Flexibility is Key
Specifying Composites for HOA & Condo Projects
by Marcus Dodson, Publisher
It’s notoriously difficult to please everyone when working on condo and HOA projects. So many people have a varied checklist of desires. For the exteriors, everyone wants aesthetically pleasing products that complement different design styles. Ideally those products are easy to maintain and come with long-term warranties. Checking off all those boxes, including meeting building code requirements, are deep-grooved composite shake and slate roofing and siding products.
Because Longhouse at Salishan is located directly on Gleneden Beach in Oregon, the HOA members there were eager to find the best of all worlds when it came time to replace their sea-battered condo exteriors.
“We researched at least three different products before APEX Home Solutions brought us the DaVinci® Roofscapes solution,” says Devin Howard, President of the Longhouse at Salishan HOA. “This looks like the most realistic option. It meets our low maintenance needs. In addition, it’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye and has the durability and longevity we require.”
Howard says the homeowners were also very happy with the 50-year warranty on the DaVinci product. “This warranty gives us comfort knowing we don’t have to invest another major amount of money in our exterior for years to come.”
Shaking Up Siding & Roofing
As the property owners met with APEX Home Solutions, they decided to invest in DaVinci Shake roofing in a mountain color. For the siding, the group chose DaVinci Hand-Split Shake Siding in an aged cedar color. Both products are made of virgin resins, UV and thermal stabilizers, along with a highly-specialized fire retardant.
The DaVinci products are Class A fire and Class 4 impact resistant. The durable products also resist salt air and sea spray, plus algae and fungus growth, making them ideal for the coastal location. In addition, the siding and roofing products resist insects, high winds, color fade, and severe weather conditions.
Jutted Mansard Roofing Key Focal Design
Down the coast in Mill Valley, California, the exterior of the Creekside Homes apartments has a completely different style. Built in the 1980s, Creekside Homes is not your typical “big box” apartment structure. There are nine separate buildings that house 24 units. Three buildings contain four units each. The other six buildings each hold two units.
That’s not the only unusual aspect of the apartment complex. The unique design calls for angled picture windows along with mansard roofing. As discussion got underway on what building products to use for a renovation, the owners consulted with a local architect on the renovation project. It was recommended they use DaVinci Black Oak Hand-Split Cedar Shake Siding. Why? Because the architect believes the lifespan, appearance, and warranty on the composite tiles will be ideal to serve as siding for the buildings.
Proven Performance Record
Head toward the Rocky Mountains and you’ll discover another community that has found the flexibility of DaVinci products matches their needs.
Nestled inside Beaver Creek Village in Avon, Colorado, is Royal Elk Villas. The big appeal of Beaver Creek is the snow. Unfortunately, it’s this continuous snowfall that beat up the roofs of 15 luxury townhomes. The sun’s rays also caused the tiles to fade. To find a solution to the problem, the homeowners association brought in Ascent Building Consulting out of Castle Rock, Colorado.
“This was a fairly easy product recommendation,” says Steve R. Bunn, RRC, RRO, President of Ascent Building Consulting, Inc. “I’ve selected and specified DaVinci Roofscapes synthetic shake and slate products on multiple projects for a number of years. That’s mostly due to the continued success with the products. My first successful project was with Elk Track town homes about 15 years ago in Beaver Creek.”
What Bunn determined years ago is still important for architectural decisions today. Composite roofing is lightweight, so it doesn’t require an unusually strong infrastructure. In addition, the products have superior performance in extreme freeze/thaw cycle environments, like Colorado.
“Specific to Royal Elk, I selected the DaVinci Single-Width Slate because it’s a good alternative to replace the original roofing there,” says Bunn. “It has the ability to achieve a Class-A fire rating, which is important. Naturally, it has a proven long-term established performance record.”
Versatile for roofing and siding applications, composite shake and slate tiles check off all the boxes for HOA communities. Meeting building code requirements throughout the country while adding a refined look to a wide range of architectural styles, these durable pieces meet the demands of property owners for long-lasting, easy-care products backed by impressive warranties.
