is usually punctuated with windows, whereas the pitch of the upper slope is so shallow that it can be hard to see from the street. These roofs became especially popular in nineteenth century Paris because they acted as a means of bypassing regulations that limited the heights of buildings to 65 feet. Since the height of the building was measured to the cornice line at the base of the roof, a Mansard roof made it possible to add extra height and living space.
 

Gable: Gable style roofs are any roofs that have two upward sloping sides that meet at the top. The basic, triangular-shaped roof that children typically put on drawings of a house is a gable roof but so is a beautiful, more complicated roof that has several cross-gables.

 

Gambrel: Gambrel roofs were initially used on barns because they give the structure more space for storing crops and animal feed. In a home, that extra space may be used for a bigger, loftier attic or bedrooms. The Gambrel is easily recognized by its two slopes, the lower one being steep and the higher one being more shallow. The overall appearance is very similar to a Mansard roof except that, while a Mansard slopes down on all four sides of a structure, the Gambrel only slopes down on two sides of a structure (as is the case with most barns).

 

Hip: Hip roofs are a common type of roof in many parts of America, come in many forms, and can always be recognized by the lack of any vertical sides or "gables". For example, if the top of your house looks like a pyramid, it probably has a square Hip roof. If it looks kind of like a pyramid with a long ridge on the top, it's probably a rectangular Hip roof. Tented roofs and Mansard roofs are also variants of Hip roofs.
 

Were you able to identify your roof type? Our synthetic roofing material can be installed on virtually any steep slope roof type. If you have questions about our products and f they will work on your roof, please contact us. We're happy to help!
 

Designer Kevin Price is seeing red --- as in the Red Ledges community in Heber City, Utah. Price has shaken up the development by designing 22 custom homes, many with DaVinci Roofscapes polymer shake roofing tiles.

"This development started with the edict that all roofs must be natural wood shake," says Price, president of Kevin Price Designs in Park City, Utah. "That just didn't make sense to me. Natural wood shake is a fire risk not worth taking and it doesn't hold up well in this part of the country. I lobbied Red Ledges to try an alternative roofing product. Of the options, DaVinci was a clear cut ahead of every other product.

"They approved the DaVinci synthetic shake tiles immediately when they saw the realistic look of the shake shingles. Since then I've specified it on every home I've designed in Red Ledges. Now I'm working on getting DaVinci slate alternative roofing tiles specified in the same development."

According to Price, the designs of his 5,000-square-foot homes are dictated by the views and the personalities of his clients. The commonality of the designs in Red Ledges is that they all capture stunning Timpanogos Mountain vistas and are created to complement the natural landscape.

"Since the roof in this desert setting takes the most abuse from the sun and weather, it needs to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing," says Price. "Both the Multi-Width Shake and Bellaforté Shake lightweight roofing materials we've been using capture both desires perfectly."

DaVinci Multi-Width Shake composite roofing has the texture of natural cedar shake with a deep-grained surface. Multiple widths of the shake tiles help create a more natural, non-repeating appearance on the roof and can be laid in either a straight or staggered pattern.

Designed to realistically resemble real cedar shake roofing tiles, Bellaforté Shake installs quickly thanks to the product’s patented features, which include a leading edge tab and a self-aligning ledge. All DaVinci simulated shake roofing resists impact, fire, algae and insects.

"With a 50-year limited warranty these DaVinci composite roofs will last for decades," says Price. "The bottom line is that the DaVinci polymer products make my homes look good ... and that's good for my reputation and business."

For more information on durable DaVinci roofs, see Multi-Width DaVinci Shake Tiles - Providing a "Premium Shake" Look to Your Home.                                                     

Most people don't realize they need a new roof until they see leaks in the ceiling. Of course, you can get those leaks repaired, but in some cases, installing a new roof might be the better solution.

Here are six sure signs that suggest you need to replace your old roof. (Hint!: Our simulated shake roofing or synthetic slate roof shingles are a good solution for roof replacements).

Curling of shingles
Curling of shingles is an indication that you might need a new roof. Take a look at the slopes of the roof. Do you notice any shingles that are curling or losing granules? If you see curling or granual loss, your shingles may be past their prime.

