I am wondering about color of these shakes for my house. I have enclosed a picture of the house.

Betsy Murphy
Round Hill, VA
Product: Polymer Shake

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Dear Ms. Murphy,

A DaVinci Roofscapes Shake product will look great on your home.

With the stone on your home I am recommending that you select a roofing color that has tones that blend with the colors in the stone. Two blends to consider are Bellaforté Shake in Tuscano and DaVinci Shake in Chesapeake.

Tuscano plays up the warm brown and orange tones in the stone. It has a natural look that will tie into the surrounding landscape as well as to your home. With this blend I would stay with neutral siding, light trim and medium to dark for the shutters and front door. The shutters could be a deeper shade of the darkest tile in roof blend. This would help to visually connect the roof and stone. For the front door you could select a color that contrasted such as a deep blue green, or light navy; Or play up the warm tones in the stone and roof by going with a rich terra cotta or red/orange. It would also help the front door to be a focal point if you painted the trim and panels around the sidelights to match the trim rather than the front door.

An alternate look would be to go with the grayish/greenish tones from the stone in selecting your roof color. Again make sure that the color blends with the stone. In this case the main color for the home should have a similar but lighter tone. The shutters could be a darker tone of one of the roof colors. Then the front door could be the same as the shutters or a contrasting color. This combination will also feel at home in your setting and will give your home a cohesive look.

Look at sample against the stone in natural daylight to hone in on which colors will work best and then go from there.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

If you're a homeowner, you'll buy a roof once, maybe twice, in your lifetime. If you're a roofer, you're making roofing material purchases constantly.

With that in mind, it makes sense to listen to what roofers are saying about DaVinci Roofscapes products. These are the professionals who have the choice of selecting and installing any type of roofing product they desire --- yet they return again and again to DaVinci synthetic shake and slate roof shingles.

“I’m a big believer in polymer roofing products for our geographic area. The security that comes from this Florida community now having these roofs overhead is unmatched. Homeowners get peace-of-mind, low maintenance and years of guaranteed top performance.”

     ~Al Christiano, senior account manager for Empire Roofing in Florida

“We install several DaVinci roofs each year on residential and commercial projects. This (the roof on the LeConte Center in Tennessee) 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.”

     ~Joe Whitmore, vice president of operations for Detail Slate and Tile in Tennessee

“Our team has completed numerous residential projects in the past with DaVinci Roofscapes products and every client has been extremely pleased.”

     ~Scott Riopelle, owner of Interstate Roofing in Colorado

“We used Bellaforté Shake polymer roofing tiles for this project (a home in California) which really helped the job go smoothly because they’re typically lighter in weight than actual wood shakes. DaVinci has a reliable product that provides my customers an alternative to actual slate, wood or tile. Homeowners realize the cost savings is in the reduction of maintenance needed over time for these products, plus the 50-year limited warranty that gives them peace-of-mind.”

     ~Guy Galitski, president of G.G. Roofing in California

“You can’t just throw anything up a roof and hope it will work — especially not in coastal areas. I believe this roof (on Captain George's Seafood Restaurant) will work perfectly because of its anticipated long life span, low maintenance needs for the restaurant owners and the product testing results. This DaVinci roof is Class 4 impact rated, Class A rated for fire retardance and tested for high wind endurance. It’s darned hard to beat those qualifications in a roof!”

     ~Rex Simpson, general manager of Gallop Roofing & Remodeling in North Carolina

Want to hear more? Visit Out of the Mouths of Contractorsand Interview with Stella Amador of Florida Quality Roofing!

Forget "April Showers" ... if you really want to celebrate something this month, try frogs, kites and grilled cheese! That's right, there are month-long celebrations for some very unique items in April including straw hats, brussels sprouts and pecans.

A few dedicated April observances are things we'd personally choose not to celebrate --- such as World Rat Day on April 4 and Root Canal Awareness Week from April 1 through 6. But then there's Consumer Awareness Week from April 19-24. We like that week at DaVinci Roofscapes, because we think all consumers should be made aware of the benefits of polymer slate and shake roofing tiles!

