News Release
For immediate release:
September 17, 2010
For more information contact:
Michael B. Loughery, CertainTeed
(610) 341-7328
mike.b.loughery@saint-gobain.com
www.certainteed.com/pressroom
CertainTeed® Centennial Slate™ Luxury Shingles Offer Historically Authentic Look, High
Durability To Roof of Southwest Virginia Museum
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – 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 40foot roof height and steep 12/12 pitch of the museum’s roof to remove the damaged 25-year-old
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Southwest Virginia Museum –Page 2 of 3
shingles. The crew then installed 80 squares of Centennial Slate shingles in the Plymouth Rock
color and coordinating CertainTeed® Mountain Ridge™ high-profile hip and ridge caps.
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 longlasting 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.”
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products,
CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded
Southwest Virginia Museum –Page 3 of 3
News Release
in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain,
Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North
America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding,
windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access
covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and
its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities
throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009 and 2010, CertainTeed, which is
headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, a national award that recognizes environmentally responsible
corporations. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2009.
www.certainteed.com.
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