The judges have spoken! There are three finalists in the 2015 "Shake it Up" Color Contest and now it's time for you to vote on the winner!

Online voting at www.todayshomeowner.com/color runs May 16 - 30. Go to the site to see the three submissions and the artist renderings of how the homes would look with colorful additions, such as a designer roof from DaVinci Roofscapes, a new entryway from Therma-Tru and polyurethane decorative trim elements from Fypon.

Here's a rundown of the three finalists so you can start to make a decision on who should win!

Finalist #1 - Rachel Delgado in Hampton, Virginia has a 1936 home crying out for color. Her dream is to have a front porch where she and her husband can relax. In her mind, a barn red color on her house exterior would create an urban farm feeling for the gardens and animals at her home (including her pot belly pig!).

Finalist #2 - Phil Tucker in Holland, Michigan has a home just begging for a new roof to replace the patchwork of old shingles overhead. Phil also has a wish list that includes replacing peeling paint on the trim and getting a brighter, more updated front door to welcome friends and family to their house.

Finalist #3 - Marquis Cayce Qualls in Nashville, Tennessee is hoping that "the third time's the charm" as he qualifies for a third year in a row as a finalist in this contest. Marquis is in the same situation as Phil, exclaiming that his 80+ year old home is in desperate need of a new roof.

You can make a difference for one of these homeowners ... go right now to www.todayshomeowner.com/color to vote now!

Whew! Winter is gone and so is the snow. Think back though ... if you have synthetic roofing material on your home, how did your roof perform this winter?

Chances are, if you had a good deal of snowfall in your area AND you have snow guards on  your roof, your home did just fine. But, if you didn't have snow guards added when your imitation slate or simulated shake roofing was installed, you may have been the unhappy recipient of "snowfall dump" as large masses of snow slid off your roof as the snows warmed in the sun's rays.

Now --- during the sunny months of Spring and Summer --- is the time to have snow guards retrofitted into your DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roof tiles.

Snow guard installation is best left to an experienced roofer. The selected snow guards are installed on composite roofing shingles around the perimeter of your roof, usually on the lower portion. Their function is to create friction between the roof's surface and the snow/ice that settles on your roof. The snow guards help break apart melting snows so that you don't have an avalanche of snowfall coming down all at one time on your landscaping or in front of your entry doors.

The folks at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards offer a variety of snow guards especially designed to work effectively with polymer roofing. They also stock an assortment of colors to match your composite roofing. For more information on the background and philosophy of snow guards, click HERE.

For more details on snow guards, see Ask the Experts: Snow Guardsand On Guard for Winter Weather ... with Snow Retention Systems.

Oftentimes in our blog posts we share stories about homeowners who have recently had DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roofing installed on their homes. Today, we're going back to some of those homeowners to see how they feel about their composite roofing now that they've lived with it awhile.

Back in 2012 Andrew Marenin had our simulated shake roofing installed on his Colorado home. Here's what he has to say today. "The DaVinci roof has been holding up very well," says Marenin. "Neighbors are continuously inquiring about how well the roof looks. One neighbor a block away has already installed a DaVinci roof and two others who have inquired will be installing this Spring."

Another happy homeowner is Mary Kathryn Hirsh in California, who replaced her real shake shingles when frequent wildfires got too close for comfort. She switched to Class A Fire Rated simulated slate roofing to gain peace of mind and a new look for her home. (See Fire-Resistant DaVinci Roof Eases Homeowner Concerns) "I am very, very happy with my DaVinci roof," says Hirsh. "It receives many compliments. People stop and take pictures, and it really is so outstandingly attractive."

More kudos for lightweight roofing materials from DaVinci come from Joe Blumetti who raves about his new designer roof. "We love our new roof," says Blumetti. "It improves the whole look of the house! We get many positive comments on our house and people love our roof. We would use it again and suggest to anyone building to consider it also! It may cost a bit more initially but should pay off for years in beauty and durability."

