Synthetic Select Shake Tops 325 Townhomes
When the Riva Ridge community of 325 townhomes wanted to switch to composite shake roofs, they had to get permission from the Village of Libertyville, Illinois. Previously the roofing requirement only allowed for wood cedar shake shingles. However, homeowners lobbied for composite shakes. They wanted roofing that holds up better to severe weather and has a longer lifespan. They won. Now synthetic DaVinci Select Shake shingles tops townhomes throughout the 72-acre community.
Built in the late 1980s, the townhomes have already been through two life cycles with real cedar roofs. Each time homeowners dealt with decay, leaks, fungus and other problems. And, each time the association shelled out more and more money for repairs and replacement.
“I’m 77, and I never want to hear another roof complaint in my life,” says Ira Lippman, president of Riva Ridge Residential Condo Association One. “The real cedar shakes are a constant headache. The goal with these new composite shakes is for no leaks with a product that looks realistic.”
Choosing a Skilled Roofer
Riva Ridge is split into two residential associations. To tackle re-roofing Riva Ridge Residential Condo Association One, the homeowners association brought in Style Exteriors. Starting in the autumn of 2021, Jeremey Bates and his team dedicated themselves to installing Select Shake tiles in the Mountain color on the townhouses.
“Style Exteriors has the experience with multi-family installations that is important to us,” says Lippman. “They’ve been easy to work with throughout the project. They tackled each structure expertly, transforming the roofs as they went along.”
Benefits of Synthetic Shake
The Select Shake chosen for the Riva Ridge development features multi-width tiles molded from natural wood profiles. The composite tiles have performance features that far exceed real cedar shakes.
Resistant to fading, rotting, cracking and pests, Select Shake tiles are 5/8-inch thick. The pieces are available in 8- and 10-inch widths. In addition, the 10-inch pieces have a simulated keyway. This gives it the look of a 4- and 6-inch shake to create a multi-width appearance.
Available in 8 color blends, Select Shake mimics real cedar, but with far more impressive features. The tiles are all Class A fire and Class 4 impact rated. In addition, the composite tiles resist high winds, insects, algae and fungus growth, and splitting.
Roofer Weighs In
According to Bates, installing the synthetic shake that tops these townhomes was a dream project for his team.
“Every day we were on the job, we made a difference,” says Bates, senior project manager with Style Exteriors. “Tearing down the worn out cedar tiles showed how badly they had deteriorated. Above all, real cedar just doesn’t have the ability to last as long as engineered polymer tiles.
“We replace dozens of roofs each year with DaVinci products. This is a roofing material that has it all. The appearance is impressive. The performance is incredible. For condo owners at Riva Ridge, it will be especially easy for them to ‘install and forget it’ because maintenance problems are nonexistent.
“This community made a smart decision by investing in the Select Shake product. Not only have they got a great looking roof, but they have one that is now hassle-free.”