Literally green (as in the color) roofing options are available here at DaVinci Roofscapes! Check out these brand new pictures that came in yesterday of a custom color Bellaforté roof for the Jupiter Ocean Grand luxury condo complex in Jupiter, Florida. Look for more details coming up in a featured project here on the blog!
From Saint Louis Catholic Church to the Cynthiana Baptist Church, church members nationwide are giving thanks for the sturdy polymer roofing products over their heads. Whether replaced due to old age or storm damage, replacement lightweight roofing systems are becoming popular in churches across America.
"Within the past few years we've been blessed to see a significant increase of our roofing products used for church projects," says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes. "The biggest trend we've witnessed is for simulated shake and slate roofing products to be used on historic churches to replicate the original look of a slate or shake roof."
Churches Coast-to-Coast
In Ohio, the 140+ year old chapel at the Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center recently had its roof replaced. The new DaVinci plastic 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 polymer tiles.
Another historic religious center, St. Patrick's Church in Terra Haute, Indiana, was created in 1881. A new Bellaforté slate roof was recently installed to replicate the structure's original roof. Aging copper gutters blend with the blend of greens on the lightweight roofing solution for the parishioners.
For visitors t
o the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Johnson City, New York, it's the three 80-foot tall domes capping the massive structure that captures immediate attention. A re-roofing job done in 2011 features 90 squares of Valoré polymer shake tiles in a Tuscano color blend of light, medium light, medium and dark autumn colors. The simulated shake roofing on the church accents the wood exterior, creating a stunning structure.
Other churches featuring lightweight roofing systems from DaVinci include St. Clement Eucharist Shrine in Boston, Unitarian Universalists Church in Muncie, Indiana and the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles.
"The appeal of polymer roofing's longevity, aesthetics and durability are greatly appreciated by many church congregations," says Rosewall. "These low-maintenance products bring peace-of-mind to many churches and are truly an answer to their prayers."
When businesses or home owners are deciding which materials to use for their new roof, one of their many concerns is if the roof will be susceptible to damage caused by insects and other pests. People often ask questions such as, "Can bugs make a home in roof tiles and slowly but surely destroy them? Are natural or composite tiles better for keeping insects from chewing a roof to pieces?"
In actuality, the potential for insects to cause damage to natural or composite roofs depends less upon the materials used and more on whether or not the roof leaks. Natural materials such as cedar shake became popular for roofs due to their inherent resistance to pests and insects who likewise avoid chewing on composite materials. That said, it would be highly unusual to have a roof that ended up being damaged by insects. Perhaps the one time when insects could end up causing damage is when the roof in question is leaking or falling apart. Water that accumulates under the tiles of a damaged natural roof can provide habitat for and attract Carpenter Ants on account of the soft, wet rotting wood. A building properly roofed in polymer tiles isn't going to have leaks but even if it did, it still wouldn't be attacked by insects that bore into and eat wood.
To learn more about how products by DaVinci beautify your home or office, email or call DaVinci at 1-800-328-4624.
People need water and they need lots of it to sustain the modern lifestyles we have grown accustomed to. 
In addition to being vital for all life, it's used for washing clothes, dishes, and just about everything else. Water is an essential part of agriculture and necessary for livestock. We also like to use it to water our lawns and keep golf greens lush and verdant even if they happen to be located in the arid state of Nevada. In fact, people like to use water so much in so many places that are naturally arid, it is rapidly becoming a precious commodity in many parts of the globe.
There's still plenty of water on Earth but using it comes with a couple of caveats. These are: (1) it has to be fresh, and (2) it has to be clean. With that in mind and droughts on the increase in many areas, many people are looking into ways to save water. One of the easiest ways to save clean, fresh water is by collecting it as it falls from the sky. Polymer roof tiles engineered by DaVinci are a great way to funnel the water that falls onto the roof into a rain barrel as they have been LEED certified (WE 1.1-1.2 ) for use in potable water systems.
To learn more about the green roof systems offered by DaVinci Roofscapes, email or call 1-800-328-4624 today.
Who do you call if you're committed to restoring a 1932 bungalow-style home and want green roof construction? If you're Sylvain Cote with Absolute Green Homes, you contact DaVinci Roofscapes!
Cote requested DaVinci's Bellaforté slate synthetic tiles for this impressive environmentally-friendly retrofit project back in April of 2011. The home, which is scheduled for completion this summer, is scheduled to be the first platinum level LEED Certified Home in Westchester County, New York.