The dreams this Hampton, VA resident had for her home had to be put on hold until she completed college. With diploma now in hand we offer her "Congratulations" both on the big accomplishment of completing college AND on being chosen a finalist in the 2015 Shake It Up Color Contest.

Here is what Ms. Delgato told us about her home and the vision she has for a rustic yet chic look befitting a professional woman.

Home Exterior Renovation Recommendations

To shake up this adorable home start from the top down. Replace the existing roof with DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Shake in Tahoe. The warm brown is a perfect color choice and the shake profile fits with the vision you have for a rustic look. Not only is it a great fit for your home now but with its 50-year guarantee it will last you through to retirement.

Barn red is another excellent idea. I recommend Benjamin Moore Cottage Red PM-15 as the color to paint your siding. It is a deep, rich red that has historic appeal. Set the red off with Benjamin Moore Cloud White 967. 

I would not stain the porch or paint in a contrasting color. Doing so would break up the front of your home and make it look smaller and disjointed. Using a single color on the siding will give your home more curb appeal and increase the perceived value. You can always accent the property by using stained wood on the chicken coop or storage sheds.

Next replace your missing door with a Therma-Tru Fiberglass Classic-Craft Canvas Door CCV205. I considered other styles of door when I saw this one with its lines and curved detail I immediately liked how it gave the entire home the feeling that it was grander than its modest size. Paint the door in a medium tone that matches the roof. Benjamin Moore Gargoyle 1546 or a similar color that blends with your roof will be the perfect color. If you want to have a door with 2/3 lite you could use this on the interior door that leads into your home.

Replace your exiting railing and add a matching one on the other side of the door using Fypon Balustrade System - BTR5X96, BAL2X32SQ.

The jalousie windows have a dated look and are not the best choice for the climate in the Tidewater Virginia area. I recommend replacing the windows so that they are all the same. Replace with double hung windows with grids in the upper sash only. The windows create a "band" that carries your eye across the front of the home. The trim around the windows adds a nice architectural element.

Last you could spruce up the landscaping and cover your walk and steps with pavers similar to the ones shown in the rendering.

 I hope these design ideas are ones that will make a recent grad (and her potbelly pig and chickens) proud of their rustic/chic/farm house.

See the finalist in the 2015 "Shake it Up" Color Contest

Vote for your favorite makeover now!

Every year the entrants in the Shake It Up Color Contest do their best to grab the judges attention with their story about why their home is deserving of recommendations for a colorful makeover and the cash prize that goes along with it. This year the Tucker family rhymed their way into one of the top finalist spots. You can read their makeover-worthy words and see the rendering of the new look I put together to transform their Cape Cod home below.

Here is what the Tucker's told us about why their Cape Cod home is desperately in need of a makeover:

Their poem made me smile and must have captured the attention of the other judges too because when the votes were tallied the Tucker's home was chosen as one of the finalist to receive makeover recommendations and a chance at winning the Grand Prize.

Home Exterior Renovation Recommendations

One of the things that most detracts from this home's overall appearance is the roof. It is too light in color and the look of the surface is inconsistent making it difficult to notice any of the other details about this house. Replacing the roof with DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Slate in Slate Gray would make an immediate and very noticeable improvement.

Black is a popular color choice for a brick home however in some cases it can look more like a dark void than an inviting entrance. This is especially true when the door doesn't have glass and is in a recessed entrance. To give make the entrance more welcoming I chose a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft Canvas Double Doors with 2/3 Lite 1 Panel with Longford glass.

Then choose a paint color that complements the brick color. This will help the front door to stand out. If the front door is often in shadow as it would be under a porch, overhang, or in a recessed entrance go slightly brighter with your color. I chose Sherwin-Williams SW 6941 Nifty Turquoise as a cheerful update for the entryway.

The shutters were replaced with Fypon Double Raised Panel Shutters. Instead of matching the shutters to the door color I like a color that is darker than the door color but still in the same color family. Sherwin-Williams SW 0064 Blue Peacock would be a nice choice to frame the windows and set off the turquoise on the door.