Valleys
If the shingles are beginning to fall apart, it is a clear sign that you need to get a new roof. Missing shingles in the valleys of your roof are particularly dangerous. If shingles in the valleys are missing, the roof might develop leaks.

Chimney flashing
This area, too, deserves your attention. If the flashing mainly consists of tar or roof cement, you will probably have to replace it with a long lasting, watertight fitting.

Shingle granules in your gutters
Are finding shingle granules in your gutters? Roof shingles begin to lose more and more granules as they age.

Sunrays coming through your roof
Can you see sunrays coming through your roof boards? This is a clear sign that your roof has been compromised and needs to be replaced.

Age of your roof
A typical shingle roof may last up to 25 years. But if your current roof was installed over an existing layer (or layers) of shingles and is older than twenty years, you may need a new roof.

Always consult a reputable roofing contractor to have a thorough examination of your roof to make the most informed decision. We recommend getting at least three opinions to make sure you are comfortable with the advice and recommendations. If you find that you need a new roof, consider installing our polymer roof tiles. Our tiles are beautiful, lightweight, impact and fire resistant, come in 49 standard colors and multiple blends, and come with a limited 50-year warranty.

Every day I talk to architects working on existing homes or buildings that have an old slate roof that has reached the end of it's life and they are looking for alternatives. Their reasons vary, but mostly boil down to cost. Slate can weigh quite a bit more than other types of roofing material, at approximately 1200 pounds per square, and therefore additional work and enforcements may need to be done to a structure so it can hold the weight of a slate roof. Also, when you're looking at slate you're looking for a luxury roof, and many realize that the thickness and colors you want aren't available at a realistic price point.

The polymer slate tiles we have developed and manufacture are a fraction of weight, coming in between 180-360 pounds per square (the difference is due to either product or exposure). To give you some perspective, a composition roof comes in at approximately 250 pounds per square, cedar shake can weigh 250 pounds per square, and concrete tile weighs about 700 pounds per square. If a structure can hold shingles, it can hold a DaVinci Slate roof.

DaVinci's imitation slate roof tiles are a half inch thick and come in 49 colors, all of which are at the same price point so you can get the look of the thick and colorful slate you want, all at a set price. You can view all color options at the Color Designer on the website. 

Happy Friday, Architects! 

Do you have a DaVinci roof on your home or business?

If you have installed a DaVinci roof on your home or building, whether it be our cedar shake alternative or our imitation slate shingles, we would love to hear from you.

Here's what we would like to know:

1. What made you choose a DaVinci roof?

2. Which of our roofing products and profiles did you choose and why?

3. Did you use a standard color/color blend or did you create your own?

4. Did you use our online color designer?

5. How has a DaVinci roof improved the look of your home?

6. What benefits have you seen since installing a DaVinci roof?

Please spare a few minutes to tell us about your experience with our materials. We want to hear about your experience with our products. 

Do not limit yourself to only the good stuff. If you think our products lack somewhere, speak out. We appreciate your feedback. We respect your opinion because it helps us continue to design superior roofing products.

Click here to share your DaVinci roof story with us.

The cost of DaVinci lightweight roof systems is no secret, however, it's not an easy answer because there are so many factors involved in the total cost of a roof installation.

The material cost of DaVinci synthetic slate shingles and DaVinci cedar shake alternative shingles is determined by:

• The DaVinci product that you select - Multi-Width Slate or Shake, Single-Width Valoré Slate or Shake, Fancy Shake or our Bellaforté products.
• The exposure at which you want or need the tiles installed.
• The coursing you'd prefer - straight or staggered (this also depends on the DaVinci product you would like).
• Transportation costs - DaVinci is produced in Kansas City, KS. Some distributors order truck loads of product to keep the cost per square much by saving on fuel. However, transportation costs are always a factor in the overall cost.

On top of the material costs of a DaVinci roof, you also have several other factors that may or may not influence the overall cost of your roof:

• Labor costs - Be sure you get at least 3 bids from contractors to so you can compare recommendations and costs for all that needs to be done (start to finish) to install the new roof.
• Underlayment costs - depending on where you live in the country, you may need ice and water shield or other heavier duty underlayments that cost more than 30# felt.
• Metals - The metal that you use in open or closed valleys as well as standing seam metals can affect the cost of your roof.
• Nails - The quality of nails that you use can also make a difference in the overall cost of your roof.