The sustainability and environmental friendliness of DaVinci fake slate tiles drew Cote's attention while she searched for green roofing options for The Beach House. By installing 17 squares of black Bellaforté slate tiles on the 1,810-square-foot home, she's been able to support her overall goal of having a lightweight roofing system that is eco-friendly.
The design, techniques, materials, products and approach used in this project can be applied to other homes in the future to achieve the same environmentally sound living space. Stay tuned and we'll share final pictures of this impressive house renovation project with you this summer!
Roofs have been greened in more than one way for centuries. Some of the first roofs that were literally green were the famed hanging gardens of Babylon. One of the ancient wonders of the world, exotic plants 
grew on several tiers of roofs and amazed all who saw them. In more modern times, green roof systems fall into two main categories: (1) garden roofs, and (2) energy efficient roofs. Although roofs that grow grass and other vegetation are also energy efficient, they differ from roofs that have structures and materials designed to conserve and save energy.
As a concept, energy efficient roofs became more well known to the public during the 1970's. However, they didn't truly become a major aspect of construction practices until the late 1990's and twenty-first century. The creation of the Green Building Council in 1998 was probably the main driving force behind green construction and eco friendly roofs. This council set up the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating systems that have become a popular and effective way of assessing the energy saving capabilities of structures and construction materials. Since products highly rated by LEED save consumers money in addition to helping to protect the environment, they have become quite popular.
To learn more about the green roofing materials offered by DaVinci Roofscapes, email or call 1-800-328-4624 today.
Steep slope roofing products, like our slate roof and shake roof systems can contribute toward LEED® certification. So, how many potential points can our green roofing materials earn?
DaVinci products may contribute toward LEED New Construction in the following areas:
Sustainable Sites
Contact us to learn more about our eco friendly roof products!
Recently, I sat down to talk with Shawn Bellis of Epic Exteriors in Kansas City to ask him about his experience as a Masterpiece Contractor and installing DaVinci products.
Thank you to Shawn for taking the time to do this interview. These interviews allow us to learn more about the installation side of our products and gain insight from the contractors that work with the home and building owners.
How'd you first discover DaVinci?
I discovered DaVinci through a contractor trade show in 2000. What caught my eye was the thickness of the product. Everyone likes the idea of a synthetic product because of durability - but when the thickness of DaVinci came out - it really met the expectations of the customer.
Also, DaVinci solved all the issues that we had with other products. The previous products had to be pre-blended and pre-collated. It was a mess and super time consuming.
I love that with DaVinci the factory does the collating and sorting - at the time I discovered it, and still today, it just blew everything else away. It also helped that it was local.
What do you like about DaVinci? Color blends? Shape of tiles? Performance?
All of the above and being local! When your sole business is synthetic, like DaVinci and unlike other roofing manufacturers, you can really focus on making it the best product on the market by solving all the issues that the other products have. DaVinci is the best product.
As asphalt products continue to go up in price, it makes the sale of the DaVinci all the easier. In fact, I think that Bellaforté is going to make the asphalt market merge into the synthetic.
When it comes to the color blends, there is nothing better. DaVinci has simplified the color collation process for the contractor. With other synthetic products, the contractor has to work with the homeowner and figure it out how to collate the product, and sometimes that takes forever. Furthermore, with other roofing products, when you do have to pre-blend and sort the roof, it takes a lot of extra time on the job site too.
I appreciate the care and service that is put into the delivery of the DaVinci product. The product collation and how it is shipped is all done with care.
When it comes to the color blends, I love the selection. I'm not interested in being a designer and neither is the homeowner. I say leave the color stuff to the professionals at DaVinci, they are the experts at the color blends. If you start to complicate it then the job drags on. By streamlining the process for the homeowner, DaVinci gives the homeowner the right amount of choices.
I also love that it is Class A fire rated and the thickness of the material.
What's the biggest thing that homeowners say to you about DaVinci?
They love the way it looks. Some people think that a DaVinci roof is a finishing touch to their home. In other words, DaVinci makes their home look they want it to look.
Why do you like DaVinci?
They have the most authentic slate appearance among the synthetic varieties. Other things I like about DaVinci include:
Are there homeowners that you wouldn't recommend DaVinci to?
Yes, homeowners who are looking for the least expensive route. Homeowners that are going to move, sometimes don't want to spend the money, but that really depends on the price point of the home. There are homeowners that know DaVinci will help sell their home, so they go for it.
What DaVinci products have you worked with?