The Tucker's have been dreaming of adding a porch to the front. To help them make that dream a reality a small gabled roof and Fypon Balustrade System  create a strong focal feature on the front of this previously unassuming exterior. The products used to create this look were

• Fypon Square Plain Columns -  10-1/2X10-1/2X108 SMOOTH
• 5” Baluster Top & Bottom Rail with BALUSTER PANELSQUARE 28X28X1-1/4 on sides
• BAL2x28SQ can be used to fill space if needed one the side of each panel square 

Last, replacing the existing walkway with a curved design and more landscaping softens the approach and moves the eye towards the entrance.

To the Tuckers:

See the finalist in the 2015 "Shake it Up" Color Contest

Vote for your favorite makeover now!

The use of solar panels on residential properties is slowly increasing, mainly because over the last decade the cost to manufacture and install them has started to decline. Occasionally I speak with an architect who is working on a project where solar panels will be used, and he or she is investigating shingles or tiles to use in conjunction with these panels. It has been established that solar panels can be used on almost any type of roofing material, lightweight tiles by DaVinci Roofscapes included. Recently I received some photos of Bellaforté Slate installed on a house with solar panels. The photos do a great job of showing the finished product of a residential roof pairing solar panels and our products.

Happy Friday, Architects!

This Tennessee homeowner is hoping that "the third time's the charm!" This is the third year in a row that they have been selected as a finalist in the Shake It Up Color Contest. I wasn't surprised to see this house pop up again in the entries. I'm not sure what caught the attention of the other judges but in addition to the fact that this home has great potential this clever homeowner came up with a fun way of tell us why the home was deserving of a remodel. There were so many great entries this year but this homeowner’s creativity pushed him to the top.

Marquis Cayce Qualls is singing out to say, "Back to let you know we can really shake it up!"

You can see the two previous entries for this home here:  "HELP!" and “LOVVE SHAKE!”

Home Exterior Renovation Recommendations

In past years I added paint color to shake up this charming home. This year I wanted to go neutral with the siding and trim colors and let the roof be the color star. I selected a DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Shake in Aberdeen. This multi-color roof is a blend of subtle warm tones that blend beautifully with the red/brown brick.

The gray color from one of the tiles in the roof was carried into the peak beneath both gables using Benjamin Moore Timber Wolf 1600. For the trim I chose a lighter tint of similar color Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170​. 

The front door and wrought iron were removed and replaced with a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft American Style Collection fiberglass entry door stained in cedar with a doorlite and sidelites in the Aborwatch decorative glass style.

The shutters were removed and Fypon urethane timber square pot shelves were placed beneath the front windows to add an architectural detail what may have been used originally on this style home. Urethane Timber Stained Brackets above the door and near the dormer window added another architectural accent to this home.

The columns on the front and side porch were a detail I wanted to highlight so I gave them a new look with Fypon's popular Column Wraps. I also replaced the privacy lattice on the side porch with a stained grid work that complimented the other elements of this home.

Last I recommend sprucing up the landscaping and adding pavers for a walkway and edging the area in front of the home.

There are many colors schemes that would update the look of your home. I find this one especially pleasing and hope you (and the voters) do, too. 

See the finalist in the 2015 "Shake it Up" Color Contest

Vote for your favorite makeover now!

Choosing colors for roof & siding. Attached are photos of my house & brick.
Christine Rasmussen
Omaha, NE
Product: Bellaforte

    

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Dear Ms. Rasmussen,

I think that the direction you are going for the changes to your exterior are on target.

A gray or gray/brown roof in either slate or shake will work well with your brick. I have recommended either the DaVinci Multi-Width Shake in Mountain or Bellaforté Slate in Slate Gary-Veriblend to give you the look you are after.

For your siding look for a color like Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170. You can also go with that same type of color but darker depending on what looks best when you look at it on your home next to the brick and in your environment/lighting.

