He's making a list and checking it twice. Maybe you should do the same!

Upcoming winter weather means it's time to make your own list of items to check off to assure your roof is ready for snow, ice and freezing rain.

While gaping holes and messy leaks are two obvious signs that a roof needs to be replaced, sometimes the signs are less obvious. According to experts at DaVinci Roofscapes, there are some “insider tips” for knowing when it’s time to replace your roof.

Certainly if your roof is approaching the end of its life cycle --- which is usually 20 – 25 years for asphalt shingles --- it’s time to think about a new roof. However, a calendar shouldn’t be the only way you determine if it’s time to replace your roof.

You will want to seriously start thinking about replacing your roof with a polymer slate or composite shake roof when …

• Your neighbors have new roofs and you want to maintain the value of your home.
• Your neighbors have not added a new roof and you want to increase the resale value of your home.
• Your geographic area has seen an increase in severe weather conditions, (including hail or tornados) that require a stronger roofing material to handle the dramatic weather changes.
• Your existing roof is functional, but has staining that detracts from the look of your home.
• You want to switch to a low-maintenance roof that has a lifetime limited warranty.
• You don’t want to worry about wood rot caused by wood shakes and termites.
• Excessive snow in your area has caused substantial damage to your roof.

Too often homeowners wait until their roofs are old and worn out before considering an upgrade. Certainly curling, splitting and missing shingles are all warning signs that a roof needs to be replaced. However, with the changing weather patterns in our country combined with the need for homeowners to add value to their properties, consumers should be vigilant about looking for signs of wear along with upgrading their roofs.

Before Santa pays your home a visit this Christmas, make sure there's sturdy composite roofing overhead that will hold his weight --- and help protect your home from winter weather.

December overflows with family events and holiday cheer. With Hanukkah and Christmas taking center stage, it's sometimes easy to forget the lesser-known celebrations.

Not to worry ... DaVinci Roofscapes is here to remind you of the fun and unusual festivities you can celebrate this month.

If you're in the mood for fun all month long, December is National Tie Month, Exotic Fruits Month, National Egg Nog Month and, let's not forget, National Fruitcake Month. If you'd like to eat healthier, it's also National Tomato Month and National Winter Squash Month!

With a full 31 days packed with fun, this is the month to celebrate National Bath Tub Party Day on the 5th and National Pastry Day on the 9th. December 16th is National Chocolate-Covered-Anything Day and the 15th is Cat Herders Day! You can also go online to see the National Gingerbread House Competition winners at the Grove Park Inn to celebrate Gingerbread House Day on the 12th.

And if all this celebrating is too much for you, settle in on December 21 with a crossword puzzle ... and relax on Crossword Puzzle Day!

Need more December festive occasions? Then check out No Cookie Cutter Roofs with DaVinci Roofscapes!

We've taken a great product and made it even better! The DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Slate polymer roof tiles have now been enhanced with a more authentic slate tile look.

Earlier this year DaVinci announced the new design improvements for the Single-Width Slate 12-inch simulated slate roofing tile (see More Realistic DaVinci Single-Width Slate Profile!). Now we've incorporated those great quarried looks into the Multi-Width Slate alternative roof tile.

Why is DaVinci making this change to our designer roof tiles? Because we're always striving to make improvements --- even to a product as successful as our composite slate tiles.

"A significant amount of time and energy has been invested in design improvements to create slate tiles with thicker, more realistic profiles that accurately replicate genuine slate," says Rosewall. "The edges of these composite slate tiles now have a more quarried look to them. Deeper impressions in the tiles make them appear thicker, even though they're the same weight as the previous tiles. This is just one example of how we're continually refining our products and making improvements that enhance the overall aesthetical appeal of DaVinci polymer roofing products."

Not to worry ... while we have increased the design appeal of our Multi-Width Slate roof shingles, we haven't changed any of the exceptional durability aspects of this popular simulate slate roofing product. You'll still find our Multi-Width product resists fire, impact, high winds and insect infestations. And, our multiple synthetic slate roof tile widths help create a more natural, non-repeating appearance on the roof. Whether you select a straight to staggered pattern in one of our 50 colors, you'll be impressed with the authenticity of our imitation slate tiles.

Can you tell the difference between real slate and our newly-enhanced Multi-Width Slate and Bellaforté Slate tiles?

