By Emma Peterson. 

Contractors from Greater American Roofing and Weatherguard, Inc. discuss why DaVinci products have become a go-to solution for their clients. 

In a new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Crystal Watterson, CFO of Greater American Roofing, and Trent Lovewell, VP of sales and operations at Weatherguard, Inc., to hear why their companies install DaVinci Roofscape’s composite roofing products.  

For Crystal and the team at Greater American Roofing, DaVinci composite roofs have been in their portfolio since 2021. And in the five years since they started installing DaVinci, they’ve seen a distinct shift in their clients towards using composite. Crystal explained, “If you had asked me in 2020 how many asphalt roofs we were doing, it would have been 95% of our work. And now looking at last year, I think I did five asphalt roofs total.”  

The reason Greater American Roofing’s clients are largely making this shift is simple – composite performs better for longer. Crystal shared some thoughts about this, saying, “The longevity is unmatched. We installed our first DaVinci roof in January 2021 and when I go back and look at it today, it looks just as beautiful today as it did the day that we put it on.” She went on, “And it’s not just that the roof has lasted that long, it’s also that it lasts long with low maintenance. I think out of all the products we offer, DaVinci is the lowest maintenance.”  

As for Trevor and Weatherguard, DaVinci has been one of their offerings since 2005. In that time, they’ve installed countless squares of DaVinci composite products. He shared, “We’ve installed composite on everything from million-dollar homes to pump houses for swimming pools.” And for the main reason Weatherguard has used DaVinci on all of these different projects over the years, Trevor cites that same longevity that Crystal mentioned, “We install other materials beside composite and nothing really compares to the longevity of composite.” 

Want to learn more about composite roofing? Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording on YouTube.  

Westlake Royal Building Products joins US Tile® Clay Roofing Products and Newpoint™ Concrete Roof Tile under a single national brand name: US Tile® Concrete and Clay Roofing. The combined brand will allow for easier specification and sales for customers while maintaining the same trusted products, warranties and support.

Westlake Royal Building Products™ (Westlake Royal), a Westlake company (NYSE: WLK), has consolidated two of its roofing brands, US Tile® Clay Roofing Products and Newpoint™ Concrete Roof Tile, under one national brand name: US Tile® Concrete and Clay Roofing. Consolidating clay and concrete roofing products under a single portfolio reflects Westlake Royal’s continued investment in the category and simplifies how customers specify, source and work with tile roofing solutions while requiring no changes to products, warranties or customer support.

“By bringing together US Tile and Newpoint Concrete, Westlake Royal Building Products is strengthening our leadership in tile roofing and delivering a more connected, complete offering to the market,” said Dustin Kruger, vice president of roofing and stone for Westlake Royal Building Products’ stone and roofing solutions brands. “Our focus remains on durable, high-performance roofing solutions backed by reliable service and long-term partnership. Bringing concrete and clay together under US Tile allows us to support customers more effectively, today and into the future.” 

As the largest U.S.-based concrete and clay tile manufacturer in the roofing space, US Tile Concrete and Clay Roofing helps ensure long-term reliability and security, with a nationwide presence that enables the widest distribution in the industry. Product formulations and performance, manufacturing standards, warranties and support remain the same, and US Tile will continue to meet the unique needs of individual markets, including regional-inspired styles and colors, Cool Roof offerings and extreme weather-resistant materials and assemblies. 

“For Westlake Royal, tile roofing has never been about one material. It’s about a commitment to quality, made-in-the-USA roof systems that last longer, perform better and look more beautiful,” Kruger added. “That’s why we’ve brought together the expressive heritage of clay and the resilient strength of concrete under one name, one industry-leading portfolio and one simplified way of doing business.”

The US Tile Concrete and Clay Roofing portfolio includes:

Concrete Roof Tile: US Tile concrete roofing comes in High Barrel, Low Barrel, Slate and Shake styles in a range of colors, including Cool Roof options. The concrete tiles are engineered for long-term performance and are designed to help protect against fire, intense UV exposure and certain severe weather conditions when installed as part of a code-compliant roofing system. They offer natural resistance to rot, insects and come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Clay Roof Tile: US Tile clay roofing blends timeless beauty with unmatched performance. The tiles are Class A fire rated and available in options to meet rigorous hail ratings and resist freeze-thaw damage. The tiles are made with 59% recycled content and locally sourced materials and were the first to earn Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certification. A range of profiles and colors, including Cool Roof options, is available. 

