Hurricane Isaac Prompts Homeowners to Install Polymer Slate Roof
The winds and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac in 2012 did so much damage to Michael and Angela Klappa’s home that they had to replace their windows, interior walls, major sections of stucco siding and roof. Vowing never to go through that type of weather-related damage again, the Klappas selected durable Bellaforté Slate polymer roofing tiles to help protect their home.
“The water damage we sustained was so severe that we had to undergo an extensive renovation on our home,” says Michael Klappa, a resident of the Lionsgate community in Overland Park, Kansas. “The wood shake roof on our home during the storm was just 10 years old, but it leaked, had bug infestations and couldn’t handle the weather associated with Hurricane Isaac.”
Making Lemonade Out of Lemons
As Klappa and his wife launched into the renovation of their home they made the decision to switch from shake-style roofing to slate-style roofing in order to update the look of the home exterior.
“I knew we could not install real slate because of the roof pitch and structure on our home,” says Klappa. “Plus, real slate is extremely heavy and we would have had to spend considerable money to reinforce the roof to make it capable of holding the weight of a slate roof. Also, it would not stand up to the hail we sometimes get in our area. However, the DaVinci slate roof was so natural looking that we felt really good about our decision to make the change to this product.”
Reliability You Can Count On
“My company has installed almost 20 Bellaforté synthetic roofs since the product was launched several years ago,” says Shawn Bellis with Epic Exteriors, who installed the roof on the Klappa home. “This durable imitation slate roofing tile resists impact, fire, algae and insects. It’s a real winner for our geographic area.”
A high-end contractor, Bellis and his company service homes throughout the greater Kansas City area. “The crazy weather in recent years has brought us a strong amount of reroofing business,” says Bellis. “Once homeowners see the damage caused by hail, wind and rain, they’re very eager to invest in the DaVinci product that resists all these elements and has a 50-year limited warranty.”
For the Klappas, the color offerings of DaVinci slate shingles was a critical factor in the selection of their designer roof. “By selecting the Sabino color blend for our roofing tiles, we were able to work from the ‘top down’ with color on our home,” says Klappa. “The two brown tones in the roof are now reflected in the paint on the stucco finish, the stone front and on the trim work.
“There’s not a week that goes by when someone passing by doesn’t remark on our ‘real slate’ roof. I enjoy explaining about the benefits of our polymer roof and have no worries now about future storms in our area. This roof can handle it.”