Our "Made in the USA" cedar shake alternative and simulated slate roofing products are backed by a 50-Year limited lifetime warranty .... something that is also cause for celebration on April 22 --- Earth Day!

But, in case you like celebrating the less-traditional landmark holidays, mark your calendar for April 16. That's the "Day of the Mushroom," National Save the Elephant Day and National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day!

Oops ... if you live in the Midwest, don't forget that there's something else important happening this month ---April is Tornado Awareness Month!

Your home may not need an entire makeover but could it use a facelift? Adding finishing touches to make your entryway inviting with color and colorful products is one of the best ways to refresh the look of you entire home.

To get you started I'm sharing some of my favorites tips for how you can improve the look of your entryway. Use these ideas to help create your own dream home and become a serious contender for winning the $5,000 grand prize in the 2014 "Shake it Up" Exterior Color Contest! Visit the DaVinci Roofscapes Facebook Page to enter.

Red is a classic front door that instantly creates a focal point on the front of a home (image Therma-Tru). For more ideas on how to find the right color for your front door click over to "Finding the Right Color For Your Front Door."

Revamp your entry with a bright, bold paint color! (image BH&G) Want to find a color that is the best match for you? Check out the article "The color of your front door says a lot about you."

Orange accents show how a little color can go a long way. Carrying the color from your front door onto your window frames might be an option that can work on your home as well as it does on this one. (image Therma-Tru)

Add architectural elements -- moldings, columns, and trim -- that match the style of your home. (image Fypon)

Think about your entryway at night. Good lighting and a clear well-lit pathway guide your visitors
to your front door. (image Therma-Tru)

Repeating shapes like the curve above the door, the transom window and front walk,
add visual interest that leads the eye to your entryway. (image Therma-Tru)

Here is a simple way to repeat curves at your entry but adding moulding and potted topiary. (image Fypon)

The details of this entry tell the world that the people who live here are friendly. The porch trim,
wicker furniture, and accessories are relaxed, approachable and unify the look. (image Fypon)

Don't forget about your porch or portico ceiling color as a great place
to add color to welcome your family and guest. (image Fypon)

Would you like even more ideas for sprucing up your home exterior? Download the two free ebooks I wrote to help you find the perfect colors for your home:

• FRESH Home Exterior Colors
• FRESH Color Schemes For Your Home Exterior

You can also check out my last blog post Shake Up Your Home Exterior From The Top Down for great ways to enhance your exterior.

With all of these ideas and images to inspire you, I am confident you can come up with the perfect improvements for your home and be a contender in this contest so don't miss out!

Put a few ideas together and post them on the contest page to win the $5,000 grand prize. Don't miss your chance to win this fabulous prize and shake up the look of your home exterior!

Call her "Judge Kate" .... that's because Kate Smith, president and chief color maven of Sensational Color, has been selected as one of the judges for the 2014 "Shake it Up" Exterior Color Contest now underway! Entry is easy - just like DaVinci Roofscapes on our Facebook page, submit your photo and 250 word entry paragraph.

Smith will be one of just three judges to determine five finalists in the online nationwide consumer contest now underway that offers a $5,000 cash grand prize to help the winner add color to the exterior of his or her home. You have until April 13, 2014 to submit a photo of your home exterior along with up to a 250-word description stating how you want to “shake up” the exterior of your home with color and colorful products.

After the submission deadline closes, Smith and two other judges will determine five finalists. She will then work with a professional artist to create renderings and product wish lists of how the five finalists can transform their home’s exteriors by adding color and colorful products manufactured by the contest sponsor (DaVinci Roofscapes) and partners (Therma-Tru and Fypon). 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 19, 2014 to June 1, 2014. The finalist with the most online votes will receive the $5,000 grand prize.

Smith, who has recently provided color advice in the pages of Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle and Real Simple magazines, is a color expert and trend forecaster. She brings more than 30 years of color expertise to the contest as a judge.

For more details on the contest, see Win $5,000 in DaVinci Roofscapes Color Contest!

If you're in the mood to "shake up" your roof, do yourself a favor and research the many polymer shake roofing options available from DaVinci Roofscapes.

