“I’m Still Madly in Love with My DaVinci Single-Width Slate Roof!”
Back in 2015 Tim Carter had a huge problem. Crumbling asphalt shingles compromised his roof. Carter, Founder of AsktheBuilder.com, turned his annoyance into a learning situation for his thousands of followers. They watched as he made the decision to transform his home and roof with durable, synthetic DaVinci Single-Width Slate in an Evergreen color.
Now, almost a decade later, we checked in with Carter. After several severe New Hampshire winters, we wanted to see how he feels about his decision to invest in durable synthetic slate.
“I’m still madly in love with my DaVinci Single-Width Slate roof!” exclaims Carter. “After eight years it looks better than the day I installed it. My wife Kathy, absolutely thinks it’s one of the best improvements we’ve done to the house.”
Laughing at Mother Nature
Carter and his wife love lakeside living in New Hampshire. However, they experience truly incredible winter weather. In 2020, Winter Storm Gail dumped 39 inches of snow on their roof in just 12 hours. In December of 2022, 60+ mph winds blew through their area.
“Because I hand-nailed each DaVinci shingle myself with traditional double hot-dipped galvanized ring shank nails, not one tile came off in that storm,” says Carter. “The synthetic slate roof is in perfect condition.
“We’ve had ice buildup on one section of the rear of the roof. It gets over six inches thick. That’s because the person who built the house didn’t insulate that part of the structure correctly. The ice stays on the DaVinci roof for weeks at a time. Even with the weight of the ice, there has been absolutely no damage to the roof.
“There are times I’ve had to use a roof rake to get snow buildup off the shingles. Once again, no damage. I think the DaVinci product might be the closest thing to being indestructible.”
Expert Building Tips
Based on the performance of the last eight years, Carter is quick to say that he believes his roof has another 70 years of life left in it.
“My opinion is based on the entire roof system,” says Carter. “I used Grace Ice & Water Shield® as the underlayment on the roof. The DaVinci product is exceptional and so is this underlayment. In addition, I made sure to use the double hot-dipped galvanized ring shank nails.
“Homeowners should always ask their roofers what type of fasteners are being used. The roof is only as good as the fasteners that are used. Poor-quality electro galvanized nails that are commonly put in nail guns can get rusty in less than 10 years. You want the nails to last longer than the shingles.”
Another tip from Carter: install copper flashings. “Once again, flashings should last longer than the roofing tiles,” says Carter. “Copper can last 100 years or longer if installed correctly.”
Dream Home with a Dream Roof
While the durable synthetic slate DaVinci roof will last on Carter’s home for decades to come, he and his wife have started making plans to move on. They’re thinking of building their dream home within the next several years.
When the time comes, two things are sure to happen. First, the Carters will use their DaVinci synthetic slate roof as a major selling point for their home. The long-term performance plus the aesthetics are key sales features for the lakeside house.
After that, once the house sells, the couple plans to consult with DaVinci’s color expert, Kate Smith. “We’d like to go with a bolder color for our next roof,” says Carter. “DaVinci has so many color options that we’re looking forward to making a change. However, the DaVinci product itself is definitely on my ‘A List’ of products that I’d absolutely like to use on a new home!”