Townhomes and Condos Move To Composite Shake Roofing Products
It’s their own fault. They just can’t live up to the hype. They look good for awhile … and then they fail.
There are hundreds of communities across America where real cedar shakes roofs have been installed. After several years and some stormy weather, they deteriorate. That’s when roofers come in and recommend commercial composite shake roofing products.
Colony One at Sea Mountain resort is a great example. The 76 condos on the Big Island of Hawaii were built in 1978. The 15 buildings had real cedar shakes. They failed in 1998 and got new cedar shakes. Then they failed again. Now, about 20 years later, they’re getting their third, and hopefully last, roof. This time composite roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes that’s authentic in both its appearance and high performance.
“Intense sun, salt air, wind and sea spray all combine to play havoc on natural roofing materials on our islands,” says Debora Letelier, operations manager with Kokua Roofing. “Real cedar shakes may look good for a short time on a house or condo. But, after just a few years, they can deteriorate quickly. The DaVinci Single-Width Shake tiles were selected for their beauty and long life span. These polymer tiles can truly stand up to the sun and winds in Hawaii.”
Listen to a Commercial Roofer
Commercial roofers understand what products work best for multi-housing situations. In Aspen, Colorado, roofer Dave Spence recommended DaVinci Multi-Width Shake to the Maroon Creek Townhome Association.
“The original cedar roofing was about 15 years old,” says Spence, general manager at Umbrella Roofing. “It had started to dry out, split and cup. The homeowners association wanted a more dependable product that would last longer and resist impact. So, we recommended DaVinci composite shake roofing.
“A key selling point for this shake alternative roof in our area is its Class A Fire Rating. Wildfires are always a concern here and the DaVinci roofing products bring peace-of-mind to homeowners.”
The Move Away from Real Cedar
The concern of fire spread with old cedar shakes was also a concern for residents of Chadds Ford Cluster in Reston, Virginia, in 2014. That’s the year they started looking into replacing the deteriorating cedar roofs on 57 townhomes.
“We wanted products with better characteristics related to fire, hail damage and maintenance,” says Norm Happ, a member of the Standards Committee at Chadds Ford Cluster. “That’s when we did online searches and discovered DaVinci Roofscapes.”
Following meetings and approvals by the Standards Committee, DaVinci Multi-Width Shake composite roofing gained approval for replacement on townhouses at Chadds Ford Cluster. Happ was one of the first homeowners to have his roof replaced. He was pleased to have a composite shake with the authentic appeal of handcrafted shake.
“I’m interested in peace-of-mind and trying to make my house maintenance-free,” says Happ. “Because our townhomes are so close to each other and ‘connected’ I’m particularly interested in the Class A fire rating of the DaVinci products. Basically, the roof is now one less thing I have to worry about for my home.”
Peace-of-Mind Roof Protection
Your townhome or condo doesn’t need to be close to your neighbors for you to be concerned about the spread of fire. At Sunrise Ridge Condos in Big Sky, Montana, there are 14 duplexes, 10 triplexes and a clubhouse … all spread out over 100 acres.
Each unit originally had real cedar shake roofs. Over time, harsh weather conditions beat up the cedar shakes.
“Our condos are in an area with extreme climate conditions and that’s tough on roofs,” says Charles Dubroff, the association’s lead board of directors member on the re-roofing project. “Our community wanted a roofing product with a long life and warranty. We also wanted positive environmental aspects and fire-resistancy.”
Once again, commercial composite shake roofing in the form of DaVinci Multi-Width Shake tiles proved the answer. Made of virgin resins, UV and thermal stabilizers, plus highly-specialized fire retardant, the tiles resist insects, rot, splitting and cracking. In addition, they’re rated Class A for fire resistance and Class 4 for impact resistance.
Seaside Conditions Ideal for Synthetic Shakes
Just as mountain conditions in Montana can be tough on cedar shake roofs, so can oceanfront conditions in California. The residents at Mai Kai condos in Newport Beach found that out firsthand.
As their real cedar shakes deteriorated from the salt air and sea spray, they searched for a roofing alternative. Fortunately their homeowners association board selected natural-looking DaVinci Multi-Width synthetic shake roofing tiles for their multi-million dollar condos.
“Our research and the recommendation of a design consultant led us to the DaVinci product for its appearance, durability and maintenance,” says John Adler, a member of the Mai-Kai condo board of directors. “We needed a material that could be walked on by various tradespeople who would need access to the roof in the future. The strength of the product really impressed us and helped influence our decision.”
Very Visible Mansard Application
One condo association is not at all worried about tradespeople walking on its new DaVinci Select Shake roof. When residents at the Edina West condo community decided to replace deteriorating cedar shakes, they knew they were in bad condition — because they saw them every day.
The mansard application roofing tiles catch the eye immediately as you enter the structure. There are 164 condo units at Edina West. They are connected by closed walkways between four different buildings. The Select Shake product is DaVinci’s most authentic-looking shake available, made for customized installations, like Edina West. Therefore, it’s now installed on all the vertically sloped mansard roofs on the connecting walkways and the main entryways. In addition to the commercial composite shake roofing, composite shake is now an accent detail around the first floor of the buildings.
“DaVinci was recommended by a reliable local supplier,” says Elgin Manhard, a resident of Edina West Condominiums in Edina, Minnesota. “The durability and appearance of the Select Shake roofing makes this product ideal for our buildings.
“Residents are very pleased with the new composite shakes. They’re a vast improvement over the 50-year-old worn-out real cedar shakes we had before.”
For more details on commercial roofing projects involving townhome and condo projects, see our stories on The Mews in North Carolina, Buckhorn – Bachelor Gulch in Colorado and Catawba Shores in Ohio.