In addition, Westlake Royal continues to offer its other roofing materials under their respective brand names: Unified Steel™ Metal Roofing, DaVinci® Roofscapes composite slate and shake roofing and Westlake Royal™ Roofing Components.

Learn more about US Tile Concrete and Clay Roofing on Westlake Royal’s website.

About Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions LLC 

Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions is a recognized national leader in durable and sustainable concrete, clay, composite and metal roofing systems and components. The company’s offerings include US Tile Concrete and Clay Roofing, a comprehensive portfolio of concrete and clay tile solutions known for lasting performance, distinctive beauty, sustainability and craftsmanship; DaVinci Roofscapes, beautiful and durable composite slate and shake roofing tiles; Unified Steel Metal Roofing, offering lightweight stone-coated steel and standing seam metal roofing solutions that combine the strength and durability of steel with versatile design options; and Westlake Royal Roofing Components, a full line of integrated roof components designed to deliver a higher standard of roof installation and performance.

About Westlake Royal Building Products

Westlake Royal Building Products USA Inc., a Westlake company (NYSE:WLK), is a leader throughout North America in the innovation, design and production of a broad and diverse range of exterior and interior building products, including Siding and Accessories, Trim and Mouldings, Roofing, Stone, Windows and Outdoor Living. Westlake Royal Building Products manufactures high quality, low maintenance products to meet the specifications and needs of building professionals, homeowners, architects, engineers and distributors, while providing stunning curb appeal with an unmatched array of colors, styles and accessories.

Por The Coffee Shops®. 

Expertos de la industria explorarán cómo el roofing de metal contribuye a la sustentabilidad, el valor a largo plazo y la resiliencia en la construcción residencial. 

La sustentabilidad es cada vez más importante para los propietarios de viviendas y profesionales de la construcción al evaluar diferentes opciones de roofing. El jueves 8 de octubre, en METALCON, Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) presentará “Residential Metal Roofing – The Sustainable Choice”, una sesión enfocada en las ventajas ambientales, de desempeño y a largo plazo del roofing de metal. 

La sesión analizará cómo el roofing de metal puede ayudar a reducir el consumo de recursos, disminuir los costos durante su ciclo de vida y mejorar la eficiencia de los edificios. Los asistentes conocerán cómo características como el contenido reciclado, la reciclabilidad, la durabilidad, la larga vida útil y el desempeño de ahorro de energía contribuyen a la sustentabilidad general de un techo. 

La conversación también definirá qué es la sustentabilidad y por qué es importante para los propietarios de viviendas. Los presentadores abordarán características específicas del roofing que pueden influir en el desempeño ambiental, desde el contenido reciclado utilizado en los productos de roofing de metal hasta la posibilidad de reciclar el material al final de su vida útil. 

Más allá de los materiales, la sesión explorará los beneficios ambientales relacionados con el roofing de metal, incluyendo aplicaciones solares, captación de agua y posibles ahorros en los costos de calefacción y enfriamiento. Los speakers también explicarán cómo se desempeña el roofing de metal durante eventos climáticos extremos, como granizo, vientos fuertes y huracanes. 

El panel de presentadores reúne experiencia en los sectores de metales, roofing, manufactura, ventas y sustentabilidad. Los speakers incluyen a Melissa Dunson, vicepresidenta de ventas de Central States; Renee Ramey, directora ejecutiva de MRA; Brian Smallwood, marketing manager – construction de Steel Dynamics Inc.; Mitch Heitsch, director de ventas de Westlake Royal Building Products; y Lauren Rogers, global sustainability manager del equipo de Sherwin-Williams Coil and Extrusion. 