After the successful launch of our Single-Width Slate 12-inch tile with a more authentic quarried look earlier this year (see DaVinci Roofscapes Heads to Vegas!), DaVinci Roofscapes has now enhanced the appeal of the remainder of our slate roofing materials.

Look closely. You'll see that the DaVinci imitation slate tiles have a thicker, more realistic profile than ever before. These new manufactured slate profiles closely replicate genuine slate ... but with all the benefits of man-made polymer roofing.

"The edges of these composite slate tiles now have a more quarried look to them," says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes. "Deeper impressions in the tiles make them appear thicker, even though they're the same weight as the previous tiles. This is just one example of how we're continually refining our products and making improvements that enhance the overall aesthetical appeal of DaVinci polymer roofing products."

All DaVinci synthetic roofing materials resist curling, cracking, fading, mold, algae, fungus and insects, making them ideal for installation in a wide variety of geographic areas. A Lifetime Limited Material Warranty gives peace of mind to homeowners purchasing all simulated slate roofing materials from DaVinci.

This week is all about featuring residential projects. Below is the latest round up of projects you can use to maybe inspire your homeowners who are researching polymer roof tiles. Enjoy!

Featured Project - Oklahoma City, OK

This project features our most colorful, standard color blend - the Vineyard Blend! Click here to read more about this project. 

Featured Project - Nichols Hills, OK

Natural cedar can be a nuisance. It doesn't do well in a storm and can also grow algae and mold (gross!). Click here to read more about this project located in Storm Central, I mean Oklahoma! 

Featured Project - Victoria, BC

In other news, we also install products in Canada! Click here to read more about this DaVinci project located in cedar shake country. 

Featured Project - Salina, KS

Another beautiful job by a loyal DaVinci contractor. Click here to read more about this shake project. 

Happy Friday, Architects! 

For more than a decade, Heiland Roofing out of Wichita, Kansas has been installing polymer slate and shake roofing materials made by DaVinci Roofscapes. They have installed all our products including Multi-Width, Single-Width, and our newest most economical product, Bellaforté Shake. 

Mike Heiland, owner of Heiland Roofing, recently had this to say about promoting Bellaforté products to his customers in Wichita. "We feel we can sell all the DaVinci products here in Kansas," says Heiland. "The higher priced homes have always been open to the quality of the DaVinci product. Then, when the Bellaforté line was introduced a few years ago it brought an affordable option to all homeowners. Even though this sustainable roofing costs more than regular asphalt, homeowners read the warranty, see the beauty and quality, and know they're getting a good return on their investment."

Heiland Roofing & Exteriors
316-686-8200
www.heilandroofing.com

Seeing is believing. And, for Allen Lyle with Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford show, testing a product is really believing.

Because he wanted to truly understand the durability of DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roof tiles, Allen decided to put them to the test --- with fire, freezing, sledge hammers and even by driving a car over our synthetic slate product.

What happened? Nothing.

Watch the video above or click HEREto see how Allen blow-torched, hammered on and drove over DaVinci plastic roofing materials. You'll discover exactly what Allen did --- that our composite roofing materials are Class A Fire Rated and made to withstand fire, severe weather conditions and heavy impact. That includes everything that Mother Nature --- and Allen --- can throw at them!

Currently have black fake slate; looking for suggestion as a replacement. Open to warmer colors or staying with black.

Mark Reston
Hurst, TX
Product: Bellaforté or Multi-Width Slate

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

Dear Mr. Reston,

Since you are upgrading your roof I would suggest going with a new color so that you can really see a difference. Black has worked well up until now but there are other colors that would also give your home a great look.

If you stay in the gray family either Slate Gray or Smokey Gray will give you a similar look to what you have now but will be less of a stark contrast to the color of your brick.

If you want to go with a warm tone I recommend selecting one of the colors that is similar and slightly darker than the darkest color in your bricks. From the picture it looks like Mountain would be a good match. I would not choose more than two variations - such as medium and dark as I have shown. With too much variation between the roofing tiles the roof pattern will compete with the brick pattern. A roof that is more solid in color will allow the brick to stand out.

The size and even arrangement of the Bellaforté Slate is a good fit for your home but any of the DaVinci Slate profiles will work well.

I hope that helps you in making your selection.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

Add another layer ... it's time to get serious about installing roofing systems in cold weather.

