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| Centennial Slate shingles for Southwest Virginia Museum  When the roof of the state-owned Southwest Virginia Museum in Big Stone Gap, Va., was damaged by a tornado, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) needed to find a replacement shingle product with an authentic slate-style appearance and high durability to put up a defense against future storms. Fortunately, the solution to their problem was a mere stone's throw away. The stately 115-year-old building's carriage house had a roof featuring CertainTeed Centennial Slate luxury shingles, which remained intact throughout the storm. Impressed by the authentic blended slate-style look and proven durability of Centennial Slate, the DCR selected them for the reroofing of the museum."We've been really delighted with the Centennial Slate shingles on the carriage house," says Sharon Ewing, director of the Southwest Virginia Museum. "They look great and held up very well during the tornado. We'd tried other imitation slate roofing products on the museum and carriage house over the years, and none have performed nearly as well as this one." The DCR hired Mountain Roofing, Inc., of Roanoke, Va., to reroof the historic museum, a sturdy four-story stone-block house that had once been the private home of two prominent Virginia politicians. Working with a crew of 10, Mountain Roofing cautiously navigated the 35- to 40-foot roof height and steep 12/12 pitch of the museum's roof to remove the damaged 25-year-old shingles. The crew then installed 80 squares of Centennial Slate shingles in the Plymouth Rock color. Made possible by a sophisticated patent-pending production process, Centennial Slate simulates the natural color variations of true blended slate. The asphalt composite shingle utilizes the company's exclusive Super Shangle construction with two full-size 18-inch x 36-inch base shingles, resulting in four layers of protection and 8-inch exposure when applied. At 355 pounds per square, Centennial Slate carries a lifetime-limited warranty, including coverage against winds up to 110 miles per hour and 10-year SureStart warranty protection. Centennial Slate is algae-resistant, features a Class A fire rating and meets ASTM D3462, a tough shingle performance standard required by many of today's building codes. "Centennial Slate offers the best of both worlds for any organization wanting to install long-lasting new roofs on historic structures," says Maria McDonough-Forde, marketing communications director for CertainTeed Roofing Products Group. "Centennial Slate is less expensive than real slate, but never sacrifices durability or the time-honored architectural integrity of a building. We're proud to see Centennial Slate meet the authenticity and durability needs of yet another grand historic building." The DCR was very pleased with Mountain Roofing's work on the Southwest Virginia Museum, as well as the authentic slate look of the Centennial Slate shingles on the roof. "On the roofs of some historic buildings, it's just not feasible to use real slate because of its heavy weight and high cost, so Centennial Slate is a nice alternative," Ewing says. "We really like the look of these shingles on the museum. They very much have the appearance of a slate roof, and look historically correct." write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Construction News :: home page |