Why? Because one of the main problems with natural cedar shake shingles is their flammability --- and with DaVinci synthetic cedar shakes you all but eliminate that concern with the product's Class A Fire Rating!

Need more reasons to shake up the way you think about your roof? DaVinci composite shakes are impact-, rot- and insect-resistant. Plus, they're virtually maintenance free and resist curling, splitting and cracking. Another key bonus is that DaVinci shake alternative tiles resist fading --- so the color you select today is the same color you'll see on your roof decades from now!

Check out the many simulated shake roofing options you have from DaVinci:

• DaVinci Multi-Width Shake displays the texture of natural cedar shake with a deep-grained surface. Available in 9", 8", 7", 6" and 4" widths along with a virtually limitless color palette, the multi-width cedar shake roof features both wavy and straight grains throughout the blend for an authentic appearance. Multiple widths of the 5/8" profile on the tiles help create a more natural, non-repeating appearance that can be laid in either a straight or staggered pattern.


• Single-Width Valoré Shake tiles embrace the art and science of roofing to offer exceptional aesthetics and performance at a value-driven price point. Valoré Shake comes in a 9" tile width with a 5/8" profile to provide deep, attractive shadow lines.


• Bellaforté Shake composite roofing tiles include a leading edge tab and a self-aligning ledge, which help reduce the installation time for the products. A square of Bellaforté tiles (with 100 pieces per square) weighs just 190 pounds. This lower tile weight helps reduce installation time and transportation costs.


• DaVinci Fancy Shake luxury roof tiles provide a more refined cedar look when compared to traditional hand-split shake. With the clean, smooth look of a machine-sawn shake, Fancy Shake is available in 12", 7" and 5" widths with a tile thickness of 7/16". Using multiple widths helps create a more natural, non-repeating appearance that can be laid at a straight or staggered pattern.

 

See how one neighborhood relies on shake alternative roofing at Designer Shakes Up Utah Roofs.

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!

Architect Christopher Derrick has a simple strategy when it comes to specifying products for his custom home designs: stick with proven products. For his luxury roof specifications, that often means recommending DaVinci Roofscapes polymer slate roofing tiles.

"When the home style fits with a composite roofing product, I always recommend DaVinci," says Derrick, principal and founder of Derrick Architecture out of Wheaton, Ill. "I started using the DaVinci slate alternative product back in 2006 after researching synthetic roof options for my clients.

"Too many of these type of products in the marketplace look flat and don't have an authentic look. I found the realistic slate-like details needed for my designs with the DaVinci roofing products."

Derrick has specified almost a dozen custom homes in the Midwest with DaVinci Multi-Width slate products, including a 9,000-square foot residence in the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. "Homeowners really like the look and appreciate the low-maintenance appeal," says Derrick. "Personally I find that the synthetic slate roofing tiles fit well with my traditionally-based designs and several of the French Provincial style homes I've created.

"These authentic-looking tiles are available in some beautiful colors and blends. They look especially good when used on a steep roof slope because you can see the profile so well."

See Designer Shakes Up Utah Roofsfor another architect's perspective on DaVinci imitation slate and shake roofs.

Need some insights and inspiration to enter the 2014 "Shake it Up" Exterior Color Contest? The entries from several of our 2013 finalists may get you motivated to enter your own home into the contest  - start by liking our Facebook Page.

Philip Atkins, a homeowner in Lima, Ohio, was selected as a 2013 finalist with his entry under the title of “The Little Aberdeen Cottage that Could.” His entry explained how he envisioned a colorful Aberdeen roof on his English cottage-style home along with subtle color changes in other exterior products. Visit Before & After Home Makeover: Philip Atkins of Lima, Ohio “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest Finalist to see the artist rendering and ideas for the addition of a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft Canvas Collection entry door with Fypon fluted economy pilasters and dormer trim kits.

Holly Ludwig Roark, a homeowner in Owensboro, Ky., was another finalist who captured the attention of the judges. Roark submitted a picture of her home’s exterior under the title of “My OLD Kentucky Home” along with a description of her two-story home. Her entry explained how she fell in love with her older home at first sight, but the spark was now gone. Roark asked for help in bringing new life to her old Kentucky home with support from the contest.