You can stay with the same color family for your front door. Just look for a tone that picks up on the darkest values in your brick. It looks to me like Benjamin Moore Sienna 2092-20 might work well. Use this as a starting point but again look at your actual brick and trust your eye to pick a color that is the right tone. It doesn't have to match and in fact will look better if it is a bit darker and/or brighter so just look for a door color that blends -- not too red or too orange.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

May 24 - 30 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week to focus us on preparing our homes and businesses for severe weather. Sponsored by the National Weather Service, you can get the details HERE about hurricane hazards such as storm surge, heavy rainfall, high winds, tornados and inland flooding.

If you live in an area prone to severe weather, you should consider an impact-resistant polymer slate or shake roof that has been tested to withstand strong winds. Composite roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes has been tested for wind and impact resistance and can be installed in high velocity hurricane zone areas.

Damage from airborne items (tree branches, yard items, etc.) during severe weather can be devastating. Having a roof that has achieved a Class 4 impact rating for the UL2218 tests reduces this risk. All of DaVinci's polymer roofing products have achieved a Class 4 rating, which is the highest grade possible. This means that DaVinci's composite roofing has a greater chance of helping protect your home from damage from flying debris during severe weather. 

DaVinci tiles have also achieved the Miami Dade County Acceptance and Texas Department of Insurance criteria for high velocity hurricane winds. The roofing tiles have the highest rating for straight line wind testing at 110mph in the ASTM D3161 test and have passed the TAS-125 certification test for wind uplift resistance in High Velocity Hurricane Zones.

As part of your personal preparations for Hurricane Season (which runs from June 1 - November 30), make sure to examine your roof to see if there are any missing shingles, curling or splitting shingles, lifting shingles or loss of granules. These shingles (or perhaps your whole roof if you find many of these damaged shingles) should be replaced immediately. Why? Because straight line winds and pressurized winds associated with hurricanes can uplift the shingles off the roof, causing massive damage.

Want peace of mind when hurricane-force winds start to blow? DaVinci polymer roof tiles are designed to help your roof survive severe weather. Applied properly by your roofing installer, our luxury roof tiles should provide added protection to your home when Mother Nature gets angry.

For more details see Hurricane Season - Is Your Roof Ready?

As a homeowner, you might love the look of cedar roofing but hate the long-term maintenance associated with real cedar shake roofing. DaVinci Roofscapes to the rescue!

With four different synthetic shake product lines all backed by a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, DaVinci provides you with shake shingles that resist warping, fading and insect infestations. Plus, they're fire- and impact-resistant so you don't have to worry about severe weather damaging your luxury roof.

Here's a fast look at the exciting simulated shake roofing options available from DaVinci:

>DaVinci Multi-Width Shake: Available in 9", 8", 7", 6" and 4" widths that can be installed in a non-repeating fashion in either a straight or staggered pattern. A deep 5/8" profile has both wavy and straight grains throughout the blend to create enviable shadow lines.

> DaVinci Single-Width Shake: 9" shake alternative tiles resemble hand-split cedar shake roofing. The 5/8" profile deepens shadow lines replicate real cedar roofing.

> Bellaforté Shake: The 12" tile width with multiple profiles simulates a multi-width, staggered rough hewn wood shake. And, at 1" average tile thickness, Bellaforté Shake designer roof tiles are reminiscent of natural jumbo shakes.

> Fancy Shake: With a clean, smooth look replicating machine-sawn shake, these 7/16" thick shake shingles provide a polished beauty for your roof. Available in 12", 7" and 5" widths with bundles arriving at the job site pre-sorted by color and size, eliminating on-site sorting and guesswork.

Looking for more information on synthetic shake shingles? Then see No Sissy Shakesand Swing, Shag, Shuffle and Shake.

Have you voted in this year's Shake It Up Color Contest yet? If not, there is still time to cast your vote for your favorite home makeover and help the homeowner win the grand prize. Since time is getting short, here is a recap of the three before and after images along with a quick review of the changes that were made to each home. Take a look and then take a moment to vote for your favorite.