Los asistentes se llevarán recomendaciones prácticas para comunicar las ventajas sustentables del roofing de metal a propietarios de viviendas, desarrolladores, arquitectos, propietarios de edificios y facility managers. 

Asegúrate de agregar esta sesión a tu calendario para conocer cómo posicionar el roofing residencial de metal como una solución de construcción sustentable, duradera y de largo plazo. 

By The Coffee Shops®. 

Industry experts to explore how metal roofing supports sustainability, long-term value and resilience in residential construction. 

Sustainability is increasingly important when homeowners and construction professionals evaluate roofing options. On Thursday, October 8 at METALCON, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) will present “Residential Metal Roofing – The Sustainable Choice,” a session focused on the environmental, performance and long-term advantages of metal roofing. 

The session will examine how metal roofing can help reduce resource consumption, lower lifecycle costs and improve building efficiency. Attendees will learn how attributes such as recycled content, recyclability, durability, longevity and energy-saving performance contribute to a roof’s overall sustainability. 

The discussion will also define sustainability and understand why it matters to homeowners. Presenters will address specific roofing characteristics that can affect environmental performance, from the recycled content used in metal roofing products to the material’s recyclability at the end of its service life. 

Beyond material considerations, the session will explore environmental benefits associated with metal roofing, including solar applications, water catchment and potential heating and cooling cost savings. Speakers will also cover how metal roofing performs during extreme weather events such as hail, high winds and hurricanes. 

The presenter lineup brings experience from across the metals, roofing, manufacturing, sales and sustainability sectors. Speakers include Melissa Dunson, vice president of sales at Central States; Renee Ramey, executive director of MRA; Brian Smallwood, marketing manager – construction for Steel Dynamics Inc.; Mitch Heitsch, director of sales at Westlake Royal Building Products; and Lauren Rogers, global sustainability manager for the Sherwin-Williams Coil and Extrusion team. 

Attendees will leave with practical guidance for communicating metal roofing’s sustainable advantages to homeowners, developers, architects, building owners and facility managers. 

Make sure to add this session to your calendar to learn about positioning residential metal roofing as a sustainable, durable and long-term building solution. 

By Emma Peterson.

Combining fire resistance, wind protection and lasting curb appeal, Unified Steel® provided an ideal solution for a homeowner living in a wildfire-prone region.

2025 did not kick off well for homeowner Tilo Martin and his neighbors. Tilo’s home sits in the Pacific Palisades – the part of California that saw a 23,700 acre fire devestate the area in January 2025. And Tilo was one of the lucky ones; his home was not one of the more than 6,800 structures damaged. But after that experience, he was not wanting to take any chances with future fires and hired Anaheim-based Western Roofing Systems to reroof his home (which previously featured a coated wood shake roof) with wildfire protection in mind.

When he got Tilo’s request, Todd Brugma, the project consultant at Western, pointed the homeowner towards Unified Steel’s stone-coated steel roofing solutions. Why this system? Stone-coated steel roofing systems come with a Class A fire rating and, when fastened properly, can withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds. These are crucial protections when thinking about the conditions that emerged during the Pacific Palisades fire, as Tim Brown, a Unified Steel territory manager, explained:

When you experience a fire like what happened here in Pacific Palisades, what it comes with is a firestorm — it creates 100- to 110-mph winds. Conventional roofs in a 110-mph windstorm will start to lift. Embers are your enemy; if an ember can enter and get to the plywood underneath, that’s when a home burns. Unified Steel interlocks on all four sides; that’s what makes it so fire resistant.

The system that the Western team installed for Tilo also featured 3” of rigid polyiso insulation underneath, along with fire-rated peel-and-stick underlayment. The result? A durable home that should stand up to the elements, whether that’s a fire threat or heavy rainfall, for the next few decades. Tilo couldn’t be more pleased with the results, telling Westlake Roofing Products, “I like the [stone coated steel] roof because it blends in; it doesn’t stick out. It doesn’t look like a metal roof — it looks like a shingle roof. I think it’s a great option — the fire safety, the high wind rating, the [50-year] warranty and the look of it.”

Learn more about Unified Steel stone coated roofing!

By Emma Peterson.