Another finalist, Russ Wade of  Hoover, Ala., submitted a picture of his home’s exterior under the title of “Shake Me Out of My Comfort Zone” along with a description of his home. Wade's  entry explained how he needed guidance and designer support to provide him with the courage to “shake up” the colors on his 1-1/2 story neutral-colored home.

Visit Before & After Home Makeover: Russ Wade Of Hoover, AL “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest Finalist to learn about the new Tuscano color blend Bellaforté Shake synthetic roof from DaVinci that was recommended for Wade's home along with a durable Therma-Tru entry door and Fypon low-maintenance raised panel shutters, dormer trim kits and balustrade systems.

Now it's YOUR turn - "Like" the DaVinci Facebook page and enter the 2014 "Shake it Up" Exterior Color Contest. Who knows ... we could be profiling YOUR home in this space very soon!

Please give us your recommendation for the color choice that would look best on our house. We want a darker roof, but not black. We like the Milano, we wanted something that had a touch of a dark red in it to pick up the dark red in our brick.

Daneen Pieper
Omaha, NE
Product: Single-Width Valoré Slate

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Dear Ms. Pieper,

I think your choice of Valoré Slate in Milano is a good color blend for your home. It will pick up the color of your brick as you desire and the overall color works with your home. 

I have attached an image so you can see the color alongside your home and see how well it works.

I second your decision.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

After a rough winter with record-breaking low temperatures and snowfall amounts, homeowners across the Midwest are preparing for a potentially devastating 2014 Tornado Season.

In 2013 many homeowners --- especially those in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska --- became storm-weary as 943 tornados were reported throughout the United States. Some of those residents, like Julie McSweeney of Omaha, Neb., were fortunate to escape the loss of their homes, but ended up having to replace their roofs as a result of severe hail damage.

"After terrible hail storms devastated hundreds of homes in our area last year we began seeing many impact-resistant DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roofs installed," says McSweeney. "We wanted a worry-free, beautiful, best-in-class roof that could withstand future storms and we got it with our new Bellaforté Slate roof."

One Omaha roofing company spending 16 hours a day, 7 days a week reroofing homes in the Omaha area last year was Weatherguard, Inc. Due to roof hail damage that left craters in roofs the size of tennis balls, the company installed more than 100 DaVinci synthetic slate and shake roofs in 2013 after storms careened through the city.

"Storm damage was so severe in 2013 that it stripped some roofs of their tiles and broke shingles right off other roofs," says Trent Lovewell, vice president of operations for Weatherguard, Inc. "Our sixty employees were constantly busy installing the Bellaforté slate and shake polymer tiles to replace damaged roofs. This is our preferred composite roofing product because it's impact-resistant, has a strong warranty and offers a great cost value to the homeowner."

The family-owned business recommends homeowners across the country evaluate their roofs before the start of the next wicked weather season this spring. "Look for blown shingles or leaks, granules coming off or curling," says Lovewell. "These are signs your current roof is in trouble. If you find these indicators, make sure to contact a qualified roofer now to help protect your home and family from bad weather conditions associated with tornados.

"We've been installing the DaVinci sustainable roofing products for 10 years and find that they really perform exceptionally well in this geographic area. The bonus is that they add beauty to the home while being backed by a 50-year warranty."

See also All Hail DaVinci Roofing Tiles!and Featured Project - Residential Job - Omaha, NE.        

Winter weather has finally melted away and it's time for a new roof. Your old natural slate roof took quite a beating during the harsh weather these past few years and you're ready to replace it.

Not so fast.

Before having a new slate roof put on your home, you owe it to yourself to research the benefits of simulated slate roofing products --- like Multi-Width DaVinci Roofscapes and Bellaforté slate products.

Warranted for 50 years, DaVinci Roofscapes composite slate roofing tiles have many advantages over natural slate products. They don't crack and chip off like natural slate, are easier to maintain and won't break your budget.

