Historic Church Gets High-Tech Polymer Roof
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Thanks to the efforts of volunteer church members, the St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Boston now has a new roof overhead. Scrambling high atop the famous Roman Catholic Church on Boylston Street, the church members replaced heavy, old slate shingles with lightweight polymer tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes®.
“The research I did showed that the Bellaforté tiles from DaVinci have a long lifespan and can withstand a wide variety of severe weather,” says Father Peter Grover, OMV. “We selected the slate gray color of tiles which has received many compliments from our members and the neighborhood residents.
“This product truly looks like the original slate tile that was placed on our church and chapel more than 75 years ago. The Bellaforté product allowed us to preserve both the historical look and feel of our facilities. We also gained the advantage that these polymer tiles resist fire, high winds and severe weather. That gives us all peace-of-mind knowing that our church facility and seminary are protected.”
After stripping the roof of the heavy slate shingles, it took the team of seven several days to install the copper flashing in the valleys and dormers of the roof. Then the Bellaforté tiles went up. “These pieces feature a patented snap-fit, interlocking mechanism, so installation was fast and easy,” says Grover. “They include an integrated rain gutter, leading edge tab and rain dam and are about twenty percent lighter in weight than natural slate shingles. These factors worked together to help us complete the roof installation quickly.
“Five of our volunteer church members had previous roofing experience and one is a professional
roofer. Working as a team, we were able to re-roof all of our pitched roofs, including the main church and chapel. We were especially happy to get this project completed before the heavy rains associated with Hurricane Irene came to our area. With the new roof in place, we had no problems at all with the high winds and driving rain associated with the storm.”
Backed by a 50-year limited lifetime warranty, the self-locating Bellaforté roofing tiles resist insects, fungus, algae, mold, cracking, fading and curling. A square of Bellaforté roofing tile weighs just 185 pounds, helping reduce both installation time and landfill load due to reduced construction waste.
DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning synthetic slate and shake roofing since 1999. The polymer roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit our website.
Visit davinciroofscapes.com