Faux slate, solar shingles gain interest for roofing

Las Vegas — Roofing innovations at the International Builders' Show 2025 reflect a strong push toward combining aesthetics with high performance.

Westlake Royal Building Products is adding two colors to the DaVinci Roofscapes brand of composite products that mimic slate in its Nature Crafted Collection. The products are made from polyethylene, UV and thermal stabilizers as well as a fire retardant.

The new single-width profiles were designed to capture the look of natural slate. The colors — Rock Ridge and Aurora — deliver "the stunning variations found in natural quarried slate while providing the long-lasting performance," according to Mark Pagel, general manager of DaVinci Roofscapes.

The company said Rock Ridge blends dark gray and black hues to replicate the natural presence of iron sulfide, graphite and carbon found in Vermont and New York quarried slate, while Aurora, inspired by the Aurora Borealis in northern skies, merges mottled greens and purples.

The new profiles are suitable for historical renovations and anyone seeking to capture the essence of 1900s architecture.

The company suggests Aurora for architectural styles such as colonial, Tudor and modern farmhouse, whereas Rock Ridge is for colonial, federal, Victorian, Greek Revival, neoclassical and revival.

"These new Nature Crafted Collection additions further underscore our commitment to providing authentic, nature-inspired roofing solutions that combine timeless beauty with modern durability," Pagel said in a news release.

With estimated related sales of $2.8 billion for building products such as pipes, decking and siding in addition to roofing materials, Westlake Royal ranks third among the largest North American pipe, profile and tubing producers, according to Plastics News' latest ranking.

Solstice-brand solar shingles by CertainTeed LLC have been adding to their share of the roofing market after a year in the limelight as Best in Show at IBS 2024. The solar product, which has engineered plastic components, also was named the Best Energy-Efficient Product.

The recognition resonated in the marketplace.

"It has brought attention to the product. We use that logo in our in our marketing, and it definitely brings credibility," CertainTeed Sales Manager Zack Easoz said at the International Builders' Show 2025.

Solstice solar shingles seamlessly integrate with traditional asphalt shingles. The shingles deliver high electrical conversion and high impact resistance to hail along with a 25-year warranty.

"We've been really focusing on places in the country where we know that there's a good solar market," Easoz said, describing those areas as "typically higher income."

While once a niche home feature, solar installments have grown 28 percent in the last decade, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, which says there are now more than 235 gigawatts of solar capacity installed nationwide — enough to power more than 40 million homes.

That growing popularity is good news for sellers of solar-equipped homes, according to Catherine Lane of SolarReviews.com.

"In most cases, solar panels will help sell your home for more money and quicker," Lane told Realtor.com, adding it can depend on the location.

"Most homeowners will be able to recoup the current value of their solar system when they sell their house," Lane said, pointing to a review she conducted of more than 400 home listings. She found that solar-equipped homes sold for 6.8 percent more than comparable homes without.

CertainTeed LLC is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain North America, which is part of Cie. de Saint-Gobain, a global construction and industrial conglomerate based in Courbevoie, France.

Saint-Gobain's global sales in 2024 were 46.6 billion euros ($50.2 billion), which was down 2.2 percent, but with a return to growth in the second half of the year.

Roofing underlayment Grace Ice & Water Shield got a reintroduction as Grace Vycor Ice & Water Shield at the International Builders' Show 2025. The renaming happened in 2024, and the rollout continues by owner CertainTeed.

Grace self-adhered roofing underlayments and Vycor weather barrier product lines were integrated into CertainTeed in 2022 with the Saint-Gobain acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies.

The underlayment product is a membrane composed of two waterproofing materials — a rubberized asphalt adhesive backed by a layer of slip-resistant, coated, high-density, cross-laminated polyethylene film.

The rubberized asphalt layer seals around fasteners and resists leaks caused by water backup behind ice dams or from wind-driven rain.

The underlayment is suitable for a variety of roofing, including sloped roofs.