South Carolina Funeral Home Selects Synthetic Slate Roof
While it may not be possible to teach old dogs new tricks, it is possible to teach roofers about newer products. That’s what happened when roofers at the 112-year-old C.E. Bourne & Co., Inc. installed their first synthetic slate roof from DaVinci Roofscapes last year.
“We operate a sixth-generation family owned roofing company,” says Tricia Steadman, secretary of C.E. Bourne & Co., Inc. out of Greenwood, S.C. “We’ve got a long, proud history here where we continue to learn about new products and practices in order to satisfy our customers. So, when our customer specifically requested a DaVinci synthetic slate roof, we said ‘bring it on!’”
Impressive Synthetic Slate
When the leaders of Harley Funeral Home & Crematory came to the team at C.E. Bourne to have the roof on their massive facility replaced they had one specific request: make it a DaVinci roof.
“We have a 10,000-square-foot structure that has been added onto many times over the years,” says Carol Harley, a licensed funeral director with Harley Funeral Home and Crematory in Greenwood, S.C. “The result is a historic building complex with many rooflines.
“We just came to a point where our old asphalt shingle roof was simply worn out. It had hail damage, was curling and had missing shingles. When a family member recommended we look at the DaVinci slate product, we were impressed by the appearance and the warranty. We decided the DaVinci roof was the only one we wanted on our building.”
Training Support from DaVinci
Replacement work on the roof took place in November 2017. The DaVinci Slate chosen for the project has been designed to reduce materials costs. The synthetic slate puts the look of natural slate within reach for a project at a budget-friendly price. It’s also easy to install.
“There are 43 facets to the roof installation on this structure and we wanted to do it right,” says Steadman. “Before we ever got started we created a mock up of the roof. Then the team at DaVinci helped us with every possible detail we would run into on the project.
“The technical services managers for DaVinci came to us and conducted a product knowledge session followed by installation training. They shared some ‘best practices’ with us for installation and walked the site with us. That really helped since this is such a unique project. It includes skylights, pitch changes, valleys, counter flashing, step flashing, low slope/steep slope tie ins and so much more. The experienced hands-on support from the DaVinci team helped set us up for a successful installation of this product.”
Distinct Success
Now completely installed, with a new steeple on top of the chapel, the Harley Funeral Home and Crematory is truly set for another generation of service to its community. In operation for more than seven decades, the family-owned business sits prestigiously on Main Street in Greenwood. “The Slate Gray color on the new roof gives the entire building a very distinguished look,” says Harley. “This project turned out even better than we had anticipated.”
From the roofer’s perspective, the team at C.E. Bourne & Co., Inc. is now ready to take on more DaVinci challenges … plus bask a bit in the successful completion of this complex roofing project.
“The DaVinci synthetic slate product really gives the funeral home a very traditional look,” says Steadman. “I’m not sure anyone can tell it’s a fake slate roof. We’re proud of how well this turned out and look forward to installing more DaVinci products in the future.”