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Comparison

A roof doesn’t get any better than Davinci.

When it comes to roofing materials, you’ve got plenty of options. DaVinci composite roofing tiles blend state-of-the-art materials with an artist’s touch. You won’t find a better looking or better performing roof at any price.

OVERVIEW

dot-greenStrength

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dot-redWeakness

davinci-smAsphaltNatural SlateNatural ShakeConcreteMetal
Wind Resistantdot-greendot-yellowdot-yellowdot-greendot-yellowdot-green
Fire Resistantdot-greendot-yellowdot-greendot-reddot-greendot-green
Impact Resistantdot-greendot-yellowdot-yellowdot-yellowdot-yellowdot-yellow
Freeze/Thaw Resistantdot-greendot-yellowdot-yellowdot-reddot-reddot-green
Maintenance-Freedot-greendot-greendot-reddot-reddot-reddot-yellow
Color-Fade Resistantdot-greendot-yellowdot-greendot-reddot-yellowdot-yellow
Lightweightdot-greendot-greendot-reddot-yellowdot-reddot-green

Building Code & Testing Approvals: ICC-ES ESR-2119; Miami-Dade County, FL; CA Title 24; Texas Dept. of Insurance; CCMS; WUI; LEED contribution; Class A Fire; and Class 4 Impact

DaVinci Slate

In a side‐by‐side comparison with natural and other synthetic slate, you’ll quickly see that DaVinci Roofscapes is the best long‐term choice for your home.

BEAUTY

Comparison ValueDaVinci Slate ProductsNatural SlateOther Synthetic Slates
Authentic LookYesYesNo – Single-width shingles and/or limited colorlines look fake by comparison
1/2″ ThicknessYesYes – 1/2″ slates are used for the most expensive installationsNot typical
5 WidthsSingle-Width Slate: No
Multi-Width Slate: Yes
Bellaforté: No		Yes (sometimes more)No – 1 is typical; 3 at most
Pre-mixed
Color Blends		Yes – Each blend is composed with assured proportions in each bundleNo – Requires sorting and blending at the jobsiteNo – Most other synthetics require sorting and blending at the job site

LABOR

Comparison ValueDaVinci Slate ProductsNatural SlateOther Synthetic Slates
LightweightYesNoYes – for polymeric materials
No – for fibrous cement materials
Pre-sorted,
factory-collated Color Blends		Yes – Each bundle is composed of authentic slate colors arranged in an authentic slate blendNo – Requires jobsite sorting & blending of colorsNo – Most other synthetics require jobsite sorting & blending of colors
Pre-sorted,
factory-collated Widths		Yes – Each multi-width bundle is composed of 5 slate shingle widths factory-collated for each installationNo – Requires jobsite blending of widthsNo – Most other synthetics require sorting and blending at the job site
Estimated Waste
in Installation		Low – Only in ValleysHigh – Slate with hairline cracks or those broken during installation must be discarded as much as 15%High – Most other synthetics do not have multiple widths creating more cutting and waste at edges and walls

PERFORMANCE

Comparison ValueDaVinci Slate ProductsNatural SlateOther Synthetic Slates
Fire Retardance:
Class A		Yes – With standard underlayments
ASTM E 108		Yes – With standard underlaymentsYes – But only with specialty underlayments
Wind Resistance:
110 mph		Yes – ASTM D 3161Yes70 – 110 mph
Impact Resistance:
Class 4		Yes UL – 2218Yes – for 1/2″ thick slates
No – for 3/16″ slates		Yes
Freeze/Thaw ResistantYesMostly – May spall in Alpine regionsYes – for polymeric materials
No – for fibrous cement materials
Maintenance FreeYesNo – Requires inspection and repair throughout its life cycleYes
Color Fade ResistantYesYesDepends on Manufacturer

DaVinci Shake

Looking for beauty, durability and longevity from a shake roof? Compare DaVinci Shake with natural and other synthetic shake products and you’ll find that our composite shake is the best choice for your home.