Tennessee Homeowner Hopes Third Time's The Charm!

For anyone one that thinks there is only one perfect color scheme for a home -- think again. For the third year in a row that this home has been selected as a finalist in the Shake It Up Color Contest and each year (see year 1 and year 2) I have come up with a different look. I like each of the different color schemes and am curious as to which one the owners like best. Do you have a favorites? Tell me in the comments below.

Following my FRESH approach to selecting exterior colors, I decided that this year I would go neutral with the siding and trim colors and let the roof be the color star. A 

The gray color from one of the tiles in the roof was carried into the peak beneath both gables using Benjamin Moore Timber Wolf 1600 a lighter tint of a similar color -- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170​ -- was used for the trim.

The front door was replaced with a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft American Style Collection fiberglass entry door stained in cedar with a doorlite and sidelites in the Aborwatch decorative glass style.

New shutters were added and urethane timber square pot shelves both from Fypon were placed around the front windows. Fypon Urethane Timber Stained Brackets above the door and near the dormer window added nice architectural accents to this home.

The columns on the front and side porch were covered with Fypon's popular Column Wraps. I also replaced the privacy lattice on the side porch with a stained grid work that complimented the other elements of this home.

Last I recommend sprucing up the landscaping and adding pavers for a walkway and edging the area in front of the home.

Of the many colors schemes that could update the look of your home, I find this one especially pleasing and hope you (and the homeowners) do, too. 

Contest Finalist Sees Their Home With New Colors, Roof, Door and More

The Tucker family rhymed their way into one of the top finalist spots in the Shake It Up Color Contest. Based on their makeover-worthy words I put together recommendations to shake up their Cape Cod home. I wonder if this new look will inspire the homeowners to write another poem?

Starting with color from the top down I replaced the roof that was too light in color with a DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Slate in Slate Gray. It made an immediate and very noticeable improvement.

Black is a popular door color choice for a brick home however in it looked more like a dark void than an inviting entrance. To give the entrance a more welcoming I chose a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft Canvas Double Doors with 2/3 Lite 1 Panel with Longford glass.

Then I choose a paint color that complements the brick color -- Sherwin-Williams SW 6941 Nifty Turquoise as a cheerful update for the entryway.

The shutters were replaced with Fypon Double Raised Panel Shutters. Instead of matching the shutters to the door color I selected a darker shade in the same color family. Sherwin-Williams SW 0064 Blue Peacock was my choice to frame the windows and set off the turquoise on the door.

The Tucker's have been dreaming of adding a porch to the front. To help them make that dream a reality a small gabled roof and Fypon Balustrade System create a strong focal feature on the front of this previously unassuming exterior. The products used to create this look were

• Fypon Square Plain Columns -  10-1/2X10-1/2X108 SMOOTH
• 5” Baluster Top & Bottom Rail with BALUSTER PANELSQUARE 28X28X1-1/4 on sides
• BAL2x28SQ can be used to fill space if needed one the side of each panel square 

Last, replacing the existing walkway with a curved design and more landscaping softens the approach and moves the eye towards the entrance.

Virginia Woman Earns A Diploma And A Home Exterior Makeover!

The dreams to earning her college diploma recently became a reality for this Virginia homeowner. Now she waits to find out if her dream winning the 2015 Shake It Up Color Contest is also going to come true.

Going bold with color was the recipe for remodeling this adorable home. The existing roof was replaced with a DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Shake in Tahoe. The warm brown is a perfect color choice and with its 50-year guarantee it will last this grad though to retirement.

For the siding I recommend Benjamin Moore Cottage Red PM-15 with Benjamin Moore Cloud White 967 for the trim.

The missing door was replaced with a Therma-Tru Fiberglass Classic-Craft Canvas Door CCV205 painted Benjamin Moore Gargoyle 1546 and the existing railing plus another to match on the other side of the door were constructed from Fypon Balustrade System - BTR5X96, BAL2X32SQ.

