Fire Retardant Cedar Shakes

Since the earliest days of building, wood has been a popular choice of construction material. Not only has it long been used to frame out structures, but it has also been used on the exterior as siding and roofing. Its popularity has stood the test of time because of the rustic, country-style beauty it offers.

Cedar shake roofs are a product that has been around since colonial times, giving homes across the country a unique look that just can’t be achieved with traditional asphalt shingles. But, that is not to say that real wood shakes do not come at a cost.

The Issue With Traditional Cedar Shakes

As beautiful as cedar shakes are, they are fairly expensive, especially when you consider that the cost of transporting them to areas where cedar wood is not so plentiful. But, in the grand scheme of things, this is not the biggest issue with regard to traditional cedar shakes.

The biggest issue you will find with wood shakes is their susceptibility to fire. Unless the shakes are treated with special chemicals, it is possible for them to catch on fire reasonably quickly. In fact, due to their susceptibility to fire, many states on the West Coast have made them illegal, since these are places prone to wildfires.

Now, however, there are alternatives like fire retardant cedar shakes available that allow homeowners to have the beauty of cedar shakes without the fear of them catching on fire and being destroyed within minutes.

Classification of Fire Resistance

When it comes to the fire resistance of construction materials, like roofing shakes and shingles, there is a specific classification system involved. Products can earn anywhere from a Class A rating, the highest level of fire resistance to Class C.

The intense series of tests are done by certified, third-party labs, such as the Underwriters Laboratory, which is also primarily responsible for the safety testing of other products, like the impact resistance of various materials.

How They Earn Their Classification

Construction materials earn their fire resistance classification based on how they perform under the fire testing parameters. To test them, roofing products are placed on a non-combustible surface, and then passed over with a flame.

How far the flame spreads in the fire test will determine the roofing material classification. In order to earn a Class A certification versus a lower rating of Class C the flame spreading varies depending on the level of fire resistance of the roofing material.

The slope of the roofing material being tested is predetermined, due to the fact that steeper slopes can pose a more significant challenge during testing.

Fire Resistant Synthetic Cedar Shakes

For those that want the cedar shakes, but the safety of more fire retardant materials, there are synthetic fire resistant cedar shakes. Synthetic cedar shakes look just like real cedar wood shakes, so they maintain that traditional look, but are made with very strong synthetic composite material.

As beautiful as things like traditional wood siding and cedar shakes are, they are dangerous due to their fire susceptibility. Many states, cities, and counties have banned these products for that reason, and advise residents to find fire resistant alternatives. For that reason, many companies are now putting an emphasis on fire resistant construction materials. CeDUR for example is one company that is dedicated to creating beautiful fire resistant synthetic cedar shakes that look like traditional wood shakes, but are much safer and durable.