BEAUTY

Comparison ValueDaVinci Shake ProductsNatural ShakeOther Synthetic Shake
Authentic LookYesYesNo – Single-width shingles and/or limited colorlines look fake by comparison
1/2″ Thickness StandardsSingle-Width: 5/8″
Multi-Width: 5/8″
Fancy Shake: 7/16″		Yes – Most natural shakes are 1/2″ thick at least5/18″
Multiple WidthsSingle-Width: 1 Width
Multi-Width: 5 Widths
Fancy Shake: 3 Widths		Yes (by nature)No – To date, other synthetics have only one color per “blend”
Pre-mixed
Color Blends		Yes – Each blend is composed with subtle nuances of the central color tone to enhance authenticityNo – Requires sorting and blending at the jobsiteNo – Requires sorting and blending at the job site

LABOR

Comparison ValueDaVinci Shake ProductsNatural ShakeOther Synthetic Shake
Pre-sorted,
factory-collated Color Blends		Yes – Each bundle is composed of authentic shake colorsYes (by nature)No – Only one color per “blend”
Pre-sorted,
factory-collated Widths		Yes – Each multi-width hand-split shake bundle is composed of multiple widthsYes – Although percentage of each width is unpredictableNo – Requires job site sorting & blending of widths
Estimated Waste in InstallationLow – Only in ValleysHigh – Shakes that are too narrow or shakes that break during installation must be discardedHigh – Other Synthetics do not have multiple widths creating more cutting and waste at edges and walls

PERFORMANCE

Comparison ValueDaVinci Shake ProductsNatural ShakeOther Synthetic Shake
Fire Retardance:
Class A		Yes – With specialty underlayments
ASTM E 108 / UL 790		NoYes – With specialty underlayments
Wind Resistance:
110 mph		Yes – ASTM D 3161Yes70 – 110 mph
Impact Resistance:
Class 4		Yes UL – 2218Yes – Class 4 possible
Performance may deteriorate rapidly over time due to shake drying out and becoming brittle		Yes
Freeze/Thaw ResistantYesNoYes
Maintenance FreeYesNo – Requires the replacement of individual shingles throughout its life cycleYes
Color Fade ResistantYesNo – Fades rapidly to gray within one yearDepends on Manufacturer

Bellaforté Slate

Natural slate or Bellaforté Slate … you compare. We believe you’ll find that our polymer Bellaforté Slate products have the clear advantage for long‐lasting beauty on your roof.

BEAUTY

Comparison ValueBellaforté SlateNatural Slate
Authentic LookYesYes
1/2″ ThicknessYesYes – 1/2″ slates are used for the most expensive installations
Pre-mixed
Color Blends		Yes – Each blend utilizes our VariBlend technology to create a continuous variation from tile to tile which results in a beautiful natural blendNo – Requires sorting and blending at the jobsite

LABOR

Comparison ValueBellaforté SlateNatural Slate
LightweightYesNo
Pre-sorted,
factory-collated Color Blends		Yes – Natural variation is created using DaVinci’s VariBlend technology.No – Requires jobsite sorting & blending of colors
Estimated Waste
in Installation		Low – Only in ValleysHigh – Slate with hairline cracks or those broken during installation must be discarded as much as 15%

PERFORMANCE

Comparison ValueBellaforté SlateNatural Slate
Fire Retardance:
Class A		Yes – With standard underlayments
ASTM E 108		Yes – With standard underlayments
Wind Resistance:
110 mph		Yes – ASTM D 3161Yes
Impact Resistance:
Class 4		Yes UL – 2218Yes – for 1/2″ thick slates
No – for 3/16″ slates
Freeze/Thaw ResistantYesMostly – May spall in Alpine regions
Maintenance FreeYesNo – Requires inspection and repair throughout its life cycle
Color Fade ResistantYesYes

Bellaforté Shake

You be the judge. Compare our fire‐, wind‐ and insect‐resistant Bellaforté Shake polymer roofing tiles to natural cedar shake products. We’re confident you’ll quickly embrace the advantages of our synthetic shake products.

BEAUTY

Comparison ValueBellaforté ShakeNatural Shake
Authentic LookYesYes
Thickness1″ average thickness1/2″ at comparable price
Color OptionsYes – DaVinci offers multiple color blend options to capture your favorite stage in the lifecycle of cedar shakes. Natural variation is created using DaVinci’s VariBlend technology. *Custom blends are also availableNo

PERFORMANCE

Comparison ValueBellaforté ShakeNatural Shake
Fire Retardance:
Class A		Yes – With specialty underlayments
ASTM E 108 / UL 790		No
Wind Resistance:
110 mph		Yes – ASTM D 3161Yes
Impact Resistance:
Class 4		Yes UL – 2218Yes – Class 4 possible
Performance may deteriorate rapidly over time due to shake drying out and becoming brittle
Freeze/Thaw ResistantYesNo
Maintenance FreeYesNo – Requires the replacement of individual shingles throughout its life cycle
Color Fade ResistantYesNo – Fades rapidly to gray within one year

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A DaVinci Project Specialist will answer any questions you have.

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