The outdated windows were replace with double hung windows with grids in the upper sash only to create a "band" that carries your eye across the front of the home. The trim around the windows adds a nice architectural element.

Last the landscaping was spruced up and the walk and steps covered with pavers.

I think these design ideas are ones that will make this recent grad proud to call this house home.

Now that you've got a recap of the remodels for the three color contest finalist it's time to vote for your favorite home exterior makeover --

Vote for your favorite makeover now!

There's both an art and a science behind the creation of our polymer roofing tiles at DaVinci Roofscapes. The result of our team's efforts are beautiful, long-last composite roof tiles that stand up to Mother Nature for decades.

When we created the Bellaforté product line several years ago, we added a product that brings exceptional value to homeowners. An affordable investment for any homeowner, Bellaforté Slate comes in 12" tile widths, while Bellaforté Shake also comes in 12" widths but has multiple profiles to simulate a multi-width staggered rough hewn wood shake.

Bellaforté Slate and Shake lightweight roofing tiles make installation easy for roofers --- saving materials and cutting down on installation costs. With the Bellaforté self-aligning ledge, roofers can reduce installation time and assure consistent quality and installation on your roof.

Backed by a Lifetime Warranty, Bellaforté shake and slate roof tiles resist curling, cracking, fading, mold, algae, fungus and insects. And, with 50 colors to choose from, you're sure to find the luxury roof color for your home!

Need more details on our strong and beautiful Bellaforté green roofing materials? Then visit Bellaforté Roofing Stands Up to Rough Canadian Weather.

DaVinci Roofscapes recently exhibited at the 2015 expo for the American Institute of Architects annual national conference. Being able to show off our products and connect with so many design professionals all in one place is truly a great opportunity for us. This year we were able to show off our new profile designs for both our Single-Width and Multi-Width Slate products. The new, quarried edges really caught the eye of those who passed by and I think we even converted a few people into composite slate and shake believers. 

Here is my re-cap of the top 3 asked questions of this year's AIA Expo:

1. Is that real slate!? The large, middle display of this year's booth was the new Single-Width Slate profile in the European Blend. It was an eye catcher to say the least. Which leads me to the next question...

2. What is it made out of? The answer to this question is polyethylene. This is the point where we would launch into what polyethylene is and why it makes th best synthetic slate and shake products, but since you are reading this online, you should really watch our Plant Tour Video on YouTube for an excellent explanation of our product's components and manufacturing process. 

3. Do you offering continuing education? Yes we do! We have 2 courses online on AEC Daily. They are both free and available 24/7. 

See you next year in Philadelphia! 

Do you own a home? If so, congratulations --- it's National Home Ownership Month!

Along with the joys of gardening and interior decorating projects, home ownership also means being responsible for the "building envelope" of your home. That means annually checking on the status of your siding, windows, doors, garage doors and, you guessed it, your roof.

Every part of a home exterior needs to be evaluated yearly to make sure weather and age haven't had a bad impact over time. And, it's important to know that the products used to create your home won't last forever. At some point your windows, doors or roof will start to fail --- and then it's time to consider replacement products.

If your home is at an age where you're seeing lots of missing or broken roof tiles, a large amount of granules in your gutters from asphalt shingles, or if you've had storm damage recently, it may be time for a new designer roof. Our polymer roofing tiles at DaVinci Roofscapes are an exceptional value for re-roofing projects. They're constructed of proprietary engineered polymer that includes multiple virgin resins, organic fire retardant, state-of-the-art color and UV stabilizers and inorganic pigments that are safe for the environment.

What does that mean for you?

It means our imitation slate tiles and composite shake roofing resists fading, impact (Class 4 Impact Rating), insects, fire (Class A Fire Rating) and high winds (ASTM D3161). And, to give you added peace of mind, we provide a Lifetime Warranty on all of our green roofing materials.

