Maine Challenge
When contractor Rob Fanjoy moved into his home in northern Maine, he knew the roof would be the first thing that needed replacing. The old asphalt shingle roof was failing badly and suffered from curling, crumbling and cracking shingles.
Putting on his contractor’s hat, Fanjoy decided to install DaVinci Roofscapes Multi-Width Slate roofing tiles to solve his problems.
Q: What made you select the DaVinci synthetic tiles?
Fanjoy: When researching our roofing options, we determined that the DaVinci synthetic tiles resist insects, fungus, algae, mold, cracking, fading and curling. And, they’re backed by a 50-year warranty that we can really depend on.
Q: What was the key selling factor in getting you to move to a polymer roof?
Fanjoy: We felt that the faux-slate roof would be a huge improvement in our area over the old asphalt shingle roof. DaVinci tiles truly replicate natural slate, and they definitely lends an air of authenticity to our somewhat contemporary home design.
Q: Selecting a roof color for your own home can be challenging. You and your wife selected the Vineyard blend — a combination of eight roofing colors including dark and medium tan, light and medium gray, dark stone, light and dark violet and dark amber. What made you select that color blend?
Fanjoy: We wanted a strong visual accent on the home. Our front roof design is a large, uninterrupted section of space and we wanted to create visual interest. We used the FRESH Home Exterior Colors guide to help us make the selection.
Q: What was your experience like installing the DaVinci slate shingles?
Fanjoy: My roofing experience previously had been limited to asphalt shingles. I can say I very much prefer working with these polymer tiles since they’re cleaner to handle and easier on your hands. No dirty grit to scrape your knuckles or tar melting and sticking to everything. Cutting and nailing these synthetic tiles was also simple. A sharp utility knife and standard nail gun was all that was needed for this project.
Q: In Maine you get about 60 inches of snow annually, which means it was a smart move to install snowguards on your roof. How did that process work out for you?
Fanjoy: By using the nail placement markings on the DaVinci tiles, we were able to install our snow guards with the proper spacing of every 16 to 20 inches. This helped us keep a perfectly straight line and avoid worrying about the gap between tiles on the next course falling on a snow guard. These snow guards will help prevent us from getting an “avalanche” of melting snow, so they’re definitely worth the investment.
Overall, I think from start-to-finish that this job went smoothly. We made the right decision and investment with this slate alternative roof, plus it gave me the opportunity to expand my installation experience. I’ve already recommended the DaVinci product to my neighbors and others who are considering new manufactured slate roofs.
Visit Why Choose Polymer Instead of Asphalt or Natural Slate or Shake? for more information on DaVinci lightweight roofing systems.