When fire tested a California home, the stone-coated steel roof played a key role in keeping it standing.

In 2025, 471,207 acres of land in California burned in wildfires and over 23,700-acres of damaged lands from that total is attributed solely to the devastating Palisades fire. But not every home within those acres actually burned down; some structures were left standing while others collapsed around them. With the hard work of fire fighters and, in some cases, the right building materials, those buildings remained.

Sharon Barlow’s single-story ranch in Altadena was one such lucky building. And looking at the house in the aftermath, it seems like Sharon’s Unified Steel roof played a big role. When embers from the neighbor’s homes burning blew onto the stone-coated steel roof, the granules were scorched but didn’t light on fire (see the marks in the photo to the right!). This is the ultimate testament to the Unified Steel system’s Class A fire rating. And it’s that rating, in combination with some lucky wind shifts, the stucco walls and other fire-resistant exterior detailing that kept Sharon’s home standing.

Now, over a year later, Sharon is upgrading her home with more fire-resistant upgrades, including a new Unified Steel roof. JN Davis Roofing, the project contractor, told Westlake Royal Roofing Products that Sharon is far from the only homeowner in the California community making the move to stone-coated steel. As Robin Thomas, owner of JN Davis, put it:

We’ve been putting Unified Steel stone-coated steel roofs on for years...[Clients don’t] know that they have options out here. It’s not just an asphalt shingle or a tile roof. [We make a point to explain to them that] you can actually put metal roofs on and really protect your roofs from fire damage.

JN Davis operations manager Josh Smith added, “90% of the building plans I get sent to me now call for a metal roof. It’s what everyone wants. They just don’t know what kind of metal roof until we [tell] them about stone-coated steel.”

And the incredible fire resistance that helped save Sharon’s home last year is just one of the many benefits of installing stone-coated steel. Other benefits include a Class 4 hail impact resistance, the capacity to withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds and a fully transferable 50-year limited warranty.

Learn more about Unified Steel and its benefits.

By Emma Peterson. 

With more homeowners researching roofing systems before making a purchase, contractors must be ready to provide deeper insights and expert guidance. 

In the last few years, more and more homeowners have begun doing their own research about roofing materials and products. This is in large part due to the rise of digital literacy and the development of new research tools like artificial intelligence. To learn how this impacts roofing contractors in the field, we sat down with Scott Kim of WGM Contracting and Brian Ricci of Adco South Roofing for a Roofing Road Trips® all about customer education. 

Scott shared his initial thoughts on how pre-research changes his homeowner interactions, saying, “Sometimes the internet leads them to misinformation, other times they come knowing more and it makes our job easier. Overall, I think this rise of research is nice, because it gives us a starting point to supplement their knowledge and give more in-depth knowledge.”   

This type of supplementing information is something that Brian also incorporates into his homeowner interactions. He shared, “The key to working with clients is working with what they know. Sometimes I’ll ask them point blank, ‘What do you do for a living?’ and then bring roofing into their world to better explain it.”  

What comes up the most in these types of educational conversations? Scott said he spends a lot of time talking about return on investment (ROI):  

I get a lot of calls from homeowners who have asphalt roofing and they're debating whether to transition to something high-quality like a DaVinci composite. And as we all know it's about three to four times higher cost compared to traditional shingles. So, they’re hesitant. What a lot of them don’t realize is that with that extra cost, you are buying a longer-lasting roof and ultimately saving money. 

How exactly does paying more up front equate to saving money? Someone who paid more up front for composite won’t have to reroof for probably 50 years. In that same time, someone who chose an asphalt roof because it’s cheaper will have had at least one roof replacement. And that replacement will be at a higher price tag than their first asphalt roof because of inflation. When you do the math, paying for that composite up front is far more economical than buying the same roof twice.  

By taking the time to educate homeowners and clients about this type of consideration, roofers like Brian and Scott are able to build trusting relationships that turn into high-value sales.  

Learn more about the value of providing homeowners with deeper insights and expert guidance by Listening to the whole episode or Watching the recording. 

By Kate Smith, Sensational Color.

