“I love your tile.” Those were the first words that came from Nicole Curtis, the host of “Rehab Addict,” a regular program aired each week on HGTV, when she laid her eyes on roofing tile from Perry County’s own Ludowici Roof Tile company located in New Lexington since the late 1880s.
Curtis is on a mission of saving historic homes, one broken-down fireplace at a time. Her program “Rehab Addict” debuted on the DIY network on Oct. 14, 2010, and by January 2014, season four, was also airing on HGTV’s prime time schedule. Nicole and her crew work in Detroit, Michigan, Minneapolis, and she recently worked on a home in Akron (Ohio) alongside basketball star LeBron James.
She purchases ramshackle homes, saves them from the wrecking ball and restores them to their original stunning glory. Curtis is a single mom, who does not back down from completing her mission of returning condemned properties to their proper place.
So, where does Ludowici fall into to this story? Well, tune into HGTV at 9 p.m. this Thursday (Feb. 19) and find out why. Or, read on. According to Sherrye McCabe, marketing manager for the local company, producers of the show contacted the plant after discovering the Ludowici stamp underneath pieces of tile on a classic Tudor-style home Curtis purchased in Detroit.
According to the information on the program schedule, the home revealed major roof damage. Curtis first had to get to work making the home watertight, while also preserving the unique look of the house. The crew from Rehab Addict contacted the New Lexington company and worked with Bob Andrus, the national account and business development manager for the Midwest at Ludowici and Kyle Riggle, project manager. “We matched the tile profile and color through our historic preservation process, stated McCabe. “We also completed an order of new clay red tile for the detached garage.”
McCabe said there was no taping at the plant, but Andrus did travel to Detroit where he was on the job site when the tile was delivered, and met Curtis.
“Working with the Rehab Addict team was an amazing experience,” stated Andrus. “Kyle and I worked extensively with Curtis and her team to ensure the tile we supplied matched the home’s original Ludowici red clay roof from the 1900s. It was great to see how much Nicole loved Ludowici roof tile, and how fantastic the roof turned out.”
In concluding McCabe indicated Ludowici will be participating in another television show in March – HouseSmarts with Lou Manfredini, who is the home expert from the Today Show. “However, it won’t be airing locally, but is syndicated cross the country,” she said.
McCabe also revealed there are a lot of amazing things coming for Ludowici and they will be showcasing their heritage and the strong foundation they have in New Lexington.
About Ludowici
Since 1888, Ludowici has been protecting buildings large and small with applications ranging from commercial to university, government to military, bungalows to mansions, locally and globally. Every Ludowici terra cotta tile is produced using proven technology creating a finished product which meets the needs of both yesterday and the future.
Today, Ludowici continues to operate in it’s original manufacturing facility in New Lexington. Ludowici Roof Tile proudly represents Ohio as one of the oldest continuous operating businesses.
For additional information on the New Lexington based company visit: http://www.ludowici.com
From Perry County Tribune | February 17, 2015
Written by Deb Hutmire, Tribune Editor
Photo from Perry County Tribune