Along with adding extra layers to help protect you from the frigid temperatures coming our way, you also need to understand there are some special steps to take when installing composite roofing when the temperatures dip. At DaVinci Roofscapes, we'd like to offer you these tips:

- Acclimation is your friend. Don't leave a caulking tube outside overnight and expect it to work the next morning ... it will freeze! So, keep your supplies (including self-adhering membranes, caulk and other items) in a warm environment before using to get maximum efficiency and fewer headaches.

- Keep your DaVinci composite roofing tiles lying flat before installation in cold weather. Luckily DaVinci polymer slate and synthetic shake tiles can be installed in temperatures as cold as 20 degrees F (which makes you cold, but allows you to keep working!).

- During winter installations, make certain there's a minimum of 3/16" space between tiles.

- Using a pneumatic roofing nail gun to speed up your installation? That's great, but make sure to adjust the pressure in colder weather. It shouldn't be set too high.

- Watch out for "black ice" on ladders and on the roof. Even light moisture can freeze up and make being a roofer in the winter months potentially dangerous.

- Need to keep your hands nimble for the installations? Invest in disposable HotHands hand warmers. Slip them in your gloves (or your shoes for that matter!) for eight hours of toasty warmth.

For more winter installation insights, see Bundle Up, Roofers!

How much starter tile do I need for my composite roofing project?

When can I get a shipment of Bellaforté imitation slate tiles?

How do I incorporate a transition from a turret to the rest of my designer roof?

Don't let these burning questions keep you up at night. If you're a roofer, architect, builder or homeowner with a DaVinci Roofscapes question, we've got the answers! And, we've got the experts to help.

Our two "aces in the hole" at DaVinci are project specialists Katie Thoele and Chris Brady. These knowledgeable professionals are available to talk you through a project, explain differences between our products and connect you with our color expert, Kate Smith, for color assistance.

Katie and Chris dedicate their days to helping people like you. Whether you've got a fast "just want to check on the status of this polymer slate roofing product" question or need more in-depth assistance on figuring out how many composite shake shingles you'll need for your next roof, they're here to help you.

Of course, you can also check out our FAQ section (click HERE) on the DaVinci website for fast assistance ... but for truly personal service call Katie and Chris at 913-599-0766!

Tired of the crowds in the stores, getting jostled for a good bargain and fighting for a parking spot at the mall? Next time you're out shopping, take a break and look up --- you might be surprised to find a DaVinci Roofscapes designer roof over your favorite store!

Imitation slate and synthetic shake roofing tiles from DaVinci can be found on many shopping centers, strip malls and individual stores across the country.

In Victor, New York, you'll discover a composite shake roof atop The North Face retail store. In Charlottesville, Virginia the Barrack Road Shopping Center (home to Old Navy, Banana Republic, Chico's and Talbot's) has composite roofing overhead.  Another outdoor shopping area in Kansas City (Country Club Plaza), also has sustainable roofing from DaVinci. And, if you're shopping at Bass Pro Shops look up and you'll most likely see our custom red simulated shake roofing overhead. (See Colorful DaVinci Roofs Help Businesses Stand Out)

What makes our synthetic roofing materials so popular for retail locations? It's a combination of many things: aesthetics, fire- and impact-resistancy, durability, many color options and easy-care/low maintenance.

Next time you're shopping, think about shopping for a new roof for your home. The same features that make DaVinci roofs a winning choice for stores also make our roofs a sensible choice for your home!

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

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

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

Happy Friday, Architects!  

Choosing a product that will work to achieve both the look you would want out of a renovation as well as something that will perform under extreme conditions is challenging. Woodchuck Roofing out of Sylvan Lake, AB has nothing but nice things to say about working with our synthetic shake shingles on a recent barn renovation. 

"Alberta is notorious for massive hail and crazy storms as well as harsh winters and hot, dry summers," says Charles Busque with Woodchuck Roofing. "DaVinci roofing materials are ideal for this environment." 

Our polymer cedar shakes are Class A Fire Rated, Class 4 Impact Rated, Wind Certified to 110 mph and come with a Lifetime Limited Warranty. When you compare the lifetime cost of a Bellaforté Shake Roof (featured here) to natural cedar shakes, Bellaforté Shake comes in much lower as it is longer lasting, requires no maintenance, and can stand up to some pretty heavy duty weather events. 

Woodchuck Roofing Ltd
587-877-7620
www.woodchuckroofing.ca

If you're in the researching stage of getting a new roof for your home, you're likely looking at several alternatives --- including asphalt shingles.