Roof color affects curb appeal, resale value, how a house reads on its lot and how well it performs in its climate.

The roof makes up 30%-40% of a home's visible exterior — more surface area than the walls on many house styles. That makes it the single biggest color decision most homeowners will ever make, and one of the longest-lived. A composite shake or slate roof installed today will still be on the house in 25 to 50 years. Everything below comes back to that one fact.

Curb appeal starts at the top

Design tends to work top-down on a house. The roof sets the tone the rest of the exterior has to answer to — siding, trim, door and landscaping all read in relation to it, not the other way around. DaVinci's eBook series was built around exactly this challenge:

• Fresh Colors for Exteriors with Curb Appeal — The starting point for any home
• Fresh Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior — Matches color strategy to architectural style
• Fresh Colors for Homes with Brick or Stone — Coordinating a roof with masonry that can't be repainted

TrendLine by WRBP is worth a look, too, for homeowners who want to see combinations rather than just read about them.

Resale value: The return, and the fine print

A new composite roof is one of the few exterior investments with real numbers behind it.

• National cost-vs-value data consistently shows roof replacement recovering 60 to 70 percent of its cost at resale — a stronger return than most interior remodeling projects.
• DaVinci's composite roofing tiles carry a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, transferable to a new owner up to two times within the first 10 years of installation.

A transferable material warranty is a real selling point that most asphalt roofs can't offer.

Proportion, cohesion and fitting the block

Beyond money, color changes how a house reads:

• Proportion — Dark roofs pull a house down toward the ground and feel grounded; light roofs lift a house visually and feel taller and airier.
• Cohesion — The roof ties siding, trim, doors, shutters and landscaping together; mismatched color pieces read as disjointed no matter how nice each one is individually.
• Neighborhood fit — A roof color far outside the local palette can make a property look like it doesn't belong on the block, which matters to future buyers as much as the homeowner living there now.

Does climate change the calculus?

Yes — and it's one of the most underused pieces of information in a roof color decision.

What about a trending color?

Buying into a trend is a real risk with a roof in a way it isn't with a front door — a color a homeowner can refresh for the cost of a gallon of paint. But the answer isn't a flat no. It depends on the color and the timeline. Timeless colors — the ones that can't go wrong, regardless of how old or new the house is:

• Charcoal
• Dark graphite gray
• Slate gray or blue

These have been safe, correct color choices for decades and show no sign of dating.

Current trends worth knowing, 2024–2026:

• Dark charcoal and near-black roofs remain heavily favored, especially on new construction
• Cool grays with a blue undertone have gained ground on contemporary and farmhouse styles
• Warm "weathered wood" blends suit craftsman and cottage-style homes
• Muted mossy greens are emerging on homes going for an organic, earthy look
• The "monochromatic envelope" — roof and siding in very close tones — is showing up on modern and transitional builds

Of these, charcoal and cool-gray trends carry the least risk since they're close cousins of the timeless colors above. Muted green is the one to be cautious about for a long-term stay — it's the furthest from a classic and the most likely to feel dated in 15 years.

DaVinci's newest colors sidestep the trend question

Timber Black, Blonde Cedar, Rock Ridge and Aurora weren't created by chasing a seasonal palette — they were developed to replicate the specific way real cedar and real slate age and weather over time. A color modeled on how aged cedar or quarried Vermont slate actually looks doesn't go out of style the way a manufactured paint trend can, because it was never in style to begin with. It's simply what that material looks like in nature.

The composite slate and shake material itself is the more durable trend, regardless of color:

• Typically performs for 40 to 50 years
• Resists fading through UV-stabilized construction
• Won’t crack, curl, rot or grow moss the way natural wood and stone eventually do

A homeowner chasing a look that will still hold up in 20 years is better served by the durability of synthetic slate or synthetic shake than by any single-color choice.

The bottom (colorful) line

Roof color affects curb appeal, resale value, how a house reads on its lot and how well it performs in its climate — and it does all of that for decades at a stretch. Lean on timeless colors if in doubt; factor in climate before falling in love with a shade; and treat a passing trend as a bonus only if it happens to line up with a color that was already going to hold up on its own.

