Re-roofing? Check Out Composite Shake Tiles
“Why would you want an inferior roof when you can have a long-lasting composite shake roof?” That’s the question roofers at Apex Exteriors repeatedly ask people when they are approached for a re-roofing recommendation.
“Real cedar shakes and most laminates won’t last through severe weather in our area,” says Ken Girard, president of Apex Exteriors Inc. out of South Elgin, Ill. “We put the comparisons right in front of potential customers. If they’re searching for a new roof because the old one didn’t hold up, then common sense says they should pick a roofing product with higher durability. From what we’ve seen, that’s a DaVinci composite shake roof.”
Farewell Cedar Shakes
Right now the team at Apex Exteriors is in the process of re-roofing 16 duplexes. The townhomes are located at Woodland Creek Manor in Lake Forest, Ill. And, the townhouse community was built in the 1990s with real cedar shakes.
“Those cedar shakes are in truly bad condition,” says Girard. “During the past several years our company has tried to maintain them and replace missing shakes. However, the weather has really worn them down. Now they’re curling and splitting. The cedar shakes are in such a bad state of failure. The entire community needs the roofs replaced.”
Gaining Approvals for Composite Shake Tiles
As the board members for 
discussed their roofing options, experts at Apex Exteriors stepped in with their recommendation: cost-efficient, long-lasting DaVinci Shake.
“The Board took our recommendation to the Village of Lake Forest,” says Girard. “We were right there with them to tell everyone about our positive experiences installing DaVinci products for the past 12 years.
Girard and other experts at Apex Exteriors stress that the potential of savings to homeowners on their insurance with the composite shakes, plus the low maintenance aspects, truly impressed all the residents.
“There are 32 homeowners in this complex,” says Girard. “We’ve just gotten underway with the re-roofing. People are amazed how realistic the composite shake looks on the homes. This project is going smoothly. And, the residents truly appreciate the investment they’re making in these synthetic shakes.”