6 Best Types of Wood for Roofing
Roofs can be built out of many different materials, including metal, asphalt, clay, and wood, but one of the most popular choices continues to be wood.
Unlike other materials, wood creates a natural rustic aesthetic for the exterior of homes that that the other materials are not able to capture.
But what’s the best wood for roofing?
Best Wood Roof Options
To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at some 5 of the best types of wood for roofing. Ready to get started?
1. Cedar
Cedar is one of the most popular choices for building wood roofs—and for many reasons.
First, it’s one of the most beautiful types of wood. It typically has a lighter color to it while also carrying a deep enough color to provide a rustic vibe. It is also known to be a bit stronger than pine but is still rather lightweight.
In addition, Cedar is one of the most durable roofing materials, that is, if properly cared for.
If maintained regularly and treated with protective coatings on a yearly basis, a cedar wood roof can last up to 50 years before it needs to be replaced.
Cedar is also somewhat naturally resistant to insects and termites, which means it won't need as much maintenance compared to other materials, such as pine.
Furthermore, cedar has a natural resistance to rot that can go a long way when supplemented with regularly applied protective coatings.
2. Pine
Pine is another great wood roofing option, especially for those who want the most cost-effective wood roofing option.
Pine is incredibly cheap because it is plentiful, lightweight, and easy to work with.
However, it has a questionable level of durability and is highly flammable. Not to mention, it also is very vulnerable to insect damage, rot, decay, and other natural deteriorating factors, as we alluded to above. A well maintained pine roof can last around 25 years if closely maintained.
3. Pressure Treated Wood
Pressure treated wood is a type of wood that has been treated with special chemicals that make it more durable.
Because of it’s chemical-induced durability, pressure treated wood can come in a variety of different colors, textures, and grains, which adds a sense of flexibility and variability to exterior designs.
Differing from a wooden roof that has been coated with a protective coating, pressure treated wood is put into a cylinder where the air is sucked out of the wood. It then has a chemical solution pumped into the cylinder with high pressure so that the chemicals go deep into every wood cell.
As a result, the wood offers a much more significant layer of protection, one that even protects the wood from insects, which provides it a reason to be, arguably, the best wood for roofing
However, it’s important to note that pressure-treating wood doesn’t automatically make it fire-retardant or moisture-proof, which are two of the biggest dangers to any natural type of wooden roof.
4. Redwood
Redwood comes from giant sequoia trees in California. It is a much rarer wood and can, as a result, be more expensive, though it boasts a beautiful, even elegant, reddish hue that unmistakably separates itself from other wood roofs. It’s also naturally durable.
The cost of redwood, however, is one of the biggest downsides. Like other woods mentioned on the list, it can also be susceptible to insects and fire without protective treatments, but it does have some smaller resistance to these things as it is a naturally harder wood, unlike pine.
Among many professionals, redwood is considered some of the best wood for roofing.
5. Red Cedar
Red cedar has a color similar to redwood but comes from the Red Cedar tree.
This tree is a softwood tree, meaning it has a higher vulnerability to damage from impact and insects, though it is lighter and easier to work with.
Also similar to redwood, cedar can be expensive due to its relative rarity, and in terms of quality, Red Cedar is difficult to compete with.
6. Synthetic Cedar
Synthetic Cedar is made from high-quality composite plastics that are woven together to create a tough synthetic fiber that is incredibly durable.
While the synthetic cedar itself is perfectly crafted and produced to look exactly like real Cedar, it possesses none of the drawbacks of traditional cedar wood.
Synthetic Cedar roofing like the kind offered by CeDUR® Shake is invulnerable to moisture, insects, fire, rot, buckling, warping, and all the other issues normally associated with real cedar wood,
As a result, a synthetic cedar roof can last an entire lifetime with minimal maintenance. It only requires a basic power washing every so often to keep it looking clean.
What’s the Best Wood For Roofing?
Synthetic roofing has been a huge advancement in the roofing industry, and CeDUR® Shake is leading the way by offering a product that has the look and feel of real wood roofing without any of the cost, maintenance, or durability concerns of some of the best woods used for roofs.
Therefore, when it comes down to quality and value, the best wood for roofing is synthetic cedar.
If you would like to learn more about CeDUR® Shake, contact us today or view our gallery.