Ready to see how composite roofing colors might look on a real home? Try the free Design Tool from DaVinci Roofscapes to "try on" different composite slate and shake roofs before deciding.

By Emma Peterson. 

Kate Smith helps homeowners make roofing decisions that elevate both the appearance and the value of their homes. 

In a new Roofing Road Trips® episode, Kate Smith joins The Coffee Shops® for a conversation about how DaVinci Roofscapes connects homeowners with her for one-on-one roof color consultations. Kate is an internationally recognized color expert, the head of Sensational Color (a consulting service focused on helping explain color) and DaVinci Roofscape’s in-house color expert. She shared a bit about what her work with DaVinci entails, sharing, “In that role, I've written four eBooks along with dozens of articles and blog posts talking all about roofing and curb appeal. Additionally, I offer a color advice service directly to homeowners who seek insight when they're trying to select a roof.”  

Why is this such a valuable service? First and foremost, a roof is a large investment. Talking to an expert like Kate can give homeowners the reassurance they need to make that investment with confidence. Secondly, your roof color plays a huge role in your home’s value. Kate explained, “30-40% of what people see from the street is the roof, making it a really big factor in creating a home’s curb appeal, which is directly tied to property values.” 

So, how exactly do Kate’s consultations work? She explained:  

Either the roofer or the homeowner sends me photos of their home. And most of the time they ask general questions about product and color recommendations based on the style of the home... Some ask more specific questions and I’ll take them from the top-down (so starting at the roof) on what they could do with their home to increase curb appeal. 

After the consultation, which is free, the homeowner is given three to four different suggestions from Kate on what they could do with their home’s exterior – starting with the roof. How does Kate put together these recommendations? She looks at everything from the regional color popularity and environmental elements to the style of the home and any potential aesthetic requirements (think HOA or historic district).  

Overall, connecting homeowners and contractors to Kate’s services is just one of the ways that DaVinci helps every project succeed and every customer leave happy. As Kate put it, “A home is one of the most important aspect of people’s lives and through this service DaVinci is helping them feel confident in their decisions about the roof protecting the entire structure.”  

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about Kate and the color services she provides through DaVinci. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Stone Coated Roofing provides advanced protection against wind, fire, hail and long-term environmental exposure. 

Recently, the weather has been growing more intense with colder colds, hotter hots and higher winds. And thanks to the El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, the extreme weather is not predicted to go away any time soon. In fact, the United Nations reports the “El Niño forecast to intensify, increasing likelihood of extreme weather.”  

So, what can we do in the face of intense weather patterns that seem to be only growing more frequent over the years? Build more resilient roofs. By guiding clients to highly durable materials and products, roofing contractors can help keep them safe and sound. 

A great product to recommend is Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing! This product delivers the look of traditional roofing with advanced performance that stands strong through Mother Nature’s worst:  

• Fire: With a Class A fire rating and ember-resistant underlayment options, you can easily build WUI-compliant roof assemblies featuring stone-coated steel. 
• UV: When stone-coated roofing is installed in combination with Westlake Roofing Products’ (Unified Steel’s parent company), you can create a powerful combination of durability and efficiency that improves both energy efficiency and durability. 
• Wind: This product has been carefully designed and engineered so that, when installed in proper assemblies, it can withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds. 
• Hail: Unified Steel stone-coated roofing comes with a Class 4 impact rating, meaning it will endure hailstorms with unmatched strength. 
• Time: Being made of steel and built in the United States, stone coated roofing comes with a 50-year transferable warranty – a testament to how long it is built to last. 

Contractors who have installed stone-coated steel roofing have heard their customers’ praises firsthand regarding the benefits of Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing. For example, Tristan Starbird of Trademark Roofing recalled, “We've installed a little over 50 Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofs and customers are incredibly satisfied with the performance. The roof that you want to put on is the roof that's not going to cause you any headaches.” 

Want to learn more about Unified Steel stone-coated roofing and how it outperforms even the most extreme weather? Visit www.westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com/roofing/unified-steel.