Synthetic Slate Roofing Sales Rise in Pacific Northwest
Trends are interesting to watch. More than a decade ago, homeowners in the Pacific Northwest began switching from real cedar roofs to fire-resistant composite shake roofs. Given the wildfire concerns in that geographic area, the change makes sense. As the years passed, the number of people embracing low-maintenance composite shake tiles has grown steadily.
Now there’s a new trend to watch.
In that same marketplace, consumers are venturing more into synthetic slate tiles. It’s almost as if, after seeing the success of composite shake, they’re ready to welcome the unique aesthetic features of synthetic roofing in a different profile.
Pacific Northwest Embraces Synthetic Slate
“More homeowners are investing in composite roofs now than they have in years past,” says Kenny Jobe, co-owner of Legacy Roofing NW out of Mukilteo, Washington. “And there’s a shift. I used to install 95% DaVinci Roofscapes shake products. However, we seem to install more DaVinci slate products each year. It’s as if people are waking up to the availability of synthetic slate products.”
Jobe points out that a growing number of neighborhoods and communities now allow composite roofing to serve as a replacement to real cedar shakes and other roofing materials. This change has been well received by homeowners. And it opened the door to synthetic slate options.
“The weather in the Pacific Northwest really puts roofs to the test,” says Jobe. “DaVinci synthetic products have proven to hold up better over time than other products. Their longevity, combined with their aesthetic appeal, make them a leader in this marketplace.”
Cedar Shake Out, Synthetic Slate In
To illustrate the growth of composite slate in the Seattle area, Jobe points to two jobs recently completed by Legacy Roofing NW. The first is the replacement of a 25-year-old cedar shake roof.
“The homeowner was looking to update the exterior appearance of her home as well as find a product requiring less maintenance,” says Jobe. “Quite a few homes in her neighborhood have real slate roofs and she loved the look. The DaVinci Multi-Width Slate was a perfect fit for this project.”
The house, complete with dormer windows and a turret, was built in 1928. “We chose the European blend of colors to complement my brick and wide plank wood siding,” says homeowner Shannon Hoffer. “There are several DaVinci roofs in my neighborhood that I’ve liked. I feel the multi-width slate product is just a great look with the style of my home.
“The quality of work that Legacy performed was above and beyond what I could have imagined. Both their skills and the DaVinci product have added to the value of my home.”
Neighbor See, Neighbor Do
The Legacy Roofing NW team, which installs up to 25 DaVinci roofs each year, created a spectacular showpiece home for Sean Lewis in Redmond, Washington. In another example of the Pacific Northwest embracing synthetic slate, Legacy Roofing removed a damaged roof and replaced it with a DaVinci Single-Width Slate roof — the exact same roof they installed on his neighbor’s home last year.
“Sean loved the look of the single-width slate,” says Jobe. “Just like many others who are starting this trend toward composite slate in our area, he asked about it and wanted it for his own home.”
According to Lewis, his former tile roof became difficult to maintain and was subject to breakage. Everything from regular maintenance to hanging Christmas lights became a challenge.
“We absolutely liked the look of the slate that our neighbors had with DaVinci,” says Lewis. “The ease of maintenance feature and ability to access the durable composite roofing really excite us.
“We went with a traditional Slate Black color for our roof. The free Color Visualizer on the DaVinci web site made it easy to evaluate color choices and make this selection. Plus, our Legacy team provided a list of DaVinci homes to go look at with different colors on them. That’s just one way they did an excellent job. Just as they were given to us as a referral, my wife has already passed Legacy on to another neighbor as a referral!”
Adding Value to Homes
The “common denominator” for both homeowners is their renewed excitement about their home’s curb appeal with their new synthetic slate roofs.
“Our HOA changed its rules this past year to allow composite roofs in certain forms into our community,” says Lewis. “This was a long-standing challenge for us. We believe it was a smart move.
“Certainly we think the new DaVinci slate roof has added to the value of our home. This should be an easy — and smart — decision for any homeowner!”