This month, enjoy the start of summer weather ... but also celebrate National Home Ownership Month by making time to evaluate your roof. (see Tips to Determine if You Need a New Roof)

National Bathroom Reading Month. Superman Week. Moonshine Day. June is filled with silly celebrations. There's Ugliest Dog Day on the 20th, Watermelon Seed Spitting Week at the end of the month, and even World Bike Naked Day on the 13th!

However, if you want to get serious about June, then you should consider June 1st marks the start of Hurricane Season 2015, June 7-12 is National Sun Safety Week and the entire month is dedicated to disaster preparedness. Those are three aspects of June that we pay special attention to at DaVinci Roofscapes ... and with good reason.

Our Class A Fire Rated polymer roofing tiles are ideal for homes and businesses that may be in drought-stricken areas prone to wildfires. The Class A Fire Rating we have achieved means that our composite roofing tiles resist fire spread, so even if a burning ember lands on a DaVinci designer roof, it will not result in the spread of the fire. Watch our simulated burn test video here.

Hurricanes also bring their own form of nasty weather. While flooding is a primary concern when a hurricane latches onto an area, high winds and blowing items can also do major damage. Again, DaVinci synthetic roofing material can handle these concerns. Rated to resist high winds (ASTM D3161), our imitation slate and composite shake roofing tiles also resist impact (Class 4 Impact Rating) --- whether from falling tree limbs or flying lawn furniture. (See Earth, Wind & Fire). View our Simulated Class 4 Impact Test Video here.

Even when the sun is shining, there's concern of ultraviolet exposure to people and homes, which is a focus of National Sun Safety Week. The good news is that DaVinci composite roofing tiles are manufactured from a proprietary engineered polymer that includes multiple virgin resins, organic fire retardant, state-of-the-art color and UV stabilizers and inorganic pigments that are safe for the environment. These UV stabilizers are what helps our polymer roof tiles resist fading --- even after decades of intense daily sun exposure.

During June, go ahead and have some fun celebrating World Juggling Day on the 13th or National Chocolate Ice Cream Day on the 7th ... but also remember to get serious about preparing your home and family for anything Mother Nature throws your way.

Here's your Italian lesson for the day. "Bella" means "beautiful" in Italian ... and "forte" means "strong." So, it's no surprise that when we named our newest composite roofing product a few years ago we came up with Bellaforté --- a beautiful and strong luxury roof product for both homes and commercial projects.

Bellafortépolymer roofing makes installation easy while saving materials and cutting down on installation costs. How do we do this at DaVinci Roofscapes?  The Bellaforté self-aligning ledge on the back of each composite shake or imitation slate tile allows roofers to reduce installation time while assuring consistent installation quality.

That's impressive, but it's not all Bellaforté has going for it. The snap-fit tile creates a built-in rain gutter and the leading edge tab secures every tile to drastically improve wind performance.

The durability of Bellaforté lightweight roofing materials is also impressive --- at 1/2" thick, the Bellaforté Slate roofing tiles are twice the thickness of most other synthetic slates. And, if you're looking for a shake alternative product, the Bellaforté Shake tile is 1" thick with multiple profiles. This allows roofers to give a multi-width staggered look to the roof even though the tiles are all the same 12" width.

For more information on Bellaforté plastic roofing materials, see DaVinci's Bellaforté Roof Tiles Revolutionizing Roofing

Arrivederci!

Here are some unpopular names this year: Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny and Erika. If you live in hurricane-prone areas of the country, you know that these are the names given to the first hurricanes of the 2015 season, which started on June 1st.

Before the winds start to blow in your area, check your roof --- especially if any type of severe weather battered your home in the past 12 months.

As a first step, coastal homeowners should make sure they have proper bracing (such as galvanized metal hurricane straps) to connect the roof to the walls of the home. For a second step, consider Class 4 Impact Rated DaVinci polymer roofing tiles. Imitation slate and simulated shake roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes have been formulated and tested to withstand hurricane strength winds and severe impact.

Having a composite roofing system overhead means you have gone the extra mile to increase the odds that your home, personal belongings and family treasures will be there when the severe weather has passed.And, in many areas, there's an added benefit that selecting synthetic cedar shake or synthetic slate shingles can help lower your homeowner insurance bills.

