Turnkey Support Simplifies Switch to Composite Slate
When Michelle Dooley reached out to DaVinci Roofscapes for assistance with a new roof, she hit the trifecta. Her switch to composite slate included the assistance she needed from an excellent customer service representative, an experienced color expert and a dedicated DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor.
“From start to finish, the team I worked with to get my new composite roof was exceptional,” says Dooley, a Virginia homeowner. “My experience started on DaVinci’s outstanding website, where I found most of the research I needed, and it only got better from there.”
Dooley was eager to change up the look of her Traditional Colonial home. She had premium cedar shake roofing overhead, and loved it. However, she felt a new look was needed to blend in with her home’s Virginia setting.
The Support Team Trifecta
The first call Dooley made was to DaVinci’s Customer Service Department. There she chatted with Jessica Baumli.
“Jessica gave me so much information,” says Dooley. “She really listened, gave me great feedback and provided me with solid details about composite roofing options.”
Baumli next put Dooley in touch with DaVinci’s color expert, Kate Smith. The Chief Color Maven at Sensational Color, Smith works with homeowners to provide free “top down” color advice. Oftentimes this includes considering the fixed features of a home. In Dooley’s case, it was the multi-tonal brick siding.
“Kate’s recommendations confirmed some colors I already had in mind,” says Dooley. “She encouraged me to order samples of the colors I was ruling out, just to make sure I was making the right decisions. I think having this free service is great. If I had friends or neighbors looking to get a new roof, I’d absolutely want them to consult with Kate. I think an expert like Kate can help a typical homeowner from preventing any color mishaps.”
The biggest win for Dooley came in the form of WGM Contracting. The DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor was recommended to her by DaVinci Roofscapes.
“Our roofers were outstanding and extremely detail oriented,” says Dooley. “They were true craftsmen who created a custom roof. They went above and beyond to gives us the roof of our dreams.”
The Composite Slate Switch
When Dooley first met with WGM Contracting, she and her husband Dan were leaning toward a composite shake tile that matched the brick on their home. Scott Kim, owner of WGM Contracting, had a different idea.
“Seeing their home, I thought that slate would be a better match for their house,” says Kim. “So we ordered a variety of shake and slate samples through Jessica. We put them on the roof so the homeowners could view them for several days, during both daylight and nighttime hours. Michelle and Dan ended up liking the slate better. And, they selected the traditional Slate Gray color.”
After that, The Dooleys were interested in the single-width slate, but wanted a thicker definition. That’s when Kim recommended DaVinci Province™ Slate.
“Province Slate is 5/8-inch thick,” according to Kim. “It has realistic chisel marks like DaVinci Single-Width Slate. However, Province Slate is significantly lower in material cost due to the new design. They offer the same exposure, but they’re faster to install, so we save on installation costs.”
Province Slate Makes Its Mark
Although WGM Contracting has installed close to 100 DaVinci roofs in the past, this was their first Province Slate installation. Kim refers to the product as an “innovation.” The cost of Province Slate is kept down, while the characteristics of the product mimic other DaVinci tiles.
Province Slate shingles are Class 4 impact and Class A fire rated. The composite slate tiles resist algae, moss, insects and fading. A “built in rain gutter” system on the side of the shingles allows water to drain safely off the next tiles without having a longer flange. And, the snap-fit design allows installers to save time. That’s because they do not have to manually align and space the shingles.
“The northern Virginia area where we are has many Traditional Colonial style homes,” says Kim. “I believe Province Slate will become extremely popular for homes in this marketplace.”
Transforming the Roof
To put the “icing on the cake,” in the family’s switch to composite slate, WGM Contracting enhanced the Dooley roof with metal accents. In the front of the home, copper flashings are added near the garage, dormers and valleys. A great visual from the back patio is an eye-catching jumbo-sized chimney copper flashing.
Due to the snowfall in the area, the roofing company also installed snow guards around the home. To help control snow shed, Yeti 18-style Rocky Mountain Snow Guards were placed in a pattern that best fits the roof for the safety of the homeowners.
“The Dooley home has been transformed with this Province Slate roof,” says Kim. “It’s a classic look of authentic slate with its natural, non-repeating beauty that fits this Virginia neighborhood.
“Michelle was involved in everything from the thickness of the slate selection to the color variations during different times of the day. I love working with homeowners who are so involved. They know what they want, which helps us understand their expectations. Then we can deliver 110 percent and go the step further to exceed those expectations!”