Polymer slate from DaVinci comes in three profiles:

• Multi-Width DaVinci - this is our original product. It comes in 5 different widths - 12", 10", 9", 7" and 6" widths...bundles arrive at the job site pre-sorted by color and size.
• Single-Width Valoré - we came out with Valoré after we received requests from a number of homeowners to have a product that was one size only - 12" tile width and same as the Multi-Width - the bundles come job site ready and pre-sorted by color blend.
• Bellaforté - we came out with Bellaforté for even easier installation as well as a product that had superior wind resistance performance.  Bellaforté tiles are 12" tiles as well.

Since DaVinci offers a manufactured slate tile, you can be assured of excellent test results and certifications. Plus, DaVinci products are so realistic-looking that many people can't tell the difference between natural slate and synthetic slate roof tiles.

“The DaVinci slate roofing tiles I installed look better than natural slate tiles, says Mark Clement, host of MyFixitUpLife. "The look is so realistic that people pass by and can’t tell the difference between them and real slate. They always bet me that these are real slate shingles. I come up a winner every time with these eco-friendly roofing tiles.”

For more information on DaVinci lightweight roofing solutions, seeHow Could Imitation Slate Be Better Than the Real Thing?

Since there are only a few more days to enter the "Shake it Up" exterior color contest I wanted to give you one more post to help you pocket the $5,000 grand prize! Check out the before and after images below along with a few notes on why I think these renovations are successful.

Then put these ideas to work to improve the appearance of your own home. Once you've got your ideas together you're ready to enter the contest. So get your creative juices flowing as you look at each of these before and after shots.

Greek Revival Restored

This homeowner saw potential in a home that most people would have passed by. He did an excellent job of making his vision a reality by drawing on historic details and choosing a high contrast color scheme.

Adding the perfect porch details and expanding the first floor window height gave this home back to Benjamin Moore Graystone was chosen for the main color with Silver Chain as the trim. The black front door and black window frames on this cottage give the home the prim feel that fits the Greek Revival style.

You can find all of the details of this renovation on Urban Cottage.

Arts and Crafts Uncovered

Removing the aluminum siding revealed the original cedar shakes that had been hidden underneath. The homeowners brought back the beauty of the shakes with a natural green similar to Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Jade. This color is reminiscent of the earthtones originally used for this style of home and allowed the Arts and Crafts trim details to stand out. This is a nice example of how changing the color scheme restored a home to its original Craftsmen feel that I found via Angie's List.

An alternate color scheme that would work for the Arts and Crafts style would complement the green with New Cedar shakes on the roof and similar natural finish on the front door. Adding the DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-width Shake and Therma-Tru Classic American door would also take the entire look of this home up another notch adding to its curb appeal and value.

Trimmed Out Renovation

This home's transformation showcases how the right trim can turn a mismatched mess into a charmer. The right brackets, trim and rails like ones you can find from Fypon are a game changer. Add to that an upgraded front door and a new roof like DaVinci Roofscapes Valoré in the right color and this once dowdy home now has major curb appeal.

Your Turn

Now it is your turn to create your own before and after story. Simply share what you would do to freshen up the look of your home. You have until April 13, 2014 to submit your "before" photo of your exterior along with up to a 250-word description of how you want to freshen up your home with color and colorful products. 

If you need even more ideas and inspiration, you will find it in my last two blog post about creating an inviting entry and adding color and style from the top down.

I am one of just three judges who will be determining the five finalists in this online nationwide contest. I will then work with a professional artist to create renderings and product wish lists of how the five finalists can transform their home’s exteriors by adding color and colorful products manufactured by the contest sponsor (DaVinci Roofscapes) and partners (Therma-Tru and Fypon).

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 19, 2014 to June 1, 2014. The finalist with the most online votes will receive the $5,000 grand prize. Wouldn't it be great if it was you?

Don't miss out. Enter the contest now!

We may bow our head to pray inside the church, but when outside of several churches across the country people are looking up ... at their DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roofs that grace the top of those churches.

From coast to coast, synthetic shake and imitation slate roofing tiles from DaVinci top off churches of every religion.

