Do Cedar Shingles Need To Be Treated?
When you want a unique or rustic beautiful cedar look for your home, one of the most popular design changes is to install a cedar shake roof. Cedar shingles and shakes are among some of the most durable and highest quality natural roofing products that are available. However, cedar shake roofs can require a great deal of care and maintenance. Aside from the basic maintenance required to keep a cedar roof looking fresh, there are also treatments you should consider applying. While a cedar shake roof treatment is not necessary, it can make a big difference in the lifespan of your roof.
What Happens Without Cedar Roof Treatment?
One of the benefits of choosing cedar for your roof is that it is a durable material. However it is wise to understand that cedar shake roof maintenance is costly. Cedar is naturally water-resistant, but that doesn't mean it is resistant to everything. Even water, at some point, can potentially become an issue. Without treatments, cedar shakes can degrade over time, with constant exposure to the sun's UV rays, the elements, and water, of course.
It also means that the cedar shakes can suffer from fungus and algae growth without proper treatment. Most importantly, without treatment, cedar shake shingles can catch on fire.
Before Cedar Shake Roof Maintenance Treatment
For a new cedar shake roof, you can immediately apply a cedar shake treatment. However, if you already have a cedar shake roof, you will need to make sure the roof is completely clean before you can apply any roof treatment products. Cleaning the roof includes the following steps:
1. Remove Leaves and Other Debris
The first thing to do before you apply a cedar roof treatment is to clean off any large debris. Debris includes things such as leaves, tree needles, moss, and any lichens that may be growing. All of this debris has the ability to retain moisture, which can lead to a wood-destroying fungus to take root and weaken the shingles, causing them to go brittle at a much quicker rate.
2. Clear Off Vegetation
Leaves and tree needles aren't the only things that can create a wet environment on the surface of a cedar shake roof. Vegetation like fallen branches or branches that hang low over your roof can shield the roof from the sun. While it can act as protection from UV rays, it also means the roof will have a more difficult time drying out once it is wet. But, those low-hanging branches can also become a fire hazard if the tree ever ends up burning.
3. Get the Gutters Clean
While the gutters may not be part of your roof, they still play a large role in your roof's longevity. Just as you want to clear the surface of the roof of debris and vegetation, you also want to clean the gutters. Otherwise, they can become clogged with leaves and other debris, and will not be able to handle the water runoff that results from rain. If water runoff is allowed to build up, the roof will remain wet longer, which can be detrimental to its longevity.
4. Clean the Cedar Shakes
Of course, before you can apply any sort of cedar roof treatment, you want to clean the actual roof surface thoroughly. Not only will this help to protect the overall integrity of the roof, but it will also allow the treatment to coat every shake so that no part is left unprotected.
Cedar Shake Roof Treatment Products
There are many different treatment products you can apply to your cedar shake roof to help preserve the longevity of the roof. One of the most important treatments you can apply to a cedar shake roof is a roof preservative. This preservative will help to protect the roof itself from curling, cupping, splitting, or decaying.
Beyond the basic preservative, there are other treatments you can apply to a cedar shake roof that provide added protection. You also have the option to apply treatments like fungicides that kill off fungus and prevent it from growing again. Furthermore, you can apply a treatment to provide UV protection from the sun's rays, which can cause a roof to weather more quickly.
Forget Real Cedar Shingles Go with Synthetic Cedar Shingles
While cedar roof treatments can help preserve the life of a cedar roof, applying these treatments can be expensive. It also means more regular maintenance, since you will have to reapply treatments every few years. For some, that may be too much maintenance. Fortunately, there is an alternative.
CeDUR Roofing Shakes are synthetic shakes, molded from real cedar shakes. These shakes look exactly like real cedar wood shingles, with varying ridges, sizes, and thickness of each shake. However, because they are synthetic, there are some significant differences.
For one, CeDUR's shakes are incredibly lightweight thanks to the polyurethane material used to make them. In addition, CeDUR has a Class 4 Impact Resistance and even offers a Class A Fire Rating. But, most importantly, it provides all of this without the need for a single cedar shake roof treatment.
To Treat or Not to Treat?
Cedar shake roofs are a beautiful addition to any home. But, you want to know what you are getting into before you commit to one. While maintenance and treatments for cedar shingles are not necessary, it is something to really consider for your roof. To be able to ensure the longest life possible, a cedar shake roof requires careful, dedicated maintenance. To help preserve its longevity, you’ll need to apply a treatment, which you’ll also need to reapply when necessary. All of this can be a lot of work to a homeowner who isn't prepared for the commitment that comes with cedar roofs and cedar shake roof treatment products.
To keep that beautiful cedar roof appearance, but eliminate the need for regular cedar roof treatment, consider CeDUR's synthetic roofing shakes.