This year, take the steps to help secure YOUR home by installing sustainable roofing from DaVinci overhead before hurricane-force winds arrive.

How strong are Class A Fire Rated DaVinci tiles? Check outMarch Winds and Hammers Don't Impact DaVinci Roofing Tiles!

We don't (typically) get a lot of interest on behalf of homes or buildings with flat roofs. Makes sense, as we manufacture a steep slope roofing product. Sometimes DaVinci Slate or Shake roof tiles can still be installed on overhangs which accent the building. We see this often with commercial buildings or strip malls, and DaVinci polymer roof tiles cap many projects like that. What we don't see as often is a flat roof with overhangs on a residential project. The project below, installed in Oklahoma, has our composite shake roof tiles as accents on this home. So architects, something to consider the next time your design incorporates something like this. Our products all come with a Class A Fire Rating, Class 4 Impact Rating, 110 mph wind certification and are a 50 year roof. Not to mention that they look great, and can compliment these types of projects in a very natural way. 

Happy Friday, Architects!

And the winner is ...Rachel Delgado of Hampton, Virginia!

With almost 600 votes cast in the DaVinci Roofscapes 2015 “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest, Rachel and her husband Danny have won the $2,500 cash grand prize!

"I want to shake up my home by going with an urban farm/rustic chic theme," says Delgado. "Our first priority is to purchase the red paint color recommended as part of the artist rendering to help transform the home exterior. After that we'll focus on the new porch and a new entry door. Finally, the wish list will be complete in a few years when we can top off our 'new' home with the recommended DaVinci composite shake roof!"

According to Wendy Bruch, marketing manager with DaVinci Roofscapes, the sponsor of the contest, the judges saw the potential for dramatic change using color and new products on the Delgado home exterior. “As a finalist, this home was evaluated by radio show co-host Allen Lyle with Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford and national color expert Kate Smith with Sensational Color," says Bruch. "Kate worked to create an artist’s rendering of what the Delgado home would look like transformed with colorful new products.

"She specified a new Tahoe blend synthetic shake roof from DaVinci along with a Therma-Tru Classic-Craft Canvas Collection fiberglass door painted in a trendy gray tone. As a final touch she recommended the addition of a new low-maintenance balustrade system from Fypon to create the porch space the Delgados desire."

The voting public saw the potential in adding 'top down' color to the Delgado home that will increase the overall curb appeal of the house and make it a stand-out in its neighborhood. For the 2015 contest, the Delgado home rose above more than 180 entries to capture the grand prize.

Want to see a winner from the past? Check out Illinois Homeowner Wins $5,000 in National DaVinci Roofscapes “Shake it Up” Exterior Color Contest!

Beauty, authenticity and impact-resistance. Those are the three top features that have most helped roofer Mike Heiland sell DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roofing to his customers for almost a dozen years.

"Purchasing DaVinci's composite roofing over natural slate roof tiles or cedar shake roofing is a no brainer," says Heiland, president of Heiland Roofing and Exteriors in Wichita, Kansas. "The look and durability of these imitation slate and synthetic shake shingles is simply incredible. Plus, we save time and money on the jobsite for the homeowner by installing these sustainable roofing tiles."

A DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor program member since 2007, Heiland and his team install approximately 10 DaVinci roofs each year.

"These products are very installer friendly," says Heiland. "They're lightweight, easy to cut and walk on. We mostly do reroofing of residential properties, but we're definitely seeing an uptick in commercial projects, like banks and office buildings. The trend now is that we're seeing more architects specify DaVinci right on their plans.

"For our geographic area --- and any part of the country that can get severe weather --- the impact resistancy of the DaVinci products is a tremendous asset," says Heiland. "Hail simply bounces off these composite shake and synthetic slate roofs.

"I believe in the product so much that I put a DaVinci Multi-Width Shake designer roof on my own home to help protect my investment!"