In Johnson City, New York, visitors to the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church are immediately captivated by the traditional Ukrainian design of the church structure. Topped by three 80-foot tall domes, the massive building looks like it’s made completely of wood shakes on the siding and roof. But, a closer look reveals that the designer roof is really made of Valoré synthetic cedar shakes that perfectly replicate real wood shake shingles. (See Polymer Shake Roof Accents Ukrainian Church)

Several states away in Terra Haute, Indiana, St. Patrick’s Church has been in existence since 1881. After putting up with leaky roofs for years, Bellaforté simulated slate roofing tiles in a blend of greens were installed on three of the original four structures.

Dependability and long-term low-maintenance features are key reasons that the Cynthiana Baptist Church in Kentucky, the Unitarian Universalists Church in Indiana, the Self-Realization Fellowship in California and the St. Louis Catholic Church in Virginia all selected lightweight roofing solutions from DaVinci.

But perhaps the church that has made the best use of the features of DaVinci eco friendly roofing tiles is the 140+ year old chapel at the Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center in Ohio. This historic building’s DaVinci fake slate roof replicates the original large cross design with a star-studded border in medium tan slate polymer tiles on a background of black slate alternative tiles.

“The availability of different shades of tiles made it possible to accurately duplicate the original design from the chapel’s roof,” says architect Edward Groh with PEDCO, an engineering and architecture firm in Cincinnati, Ohio responsible for designing the roof. “The result is a roof that everyone is exceptionally pleased with and a design that brings the original exterior look back to the chapel.”

You might just say that a DaVinci roof is the answer to many prayers.            

It is always exciting to see the projects you work on go from idea to reality! Last fall the architect on this job contacted me to discuss using DaVinci Shake on a project in Nags Head, North Carolina. They needed a product with a strong wind rating and also wouldn't be affected by the climate of a coastal town. As the discussions evolved we determined that they would need a very dark shake color to best fit the surroundings. After viewing all color options, the architect decided to customize a shake blend using Slate Gray, a color traditionally used in our slate products. The roof was installed over the winter by a member of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program (look for Featured Project to come!) and the custom shakes look amazing! 

Happy Friday, Architects!

When the folks over at Christian Brother's Roofing showed me these birds eye perspective photos, the first thing I said to them was, "I have to put these on my blog!" Located in Irving, Texas this Bellaforté Shake roof in the Abruzzo blend perfectly caps this home's massive brick exterior. Besides adding an aesthetic quality to the home, the unique design of these imitation cedar shake roof tiles makes them an eco friendly roof choice. Bellaforté Shake tiles are 12" wide by 15" long. The tiles self-align, and that feature, along with the built in rain gutter, means that the tiles install at a 12" exposure. Because of that, you only need 100 tiles to fulfill a square, reducing materials needed for installation and therefore reducing the overall footprint of this particular roof. Also, this shake shingle roof system comes with a 50 year warranty, and will outlast a natural shake roof by many years. 

DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor Program Member
Christian Brothers Roofing
Grand Prairie, TX
972-606-0504

$5,000 Cash Prize
Contest Ends Tomorrow, 4/13/14, at 11:59 pm

The 2014 "Shake it Up" Exterior Color Contest ends Sunday! Open to all homeowners nationwide, the contest includes a $5,000 cash grand prize to help the winner add color to the exterior of his or her home.

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 a 250-word description stating how they wish to “shake up” the exterior of their home with color and colorful products.

Entries accepted through April 13, 2014
Voting runs May 19 - June 1, 2014
Winner Announced June 10, 2014

Have You Entered??

Even though winter weather is in our past, ice dams are still haunting us. Why? Because the weight and damage done during the winter months by ice dams can cause concerns for your roof the remainder of the year.

In case your "spring mindset" has made you forget what an ice dam is ... remember the mound of ice that formed along the bottom of your sloped roof this past winter or in the valley where two roof planes meet? That's an ice dam.

According to Traveler's Insurance, heat rising from your home's interior during the winter can melt the snow and ice on the roof, causing water runoff. This same water can refreeze when it hits the cold edge of the roofline, creating an ice dam that prevents water from draining properly. Depending on how large the ice dam is, it can harm your roof and gutters.

