Historic Church Chooses Bellaforté Shake Roof
Located in a rural area of Nebraska, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has always been subject to harsh weather conditions. The original church structure, plus the parsonage, barn and out building, were all constructed in 1880 and then destroyed by a tornado in 1899. Within the same year the congregation raised funds and rebuilt the church properties.
Over the years other storms attacked the church, but when the 2014 severe weather hit, the results were dramatic. “There was no question we needed full replacements on our roof, windows and siding,” says Gene Hansen, a member of the St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. “Before the storm, some cedar shake shingles were starting to blow off and were weathering badly. The storm just ripped through two layers of those shakes that had been in place for decades. And, the fellowship hall roof was totally destroyed in the storm. We had no other option than to replace the roofs.”
When contractor Nick Paschke recommended Bellaforté Shake tiles from DaVinci, several church members took hammers to the roofing tile samples, to assure themselves that the impact-resistant material would not be dented by future hail storms.
“I was impressed by the quality, durability and selection of the DaVinci composite shake roofing,” says Hansen. “Once we discovered the company could create a custom color red for the shingles, that truly sealed the deal.”
Convinced of the durability of the product, peace-of-mind prevailed. Now the church and fellowship hall once again have their signature red roofs overhead and contented parishioners below.
Learn more about DaVinci Roofscapes polymer roofing on historic church projects at Historic Church Gets High-Tech Polymer Roof and DaVinci Roofs: An Answer to Many Prayers.