According to the 2011 DaVinci Roofscapes' Homeowners Exterior Preferences Study, nearly all homeowners (88%) see the exterior of their home as a whole picture rather than the sum of all its different exterior features. This finding is supported by additional research showing that curb appeal is important to homeowners - and the style of home and how it looks on the property are the most attention-grabbing features of the home.
The comprehensive national study, conducted online by Harris Interactive, focused on homeowner attitudes to their overall homes, their roofs, windows, siding, doors, trim and garage doors. Importantly, the common denominator of severe weather damage will serve as the prime motivator to homeowners who expect to replace exterior features on their home. A key finding provides insight that color availability from manufacturers on different exterior features plays a role in what brand a homeowner will purchase when they are ready to purchase replacement products. The colors that homeowners' gravitate to are influenced by their own sense of style and how the colors they choose blend with their home's surroundings.
Unique findings to the study include:
Roof:
*The majority of roofs are primarily black, gray or brown.
* Among those expecting to replace their roof in the future, severe weather is the leading reason (65%) why homeowners will be prompted to replace their roof.
* Durability and longevity have the most influence over a homeowner when selecting a replacement roof.
Siding:
* Muted colors of beige/tan (37% ) dominate the majority of homeowners' exterior siding.
* Siding domination varies by region. In the Northeast it's vinyl; the South it's brick; the Midwest it's shared between brick, wood and vinyl; in the West (excluding California) it's wood and stucco, and in California specifically, it's stucco.
* 55% of homeowners will be prompted to replace their siding if it becomes damaged from severe weather among those expecting to replace their siding.
Garage Door:
* 45% of homeowners have white garage doors, with residents in the Northeast leading the way with this color preference.
* Steel and wood are the most popular types of garage doors nationwide.
* The majority of homeowners (44%) who expect to replace their garage door in the future believe that severe weather damage will be the primary motivator for replacing a garage door.
Entry Door:
* One in four homeowners opt for a punch of color to adorn their main entry door.
* Natural wood tones and brown are the most common main entry door primary colors.
* 42% of homeowners expecting to replace their entry door in the future would replace their main entry door if it became damaged from severe weather; 33% would replace it to gain a different style or look.
Windows:
* The most popular window types are wood and vinyl.
* More than one third of homeowners expect to replace their windows five or more years from now with one in five believing it will be sooner.
* Many homeowners who expect to replace their windows in the future will be prompted to replace their windows for something more energy efficient (48% ) or if they become damaged from severe weather (47% ).

"Quite clearly these results show us that homeowners have their eye on the sky as well as on their homes," said Ray Rosewall, CEO and president of DaVinci Roofscapes. "Severe weather that results in damage to exterior products was cited as the primary reason for potential product replacement in the majority of product categories surveyed. People worry about changing weather patterns related to everything from tornadoes to wild fires to hail storms. This concern for severe weather motivates them to do in-depth research when selecting replacement products that can withstand damaging winds, rain and storms. Those building products - such as polymer roofing tiles - made to resist impact, water infiltration, fire and severe conditions will certainly gain in popularity in the marketplace in the coming decades."
DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100% recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.
This 15-minute survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of DaVinci Roofscapes among 1,005 U.S. homeowners age 40+ with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single-family home of at least $400,000 in value in the South and Midwest, at least $500,000 in the Northeast and West (excluding California) and at least $700,000 in California between November 22nd and December 13th, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions).
Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through its North American and European offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help its company - and its clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, visitwww.harrisinteractive.com.
*For the purposes of this study, homeowners are defined as those age 40 or older with household incomes of $150,000 or more and who own a single-family home of at least $400,000 in value in the South and Midwest, at least $500,000 in the Northeast and West (excluding California) and at least $700,000 in California.