Now that the snow is gone, prepare your home for the future by making sure to insulate your attic to help prevent the melting-and-freezing cycle that causes ice dams to form in the first place. This involves sealing any place where warm air could leak from your house to the attic, including vent pipes, exhaust fans, chimneys, attic hatches and light fixtures.

Also, if you're replacing your roof this year, experts at DaVinci Roofscapes recommend you make certain that a sel-adhered membrane is placed beneath the new tiles. This can serve as an added barrier that helps prevent water from seeping inside your home.

While the warmer weather may not feel like the time to concern yourself with ice dams, it's actually the best time of year to evaluate damage caused by freezing ice dams last year and to get ready for next winter!

For more winter woes to face this spring, see Winter Weather Weary Roofand Ice Dams, Snow Slides and Freezing Temperatures… Oh my!

When roofer Troy Brown got involved in the re-roofing project of a 1921 home in Lynchburg, Va., he was in for quite a history lesson. The house was designed by architect Stanhope Johnson in 1918 and required massive renovation work by the new homeowner to bring it back to its original beauty.

After tackling the interior wiring, plumbing and plastering, the homeowner next turned to the exterior. Repairs were made to the woodwork and eaves extending from the house that help hold up the roof.

When it came time to select an authentic-looking replacement roof, the homeowner relied on Brown and his team for their recommendation of DaVinci Roofscapes polymer slate tiles. "The slate black composite roofing tiles really complement the style of the house design, which is a fusion of French Cottage and California Bungalow," says Brown with W.A. Lynch Roofing. "We've successfully installed the DaVinci luxury roof products previously, so I was confident this would be a good product for this historic renovation."

According to Brown, the unique roof design features a large eyebrow shape blended into the front elevation roofline. "Because DaVinci offers multiple sizes of product we were able to create a random pattern for the roof that works perfectly with the overall style of the home," says Brown. "A good number of Stanhope's building and home designs are on the National Register of Historic Places, so we really felt compelled to make certain this roof was done perfectly so that the homeowner can pursue a historic designation for his home in the future."

With the roof now complete, the home renovation continues with plans to replace the back deck with iron decking, custom railings and a rear retaining wall. "The new roof truly sets this house apart in the neighborhood with its copper work and downspouts," says Brown. "The DaVinci slate roof alternative turned out absolutely stunning. This roofing product has added character and beauty to the home and makes us really see Stanhope's original design vision turn into reality."

See Vintage Home Gets Custom-Color Rooffor another historic home showcase featuring DaVinci lightweight roofing systems.

Constructed more than 30 years ago, the 23 townhomes in the Mt. Curve Place community in Minneapolis feature a complicated design style. Each home was designed individually so that one townhome may feature a flat roof, while another a steep slope roof and still others have bays.

When it came time for the replacement of the original roof in 2013, each homeowner had a differing opinion. While using real terracotta tiles or slate was a desire, research found that the materials would add too much weight to the roof. After a great deal of research, the homeowners association decided on realistic-looking Valoré Slate polymer tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes.

"This was a serious project for us," says Bill Kirchner, a board member of the Mt. Curve Place Homeowners Association. "We spent a year researching roof material options and interviewed a wide variety of local roofing companies. The authentic look of the DaVinci synthetic slate, coupled with the company's ability to create a custom color match to our current roof sold us on this lightweight roofing solution."

The unique red slate (not too orangey, and not too red) was custom created by the team at DaVinci Roofscapes for the townhomes. Once the tiles arrived on site, the dedicated team at Les Jones Roofing, Inc. installed the composite slate roofing materials over several months.

"We're exceptionally pleased with both the work provided by Les Jones Roofing and with the final look of our roofs," says Kirchner. "The design of the back of the DaVinci tiles is unique, so that it helps the tile later flatter and resist cupping. That was important to us.

"By selecting the DaVinci product we got an aesthetically-pleasing roof in a custom color that we believe will last for decades. Everyone's happy with this roofing decision and with the quality of work provided by Les Jones Roofing."

For more colorful luxury roof insights, see Colorful Slate Roof the "Second Star" on Mill Mountain.