The best way to figure out the cost of a DaVinci roof is to get 3 different quotes from three different qualified roofers in your area.

What was the cost of your DaVinci roof?  We want to hear?  What other cost factors did you have to consider for your area of the country?

Winter is the season of festivals, family fun, holidays and COLD weather. It's the time of year many enjoy time with with family and friends indoors. But is the season good for roofing as well? There is no clear answer.

Passions run high among roofers whenever the topic comes up. Special care needs to be used when working with steep slope roofing materials in freezing temperatures. Self-adhering membranes sometimes don’t stick, underlayments are hard to roll out or crack, caulking is impossibly stuck in the tube, and shingles become brittle and crack. Many manufacturers will not allow their materials to be installed when the outside temperature is below 40 or 45 degrees F. This is a big problem for roof installers throughout the country during the winter months. For those roofers who work in high mountain country where temperatures can reach 45 F at night in August, it is a big problem year round.

On the other hand, some roofers don't think it is necessary to wait for warmer weather to repair or replace your roof. They rely on expert skills and modern roofing materials to repair and replace roofs in colder weather. Our engineered resin system is designed so that the tiles remain flexible in cold temperatures and can usually be installed in temperatures as cold as 20 degrees F. When installing DaVinci Slate or composite Shake in cold temperatures you must make sure that the tiles have been stored flat and are flat when installed. You must make certain that the space between tiles is at a very minimum 3/16”. Quick tip: If using a pneumatic roofing nail gun make sure that the pressure isn’t set too high.

Whether you're looking to install our simulated shake roofing or our synthetic slate roof tiles, rest assured if the contractor knows what s/he is doing, it can be installed in colder temps.

Set against a landscape of mountain vistas, the Red Ledges community in Heber City, Utah is a planned community boasting unique homes --- many of them designed by Kevin Price. Homeowners rely on Price to create eye-pleasing home exteriors that blend in with the natural Utah setting, starting with the roof.

"The three brown tones of our DaVinci Multi-Width Shake roof make up the Mountain blend," says Ann Fiery, homeowner. "The color is beautiful. It complements the colors of our stonework siding as well as the stain colors on the exterior.

"We wholeheartedly recommend Kevin for his design efforts, plus for his recommendation of DaVinci synthetic cedar shake roofing tiles. It's a great choice and we're pleased to have the shake alternative product on our home."

In the same community, Eric Gingras also sings the praises of the designer. "Kevin has an innate sense of combining the customer's requirements, architectural realities and building supply options," says Gingras. "Specifying the synthetic shake DaVinci roof is just one example of combining client needs with local covenants and restrictions to achieve a stunning home exterior."

For the Gingras home, Price specified the Bellaforté Shake roofing product in the Espresso blend of four tones of brown. "I love the dark color options on our roof as they complement our light-colored cedar siding," says Gingras. "In addition, I know the simulated shake roofing will retain its rich dark color without fading, splitting or rotting. We've eliminated the problems of natural shake roofs while gaining long-term durability without expensive or time consuming maintenance issues.

"Besides having a great looking low-maintenance roof, we are happy with the peace-of-mind provided by the fire-resistant features of the DaVinci polymer roofing products. The cost was a little more than traditional cedar shake roofs, but well worth the investment."

For more information on roofing alternatives from DaVinci, visit Synthetic Cedar Shake Roofing Gives Your Home a Rugged Appearance.

Choosing the right color for a part of your home might be difficult, but coordinating several colors to get the right blend is definitely daunting. If you don’t have a tried and tested approach to pick the right shades for your DaVinci polymer roof tiles, creating custom colors could be a challenging task. But don’t worry; you can follow the FRESH 5 Step approach by color expert Kate Smith.

Kate's FRESH approach to selecting color will walk you through 5 easy steps for selecting color to help you find the right blend.

• Fixed features: Unless you are building your home from scratch, it is not a blank canvas. You need to consider the color of the home's exterior while selecting the right color for your synthetic slate roof tiles or cedar shake alternative roof tiles. Some fixed features that you should consider are walls, chimney structures, and steps.

• Regional Colors: Consider the location of your home. For example, a color that might look good in northern areas might look dull where there is intense sunlight.

