10-Story High Steeple Gets New DaVinci Slate Roof
Third-generation steeplejack Tony Stratton loves a challenging church roof project. So, when he was contacted to install DaVinci Multi-Width Slate roofing tiles on the 110-foot tall steeple on St. Mary's Catholic Church in Independence, Missouri, he jumped at the chance.
"We're an 'old school trade' with one foot in the past and one foot in the future," says Stratton, owner of Inspired Heights out of Rockford, Illinois. "We combine the techniques of long-ago with the technologies of today. This allows us to offer a less invasive, more affordable restoration for church roofs and steeples."
The non-intrusiveness of Inspired Heights is exactly what appealed to Rev. Matthew Bartulica. "We didn't want scaffolding or a crane to obscure the steeple during the re-roofing," says Rev. Bartulica of St. Mary's. "Inspired Heights did it the old fashioned way — they used pulleys and ropes. That saved on our budget and just 'felt right' for this project."
According to Stratton, this was the first time his company had used DaVinci Roofscapes composite roofing tiles for a church project, but it won't be the last.
"We've installed real slate on lots of churches and found that it's heavy and awkward to mount," says Stratton. "The DaVinci slate product has a natural slate look, plus it was lighter in weight and came in different widths, adding to its natural look, unlike other comparable products. We were grateful that we didn't have to worry about the tiles 'curling' like other synthetic tiles because the ridging in the back of each tile helped keep it more stable.
"We're impressed with the DaVinci roofing and hope to use it again in the future. It's a great example of what we like to refer to as matching up modern technological advances for products with our old school steeplejack trade."
Looking for more examples of synthetic slate roofing and polymer shake on churches? See Praying for a New DaVinci Roof and Steeple People.