Valoré and Classic in both Slate and Shake. I've been to jobs and seen Bellaforté go on, but have not worked with the product yet. I really like the multi-width product. I don't see a difference between if the multi-width is laid straight or staggered, it just depends on the look of the house. The staggered application is more expensive, so homeowners tend to go with the straight for pricing purposes.
Which DaVinci products do you like? Do you have a favorite color blend?
I like the multi width the best. I like the Mountain and Tahoe in the Shake color blends and the Aberdeen and Weathered Green in the slate color blends. Aberdeen is really period authentic - it most encompasses the turn of the century slate roof. In fact, I refer to Aberdeen as the pinnacle DaVinci application.
What other roofing products do you install?
Custom wood shakes, high-end custom asphalt re-decks. All the traditional roof styles that you can think of. We pride ourselves on premium applications.
How long have you been in the roofing business?
17 years
Do you have a favorite DaVinci job?
My favorite DaVinci job is a DaVinci Shake job we did in Overland Park, KS – the whole job just came together great and looks awesome on thes home! Many people have drooled over the look of the roof. It's in a neighborhood that has all natural shake, so it keeps up with the look of the area.
The homeowner is an engineer and he has American Family Insurance - which is part of the reason he went with DaVinci. American Family said that if he went with a Class 4 impact rated roof, he could waive his deductible.
It is true that all of our lightweight roofing systems are cool roof colors and some cool roof color systems. However, when we say "Cool Roof" colors and capitalize it, we are actually referring to the rating given by the Cool Roof Rating Council.
Our Cool Roof polymer roof tiles reflect heat and light from the sun away from your home or business to help reduce the amount of energy it requires to keep your building cool. As a result, our products become sustainable green roofs that will not only last a life time, but will also help the environment in more ways than one.
Benefits of DaVinci EcoBlend tiles:
How about them apples! As we get ready for warmer weather as spring approaches, perhaps you are looking into a roof with Ecoblend Tiles and with a Cool Roof rating. You can see which of our steep slope roofing options are available in Cool Roofs.
Do you have questions about Cool Roofs? We are happy to answer them. Please feel free to phone us at 1-855-299-5301 with any questions you might have.
Do you have a DaVinci EcoBlend roof? We want to hear about it. Share your success story and tell us how you have not only saved money but also how you have helped the environment.
Interested in learning more about synthetic slate and shake roof tiles? Need a Sustainable Design Credit? Look no further. Jump over to AEC Daily and take our course, The Design Advantages of Synthetic Roofing Solutions, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week for FREE! Learn more about our green room systems while earning a continuing education credit.
have to worry about bugs and other pests gnawing at the shingles or making their homes in them.
However, quoting a number is never simple when it comes to roofing because every roof is different. For example, a new construction roof is easier and faster to roof than a re-roof because the new construction roof doesn't require tear-off, dumpster fees and more."Where are you located?" That is a question I get all the time and I know our Sales Support Representatives and Product Specialist get it a lot also. When I tell the inquiring party "Kansas City, Kansas," most are interested to learn that there are actually two cities named Kansas City, one on either side of the Kansas/Missouri state line. But what they are surprised to hear is that we actually manufacture here. As in, I can walk out the door to my office, take a left, go through a door and I am standing in our plant. We do certainly live in a world where everything we own that is made of plastic has a little "made in China" sticker on it, so why wouldn't your polymer steep slope roofing products?
A while back I saw a story on the news about a builder in Montana who is building a home where all the products used are made in the U.S.A. While it has been proven difficult, it isn't impossible to find these products and really the overall cost of this home isn't any more than a home using products manufactured all over the world. His theory is that if every builder purchased just 5% more "Made in the U.S.A." products, that 220,000 jobs would be added in this country.
At DaVinci Roofscapes we're very proud that our lightweight roofing systems are compounded, molded, packaged and shipped out of the U.S.A.
drinking and gardening use is fast becoming a topic of discussion among those looking for environmentally friendly and responsible ways to conserve water for human needs. 
In this day and age it is hip to be green, and wherever you can go a little greener in your lifestyle, all the better for planet earth. Every little bit counts. When you are choosing a company for roofing, you want to consider companies that make green roofing options accessible. Not only do you want green roofing materials, but you want a company that cares from beginning to end. Here’s how we're being GREEN at DaVinci.
Bill Lowell did his part to help the environment. He renovated his Minnesota home with a recycled blue jean product for sound insulation, a grey-water system using recycled water to flush toilets and a DaVinci synthetic slate roof.
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