• Environment and surroundings: Take a look at your neighborhood. While you don’t want your home to look like an exact replica of your neighbor’s house, HOAs more than likely will require it not stand out.

• Style of home: What is the architectural style of your home? If you are going for a traditional look, bright and bold colors might not complement its features.

• Historic colors: Some homeowner associations have a historic collection of colors that needs to be followed. If your HOA offers particular color combination schemes, you'll be required to adhere to those regulations.

With these 5 simple steps, you can have a great color scheme for any part of your home, including your DaVinci
50 year roof.

Quality construction, regular maintenance, and early diagnosis of problems help to increase the life of a roof. When you use DaVinci roofing materials, you take another step towards a long lasting, durable roof as well as adding significant curb appeal to your home or building.

At DaVinci, we don't  think durability should come at the cost of beauty. We want your roof to last longer and look like a Masterpiece! Therefore, we have combined the beauty of slate and shake with the durability of a man-made product.

Scientifically engineered, DaVinci synthetic shake shingles and synthetic slate roof shingles were developed using the latest advances in polymer chemistry. They ad beauty and offer huge benefits like Class A fire ratings, Class 4 impact ratings, superior wind resistance, a 50-year warranty, etc... With DaVinci, beauty does not have to be sacrificed for durability.

Currently we have 49 standard colors and multiple standard color blends available. However, if you want your roof's blend to be totally unique, you can create a custom color blend or even create a custom color that is not part of our 49 stock colors. The sky is the limit and your roof is your canvas!

Our lightweight roofing materials come in a range of different profiles - from multi-width and single-width slates to multi-width and single-width shakes. These beautiful products are durable and maintenance free. Once installed, you sit back and enjoy your  50-year roof.

To see more homes and buildings that have been dressed up with a DaVinci roof, please read: Pictures of DaVinci Rooftops are Worth a Thousand Words.

As often as I can I feature residential projects installed by the members of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program. Below is a recap of a few recently featured projects. I like to refer to these when architects call in and want to see examples of residential projects so they can show their clients. 

Click here to read more about this Bellaforté Shake roof in the Espresso Blend located in Wisconsin.

Click here to read more about this synthetic slate roof tile in Slate Black roof in Connecticut, where snow guards are a must.

Click here to read more about this Colorado home that uses Bellaforté Shake with amazing copper details. 

Happy Friday, Architects! 

Opened in late 2013, the new multi-purpose LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge in Tennessee includes 232,000-square feet of meeting and exhibit space in a sprawling lodge-type setting. Topping off the impressive structure is 965 squares of Valoré Slate polymer roofing tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes in the Verde blend of light and dark green tiles to complement the facility's Smoky Mountain setting.

"The size of this complex plus the building code limitations made it impossible for us to specify weighty, expensive real slate for the roof," says Michael Smelcer, principal with SRA Architects, Inc."After researching our options, we selected the DaVinci Valoré Slate product because of aesthetics, weight and Class A fire classification. The owners of the center were very open to using this particular polymer slate roofing because it gave them the mountain lodge look they desired."          

Single-Width Valoré Slate composite slate roofing tiles resemble the classic traditional slate tile found on upscale projects throughout the world. Available in 12-inch tile widths, the half-inch thick Valoré Slate tiles are twice the thickness of most other synthetic slates.

Built over a two-year timeframe by the team at Merit Construction, Inc. out of Knoxville, the LeConte Center has a 100,000-square foot exhibit hall, 14 multi-purpose rooms of varying sizes, along with pre-function and kitchen space, loading docks and spacious lobbies. Outdoor patios overlook the Little Pigeon River with views of Mount LeConte from many angles.

The imitation slate roof on the LeConte Center was installed by Detail Slate and Tile out of Greenville, South Carolina. "We install several DaVinci roofs each year on residential and commercial projects," says Joe Whitmore, vice president of operations for Detail Slate and Tile. "This was the largest project we've had the opportunity to install polymer roofing material and it went very smoothly. The result is a roof that blends in with its natural setting, is very durable, requires virtually no maintenance and will last for decades to come."

See Polymer Slate Profiles: Features and Benefitsfor more details on DaVinci slate roof alternatives.

Photos courtesy of Merit Construction, Inc.