Tim Carter, founder of AsktheBuilder.com and a contractor with decades of experience, has some valuable insights to share in his new short video on roofing options. Tim is replacing his failing asphalt shingle roof (it didn't even make it half way through the warranty period) with polymer slate roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes.

Listen in to hear Tim's thoughts on asphalt shingle roofing and the advantages he's already seeing of using imitation slate shingles for his New Hampshire home.

Having trouble viewing video, click here.

For more insights on polymer shake roofing from Tim Carter, see Roofing Dreams Do Come True.

Looking to narrow down product & color selection & looking for ideas.

I'm interested in using one of your shake products in the gable areas of my home and either the slate or shake product on the front porch roof.

Kevin Steltenpohl
Grafton, Wisconsin
Product: Shake

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

Dear Mr. Steltenpohl, 

From what I see in the picture as well as what you have indicated in your description that you are trying to bring together different materials and colors into a cohesive look for your exterior. Doing so is a little more challenging than a typical 3-color exterior scheme but the payoff for your effort is an exterior that has lots of style and personality.

It is difficult for me to clearly see your existing colors and materials in your photo but I think my recommendations are still correct. I would like you to confirm while looking at samples of the color recommendations in close proximity to your existing materials.

For the shake on the gables you have a couple of options. You can go with a color similar to the brick around the base of your home. Weathered Gray appears to be a good match. Or you can go with a color that is a closer match for the stain on your garage. Tahoe would be my recommendation in that case. Whatever color you choose the uneven sized of the DaVinci Fancy Shake or DaVinci Multi-Width Shake would break up the evenly spaced lines of your main roof and brickwork and give you the interest this area deserves with both in color and pattern.

As for the accent roof, I recommend blending with the color of the existing roof but changing the surface to DaVinci Slate or going with a brown tone similar to the stain on the doors and the color in the gables. I'm leaning towards going with a gray that blends with the existing roof -- Smokey Gray or Slate Gray but a warm brown tone similar darker than whatever color you choose for the gables could work too but you will have to look at some samples of the color in place to find just the right one that works with the other colors.

Sincerely,

Kate Smith
DaVinci Roofscapes Color Expert

You've probably heard the old saying, "When One Door Closes, Another One Opens." That's exactly what happened for one North Carolina homeowner when the roof on their new home failed after just seven years.

A manufacturer flaw resulted in the need for a total replacement roof on a home designed by Design House out of Wilmington, North Carolina. While the firm generally doesn't specify specific products for their home designs, they're so impressed with the replacement DaVinci Roofscapes composite slate roof that they're re-thinking their stance.

"We normally do not call out actual products on our designs," says John Croom, partner with Design House. "However, after seeing the results of the new DaVinci manufactured slate roof we certainly plan to recommend DaVinci in the future.

"The replacement DaVinci roof on this home looks beautiful. The sophistication of the simulated slate roofing captures the essence of our vision for this home. The mixture of colors and textures really provides the 'Olde English/French' character we were striving to achieve with the design."

The DaVinci European blend was selected by the homeowners for their replacement DaVinci Multi-Width Slate designer roof. The five-color blend consists of Light Gray, Medium Gray, Dark Gray, Light Purple and Dark Purple to create a realistic slate roofing application. (See 50 Shades of DaVincifor more imitation slate roof colors!)

"The color selections available from DaVinci are definitely impressive," says Croom. "From a design perspective we believe offering both the singular and blend color options will be extremely appealing to homeowners in our area."

Go ahead. Ask a DaVinci Roofscapes homeowner what they have to say about their composite roofing ... just get ready for an earful.

"The DaVinci slate looks like authentic slate but it’s completely man-made," says Dan Baer in California. "I’m thrilled with the quality of the product, the custom color we selected and the fire-resistancy of this polymer roof.”
 
How happy was Baer with his new imitation slate shingles from DaVinci? So happy that he threw a roof party! (see Homeowner Celebrates Fire-Resistant Bellaforté Roof)
 
“I want everyone to reach out, touch this roof and see why we’re so excited," proclaims Baer. "The real celebration is that we now feel safer in our home and have the added confidence that this roof will require almost no maintenance hassles. This was an investment I was happy to make because the benefits are so great.”
 
