Side-by-Side Father-Daughter Homes Feature Synthetic Slate Roof
Frank Volpe makes smart decisions. In 2014 he selected synthetic slate roof from DaVinci Roofscapes for his oceanfront home. After five years of his roof easily handling Long Island Sound weather conditions, he made another smart decision: convince his daughter and son-in-law to build next door and make sure they too installed a DaVinci roof.
“I always liked the look of slate roofs, but the negative side was the weight consideration, potential cracking and cost,” says Volpe, a resident of Branford, CT. “After doing extensive research, I saw the advantages of using the synthetic slate roofing on my home.”
Constructed of a composite material made of virgin resins, UV and thermal stabilizers as well as a highly-specialized fire retardant, DaVinci slate tiles are engineered to be lighter, resist impact and maintain their color longer. The ½-inch thick synthetic shake tiles are modeled from actual slate and come with a Lifetime Limited Materials Warranty.
“This product is lightweight with no maintenance hassles,” says Volpe. “The synthetic slate costs less than natural slate and truly looks very authentic. In the past five years this roof has stood up to Mother Nature and laughed in her face!
Dream Home — Dream Roof
Now, five years later Volpe is seeing a dream come true. His daughter Francesca and her husband Mike are building a home right next door. Architect/designer Anthony Thompson of Plans Ahead LLC, out of Bransford, Conn., is helping turn that dream into reality.
“I’ve always wanted my daughter and her family to live close by,” says Volpe. “We’re a close family, so between our relationship and the tremendous views, they didn’t need much convincing.”
Volpe did have a request of his new neighbors — use the same DaVinci Multi-Width Slate roof that he selected for his own home.
“We knew Frank was very happy with his synthetic slate roof so it makes sense to us to install the same roof,” says Mike Allegra, Jr., Volpe’s son-in-law. “The fact that it doesn’t require much maintenance and lasts for an extensive amount of time was very appealing to us.
“Most importantly, since this home is right on the water we appreciate that the DaVinci roof will stand up to harsh conditions such as high winds and sea salt. That gives us great peace-of-mind.”
Talk of the Neighborhood
As construction of their new home nears completion, the Allegra family is finding that their new roof has become a conversation starter in the neighborhood.
“People are always commenting about the color and asking us to describe the roofing material,” says Francesca Allegra. “They’re often surprised to learn that it’s a synthetic slate roof. The composite is extremely realistic-looking.”
Same, But Different
Installed by Lauzier Construction, the roof on the Allegra home complements a home built with a large yard for the children to play in during good weather.
“We wanted the houses to be similar, but different,” says Allegra. “My dad’s house is a unique A-frame, while ours is more of a Dutch Colonial design style. We did stick with the same exterior color schemes and use of stone work for unity, but our home incorporates more white trim on the exterior.
“This synthetic slate roofing truly complements both home styles. And, with TWO DaVinci roofs overhead, the entire family is covered!”