Cedar Shake Shingles and What You Should Know about Hand Split Cedar Shakes

When it comes to exterior home finishes, there is no shortage of available style options. One classic style that has long been popular are hand split cedar shake shingles. This roofing style has been around since the colonial era and used on homes across the country from Massachusetts and Maryland to California and Texas. As popular as they are, hand split cedar shakes are not the best roofing option and cedar shakes come with a number of drawbacks that you need to keep in mind. When looking at cedar shakes for sale it is important to first understand advantages and disadvantages of cedar shake shingles.

Here is what you need to know about cedar shakes including cedar shake roof life expectancy and a better option to consider that doesn't sacrifice that hand split cedar shake appearance.

What Are Hand Split Cedar Shakes?

Cedar shakes, also known as hand split cedar shingles, are a rustic-style roofing option. This style of wood shingles is made from hand split cedar logs, which replicates the traditional ax or mallet-cut shingles from colonial times, when cedar shakes first came to popularity. What makes these hand split cedar shingles so unique is that they are not uniform in their appearance. Instead, they vary in size and thickness, which creates the beautiful rustic appearance.

Due to the varying size of each individual shake, hand split cedar shake shingles are primarily used as a roofing material in homes across the country. While it was once the standard for roofing and used on homes across the country, now it is more common to see them in areas closer to the woods and wood mills. This is because the weight of cedar shakes makes them difficult and expensive to transport to other areas of the country.

The Advantages of Hand Split Shakes

The biggest advantage to hand split shingles is the beautiful, rustic appearance. It is something very different from other, more common styles of roofing shingles, which makes for a unique design choice. They are also a fairly durable material that is naturally resistant to most things (to some extent), such as moisture, wind, and insects. They are also decent insulators, which means homes with this style of roof will allow the home to maintain a steady temperature regardless of the season. If you are looking for a surefire way to increase the appearance of your home style look no further than cedar shakes.

The Disadvantages of Hand Split Shakes

While there are some advantages to hand split cedar shake shingles, there are also some disadvantages to keep in mind. For one, there is the price to take into account.  Compared to other types of roofing, cedar shakes are much more expensive to buy, install, and maintain. Even if you happen to live near a wood mill, cedar shakes are an expensive roofing material. If you don't live somewhere that hand split cedar shakes are for sale, then your cost goes up as you will have to import them. Cedar is also heavy, so installing a cedar shake roof can add a considerable amount of weight on your home which may require additional support. If you are renovating an older building or historic landmark you should consult with a structural engineer prior to putting a heavy weight roofing material on an aged structure.

Another major disadvantage to keep in mind is that hand split cedar shake shingles require more maintenance than other types of roofing. In addition to the cleaning, you also need to reapply stains and protective coatings to maintain things like wood fire resistance. You will also have to remove moss and mildew; otherwise it can damage the shingles.

The Best Option to Cedar Shakes

Hand split cedar shakes are a wonderful idea to create that rustic look for your home, but there are countless drawbacks to choosing them for the roof of your home. The price alone is enough to turn most people away, but that doesn't mean you can’t get the same look another way.

CeDUR Synthetic Roofing Shakes mimic the look of hand-split cedar shingles and are so realistic that the differences are indistinguishable. They are also one of the most light weight roofing products that you can install weighing in at just 170 pounds per square.

They are made from a state of the art polyurethane material and molded from real cedar wood shakes. CeDUR shakes come in four different wood colors. CeDUR Roofing Shakes offer a number of advantages that set them apart from traditional hand-split shingles. Let us briefly examine those advantages below.

Advantages of CeDUR Roofing Shingles

For one, CeDUR roofing shingles offer more durability: these shingles will not split or rot from exposure to the elements. They also offer a Class A Fire Rating, Class 4 Impact Rating, and can withstand hurricane-force winds up to 115 mph without any damage. Aside from that, finding hand split cedar shakes can be difficult in certain parts of the country. CeDUR roofing shingles are easy to ship anywhere due to their reduced weight. This also means they are easier to install since there is no need to worry if your home can support the weight of the shingles. CeDUR roofing shingles can even work as siding for your home, allowing for a truly unique look.

Other advantages of CeDUR shingles include the drastically lower cost compared to traditional hand split cedar shakes. This makes it a more affordable option for homeowners across the country, adding to their overall accessibility.

But, what makes CeDUR's roofing shingles unique is the fact that they require very little maintenance. Once they are installed, all you have to do is remove any leaf debris and hose them off every so often. But, there won't be any worry about troublesome problems like moss, mildew, or discoloration.

Save Money with this Synthetic Cedar Shake Alternative

There is no denying that hand split cedar shake shingles are an attractive, popular roofing option. But they are a heavy, expensive option that requires a lot of maintenance to make them last a long time. 

Yes a cedar shakes roof does look incredible but a better alternative does exist: CeDUR roofing shakes. They are a polyurethane-made synthetic roofing alternative that looks just like real cedar shakes. CeDUR is lightweight and offers far more durability, without the price of hand split cedar shakes. It is the perfect alternative that doesn't sacrifice the traditional, beautiful, rustic look of real cedar shingles.