In Texas, Kathy Telecky also likes to talk a great deal about her fake slate roof. (see Historic Texas Home Gets Faux Slate Roof)
 
"We did what most homeowners do when searching for product options --- we turned to the Internet,” says Telecky. “After searching for faux slate shingles, we found that many companies produced these products, but our research showed that most of them warp over time.

“We discovered that only the slate tiles produced by DaVinci Roofscapes are uniquely designed to resist warping, fading, curling and cracking. And, these polymer tiles are fire and impact resistant, so we never have to worry about how our intense Texas heat or hail storms will affect them.”

As the year draws to a close there is always lots of interest in what is ahead in the new year. The conversation is no different when it comes to color. Everyone from major media outlets to my best friend's teenage daughters are interested in what colors will be hot in 2016.

Color trends are the design industry equivalent of celebrity gossip. Most people don't really need to know what colors are trending, especially when selecting colors for your home exterior, but it is fun to have a little insight into what you will be seeing next year. With that in mind this is the first of a few blog posts I'll be writing to give you the inside skinny on trends.

Rich tones have been on-trend for the past view years and remain relevant for 2016 playing a significant role on the home exterior. The reason deep, mysterious hues are trending is that they are a convergence of a passion for the finer things in life, a respect for history, a curiosity about other cultures, interest in spirituality and a love of colors that are as complex as we are.

One of my favorite colors that falls in this category is Black Walnut. This color brings together smokey charcoal gray with sensuous dark brown. The result is a color that is smart, solid and stable yet sexy. 

This is a perfect hue for topping off your home. The tones found in DaVinci Shake Mountain are similar to Black Walnut and have the same appeal. 

Black Walnut and Mountain are dramatic when paired with warm neutrals like greige or taupe or more colorful but slightly toned down hues. The strong contrast makes a strong statement when they are paired with Simply White or Alabaster.

Our desire for complex colors and individual expression also has us embracing other multi-dimensional colors that make a statement.

These colors would be too dark or too vibrant to be used as a main color on most home but they are perfect as accent colors.

Other colors that are on-trend that can be used as accent colors to enhance Black Walnut are Different Gold, Blackberry, Galagos, Patriot Blue or Courtyard Green. Other adventurous pairings would include turquoise, chartreuse, or yellow-orange.

That's it for your first sneak peek into the 2016 color trends. Stay tuned for the next scoop on what colors you will be seeing in the new year.

When it was time for homeowners at the historic Fleur du Lac Estates in California to select new roofing materials, they looked for a product that would mimic the look of real cedar, but bring them advantages to protect their homes and buildings from Mother Nature. After a comprehensive search, they determined that the Class A fire and Class 4 impact ratings of Bellaforté polymer shake tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes met their needs.

"We started with our two most valuable community structures, the Yacht Club and Boat House," says Stewart Dalie, maintenance supervisor and project manager at Fleur du Lac Estates in Homewood, California. "Our plans are to re-roof all of the buildings in the Tahoe Blend over the next five to seven years. We did a tremendous amount of research to determine what roofing products would look realistic in this setting, meet the new codes required for roofs in our area, yet offer us superior qualities and a long life span.

"Selecting the fire- and impact-resistant Bellaforté shake material from DaVinci Roofscapes means we won't have to be concerned with the potential spread of flames should our area ever be touched by wildfires. That's a huge concern for our geographic area. However, not having to worry about wind-blown embers landing on a roof and then catching the building on fire is a tremendous relief."

The Class A fire and Class 4 impact ratings of the Bellaforté tiles bring peace-of-mind to residents within the community. The durable roofing tiles have the appearance of natural hand-split cedar shake with slanted sawn edges and staggered lengths, but with the hassle-free qualities of a manufactured product. At a one-inch average tile thickness, Bellaforté Shake roofing tiles remind many residents of jumbo cedar shakes prevalent in the Lake Tahoe area.

Need more information on cedar shake alternative tiles? SeeDaVinci Shakes Up Cedar Shake Roofing Option.

If you are a spec writer or architect who uses SpecLink's software to write your specifications you can now find the lightweight roofing systems by DaVinci Roofscapes in there! We are located in section 07-3110 Synthetic Shingles, and from there you can easily specify our polymer slate and shake roofing products. 

Not a SpecLink user but still want to specify our materials? Contact me to get a copy of our editable 3-Part Specifications. 

Happy Friday, Architects!