After Mary Katherine Hirsh was evacuated from her home in November 2011 due to a firestorm sweeping through her Reno, Nev., neighborhood, she knew it was time for a new roof. She decided to replace the 42-year-old wooden shakes on her Country French style home. 

“The idea that a stray cinder landing on my roof could ignite the entire home was scary,” Hirsh said. “I immediately started researching roofing options and focused in on fire-resistant polymer roofing tiles from DaVinci Roofscapes.” 

Exactly a year after the original firestorm, Hirsh sleeps better at night with her new polymer slate roof overhead. “I couldn’t wait to get those wood shakes off this home,” she Hirsh. “We built this house with those shakes, and I loved them, but now I have a roof I can really rely on to help keep me safe.” 

Hirsh explains that the slate style suits her home’s design more than the original wooden shakes. She investigated slate options but rejected them due to the potential for cracking due to freeze and thaw conditions in her area. “With slate, I would have paid yearly fees just to maintain the roof,” said Hirsh. “Now with this new polymer roof, I won’t have to worry about it ever again. The 50-year limited warranty from DaVinci means that this house is protected for decades in the future.” 

Selecting the Right Roofing Contractor

As part of her research for the new roof, Hirsh interviewed a wide variety of roofing contractors. “I knew I found the right roofer when Ken Perry of Fletcher Roofing and Siding went up on the roof and came back down to give me first-hand knowledge of how badly the wood shakes had been ‘chewed up’ by the sun and wind,” Hirsh said. “I selected this roofing company because of their dedication to doing the job perfectly while protecting the landscaping around my home.” 

One of the things that impressed Hirsh the most was the daily care and clean-up performed by the team at Fletcher Roofing and Siding. Careful draping of shrubbery, removal of debris and sweeping the yard with magnets to remove nails kept her happy during the five-week installation. 

“This was the first time we installed DaVinci tiles, and it was an extremely easy product to work with,” said Luke Fletcher, owner of Fletcher Roofing and Siding Inc. “Since finishing the Hirsh project, we’ve done several other bids using this product. The aesthetic appeal of the roof is incredible, along with the authenticity of the slate.”

“Everyone who sees this house believes it’s natural slate,” Fletcher continued. “I anticipate we’ll have a big business for the polymer shake tiles in our marketplace too. I’m grateful that Mrs. Hirsh did her research and introduced us to this exceptional roofing product.”

Along with being fire-resistant, the DaVinci Multi-Width Slate product installed on the Hirsh home resists rot, impact, fire and insects. To complement the house, Hirsh selected the standard European blend from DaVinci, which includes light, medium and dark gray tones along with light and dark purple. 

“This roof looks perfect on the home,” Fletcher said. “And, knowing there are 49 standard colors of DaVinci roof to choose from — plus unlimited custom color options — gives me the flexibility to meet the color needs of all my customers in the future.”  

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning synthetic slate and shake roofing since 1999. Company products have a 50-year limited warranty and are 100-percent recyclable. DaVinci makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information, call 800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.