What is a Cedar Shake Roof?
Roofing can be made from a wide variety of different materials. From metal to asphalt, the options are endless, and as time goes on, more and more materials are being created to create modern roof designs. However, one of the most popular roofing materials is cedar shake shingles.
What is a Cedar Shake Roof?
A cedar shake roof is a type of roof that is made out of natural cedar wood that is cut and shaped in the form of shingles. Because each shingle is cut differently, each home with a cedar shake roof often has a unique rustic appearance.
How Are Cedar Shake Shingles Made?
Cedar shakes are produced from the wood from Cedar trees, though large cedar trees are favored in the selection process.
Builders cut two-foot sections, and then those sections are either either hand-split to form or tapersawn down to a tapered thickness.The hand-split cedar shakes, however, tends to have a more rustic, natural appearance, whereas tapersawn shingles are smoother.
When it comes to thickness, cedar shake shingles typically come in two varieties, ¾” segments and ½”in segments.
The three-quarter inch thick variety are weightier and have increased durability as a result, but they cost more. There are also a couple different exposure options for cedar shake shingles, 7.5 inch and 12 inch exposures. This allows for a bit more stylistic variety within the aesthetic.
Cedar shake shingles are cut directly from trees and made specific to order, so they are usually made on-demand. This means you may have to wait a bit longer for your order of cedar shake shingles to be ready for shipping and installation than you would for other types of roofing material. The waiting period can take anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks.
Different Levels of Cedar Shake Quality
When looking into cedar shake as an option, quality comes into play as well. A cedar wood shake roof is available in 3 main levels of quality. The lowest level is made from a by-product of higher-quality cuts and can come from any part of the cedar tree. The quality-type is referred to as a common cut.
Select cuts are the next level up and contain usually 80% premium wood from the best part of the tree and 20% common cuts. This type of cedar wood roof strikes a balance in both price and durability, but you’ll want to make sure your cedar shake roofers sift through the cuts to pick the best ones, because they can vary a bit.
100% straight-grain cuts come from only the best part of the tree and offer the highest level of durability for a cedar plank roof, while also costing the most.
General Facts About Cedar Shake Roofs
Traditional cedar shake roofs require a lot of maintenance. Even premium cut shakes will need special chemical treatment every 1-3 years to maintain a level of water-resistance and/or fire-resistance. There are different applications you can use that provide different benefits but in general, you need to make sure your shakes have water, mold, fire, and UV resistance.
Resistance to insects is a bonus as well. Since the shakes are made from real wood, they are vulnerable to all of the above dangers, as well as rotting, warping, buckling, and color fading. In a best case scenario, cedar roofs will last you up to 30 years, depending on the weather and environment you’re in.
A Great Alternative to Cedar Shakes
One alternative to a traditional cedar shakes roof is synthetic shake shingles. Synthetic cedar shakes like the kind offered by CeDUR are so well designed that they look almost identical to real cedar. Not only that, but they are infinitely more durable than cedar shake roofs as well. Made from high quality plastics, the synthetic shakes mimic the look and feel of real cedar with none of the upkeep required.
A cedar shingle roof will last 30 years tops, but a synthetic cedar shake roof can last an entire lifetime without ever needing to be replaced. It also costs far less over the course of its life, thanks to the almost non-existent maintenance requirements. Synthetic cedar shakes only need to be washed off as needed.
They are naturally invulnerable to mold, water damage, rotting, buckling, warping, UV rays, color fading, insect damage, and fire. They possess the highest fire and impact resistance ratings available, and have a much better warranty than real cedar shingles roofs.
CeDUR shake shingles also come in multiple different colors and styles like Shiloh, Live Oak, Golden Cedar, and Walden, so there is an aesthetic option for you, no matter what your cedar shingle roofing preference.
Synthetic Cedar Does it All
When it comes to roofing materials that check every box across the board, it’s hard to go wrong with synthetic cedar shakes from CeDUR. Not only are they cost effective, they look great, need far less upkeep, last much longer, and will keep your roof much safer against outside elements like bugs and bad weather.
If you’re looking for a new cedar roof, synthetic cedar is a true no-brainer. For more info on this durable material, contact CeDUR today or view our gallery.