From the Tech Team: Bellaforte Solid Shake Tile
Recently, a DaVinci contractor gave me a call to let me know that he loved installing DaVinci Bellaforté Shake. He said that the one suggestion he had, was that because of the very high profile of the DaVinci Bellaforté Shake, there were some situations where a solid tile would be helpful. One example of where a solid tile would be beneficial is in a situation where Bellaforté Shakes are installed in a closed valley in an area where there are a lot of messy trees, especially pine trees. In these instances, pine needles and leaves can catch on the ribs of the Bellaforté shakes where they are cut. While this doesn’t usually cause a performance issue it can sometimes detract from the overall look of the roof. Another example of where a solid tile can be helpful is in flashing situations where the cut edge of the tile may be exposed. While this is not a performance issue if it is in an area visible from the ground, it may not have the “finished look” that some customers would like.
I discussed this request with our design team and they worked quickly to develop a Bellaforté solid shake tile. These solid tiles can be used where tiles are cut around flashings, on flared rakes (gable ends), straight gable ends, and even valleys. It should be noted that these solid tiles are not the answer from an aesthetic point of view for a true open valley. The reason for this is when the solid tiles are cut for use in valleys, there is an occasional small void in instances where the tile cut crosses the gutter of the tile. These tiles also have occasional visible bubbles where the tile is cut, that may be objectionable to some customers. We recommend that when using Bellaforté Shake solid tiles the installer still use the closed valley or double w valley system.