Beach House Shake, the Authentic Composite Shingle, Wins Over Coastal New England’s Building Pros and Wood Purists
Marshall Building & Remodeling, based in East Providence, Rhode Island, has been a reliable roofing, siding, and window installation provider for over 40 years. Co-founded in 1983 by brothers Tom and Dave Marshall, the company is now led by the next generation, co-CEOs Anne and Andrew Marshall.
Sticking to its founding principles of stellar customer service, craftsmanship, and a no-payment-until-completion policy, Marshall Building & Remodeling has built a strong reputation in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. They have recently started operating in Norfolk County, MA as well.
Anne Marshall emphasized her company’s long-standing commitment to staying informed about industry innovations to serve their customers best. For example, in coastal towns, the iconic New England look often involves 5” bleached white cedar shingles, a coastal favorite. However, faced with the challenge of a low cedar shingle supply and rising cedar prices, they began searching for an option that could win over cedar shingle purists. That’s when the Marshall team discovered Beach House Shake.
Unlike other products they explored, Beach House Shake, designed to replicate a cedar shingle’s authenticity without discoloring, cupping, or warping, quickly gained the attention and approval of their customers. The authentic composite shingle is engineered to stand up to New England’s harshest weather and has a unique KAPGUARD® by KYNAR® coating that provides guaranteed color protection for 20+ years.
In addition to performance, Beach House Shake delivered an authentic appearance designed to mimic the natural color variations, wood grain patterns, and genuine saw cuts of real cedar shingles. The four distinct styles offered are Atlantica, a silvery gray reminiscent of bleached cedar shingles typically seen in northern coastal regions; Hatteras, a deep gray that replicates the shakes commonly found in southern coastal regions; Sandcastle, which delivers the look of fresh eastern white cedar; and Pacifica, an earthy hue that resembles the look of freshly cut western red cedar.
“Initially, our team accepted a meeting request from a Tando representative,” Marshall recalled. “He brought us samples and provided so much useful information about the product. He was also great with detail and follow-up, which matched our customer-focused philosophy as a company.”
“After looking at samples, we were quite impressed and decided to give it a shot,” said Marshall. “The real ‘aha moment’ for me was after our first Beach House Shake installation. The production team reported an easy installation and the photos of the house were stunning. I immediately wanted it in print materials and other advertising opportunities. It’s a beautiful product.”
Marshall also noted, “As for favorites, in-house, we love Sandcastle, but Pacifica and Atlantica have been extremely popular with our clients. We recently used Sandcastle on a complete exterior recladding for popular social media personality Joanna Munoz and her husband.”
Munoz, an interior designer, is the owner of Painting by the Penny, a multi-channel social media outlet where she chronicles her design adventures while offering tips to DIYers. She reflected on the decision-making process that led her to entrust the Marshall team with refurbishing her home’s exterior.
“We thought about hiring a company to paint over the odd beige color,” the designer recalled, “but unfortunately, a lot of the cedar shakes were in bad condition, so scraping the paint would have damaged them even more and several would have had to be replaced at great cost.”
After a lengthy search for a reliable renovation company and several disappointments, Munoz met with the Marshall team to discuss options for exterior materials.
“Ideally, I hoped to keep the cedar shake look,” Munoz remarked. “I wanted our home to look like it did when it was first built—with fresh, unpainted cedar shakes. Marshall introduced us to Beach House Shake, and it was exactly what we had in mind. It looks just like wood—I am so in love with how it turned out!”
Marshall installed Beach House Shake panels on the house and garage and replaced all gutters and trim. The design blogger reflected on the value of choosing top-notch materials. “Since the product is installed in panels, the entire project was many times faster than nailing in individual cedar shingles.”
“After our experience, we were reminded that you get what you pay for,” she acknowledged. “We invested in the materials and Marshall’s professional, knowledgeable team which was efficient and accommodating. This was our biggest project to date, but looking at the gorgeous composite shingles and the warranty we have from the company, we would do it again in no time!”
“As Joanna’s project illustrates, Beach House Shake has solved one of the biggest industry issues we face, getting the look of real wood from a low-maintenance product. Beach House Shake has opened new markets for us that have historically not had an option like this,” said Marshall. The builder sees this composite solution as a game-changer, opening new markets and garnering homeowner enthusiasm.
“Homeowners absolutely love it! They think it’s the closest thing they’ve seen to a wood shingle and love the low-maintenance properties. It’s a comprehensive solution, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Beach House Shake as we watch its popularity grow throughout 2024 and beyond!”
Editor’s Note: Photos courtesy of Marshall Building & Remodeling