Problems with Wood Shake Siding
Wood shake siding is one of the most beautiful and popular choices for homeowners who value curb appeal over everything. Natural wood siding is temporary in nature which makes its natural beauty all that more charming when used as a material for roofing or siding. Unfortunately, natural wood shake siding does have a dark side as well.
As beautiful as it is, there’s also a steep price to pay in terms of durability, cost, and maintenance. In case you’re interested in natural wood shake siding but you want to inform yourself about the potential downsides, as well as a better alternative, let’s take a look at 7 common problems with natural wood siding:
1. Insects
One of the weaknesses of wood, whether it’s in your home or out in nature, is a vulnerability to insects. Many insects love to burrow in wood, pick away at it for nest building, and do their normal daily activities which can take a toll on a vulnerable material like wood. Termites and other insects are a constant concern for natural wood siding that needs to be regularly inspected for termites before they can cause extensive damage. Insect damage can also lead to exacerbated forms of other damage like water damage.
2. Moisture Intrusion
Water infiltration is your worst nightmare for a home with natural wood shake siding. If water is allowed to get inside the wood siding or even on the surface for too long, it will lead to immediate rot and potentially even mold if the conditions are right. Water is like kryptonite for natural wood and as such, your wood siding needs to be specially treated and sealed on a regular basis so that moisture won’t be able to penetrate it.
3. Maintenance Needs
The time and effort it takes to maintain wood shake siding is extensive. Not only does your natural wood siding need to be treated and sealed regularly, it also needs to be inspected for algae and mold growth as well. Wood shingles need cleaning every so often and they also need to be repainted on a regular basis. UV rays cause the paint to fade rather quickly so they will grow dull if not repainted.
4. Low Fire Rating
Wood shingles made from natural hardwood are one of the most flammable siding materials you will find on the market. If a fire starts or your home gets caught in a wildfire, your wood shingles don’t stand a chance. Natural hardwood shingles can’t even be treated with anything that would raise their fire rating to that of a synthetic material or something like natural stone. If a fire hits, there is simply no helping them. This is obviously more of a concern in areas prone to wildfires like Texas and California.
5. Difficult Repair Work
Natural wood shake siding is difficult to replace on your own because of how it’s installed. It’s typically installed in an overlapping fashion. This method provides more of a seal against the elements, but doesn’t bode well for DIY repairs. If your wood shake shingles happen to get damaged, you will have to call in a professional to perform the repair work in all likelihood.
6. Low Affordability
Natural wood shake siding is typically pretty pricey to begin with, because it is sourced from real trees and cannot be as easily mass-produced as something like synthetic cedar shake shingles. This lends itself to high replacement costs in case of damage. The level of constant maintenance and special treatment that natural wood shake shingles need is also a factor in the overall high cost of wood shingles.
7. Low Impact Resistance
Of all the materials you can side your house with, natural wood shingles have one of the lowest impact resistance ratings. Cheap vinyl is one of the only weaker materials when it comes to standing up to things like hail and high winds. The impact resistance only decreases as the shingles age, which makes them more brittle and susceptible to tearing in high winds or breaking for other impact-related reasons.
Synthetic Cedar Shakes - The Superior Alternative
If you want all of the aesthetic beauty of cedar wood shake siding without any of the durability, cost, or maintenance concerns, synthetic cedar shakes from CeDUR Shakes are the perfect choice. They come in a variety of colors like Golden Cedar, Shiloh, Walden, and Live Oak for plenty of stylistic variety. They also look exactly like real wood. You can’t tell the difference between natural wood shakes and synthetic shakes unless you closely inspect them.
Since they are made from durable synthetic plastic, CeDUR shakes are not vulnerable to rot, mold, UV rays, insects, or any of the other normal culprits that break down real wood shake siding. They also have the highest fire rating and impact resistance rating that a material can have. Taking into account all of these factors, it’s safe to say that synthetic cedar shakes from CeDUR Shakes are the best way to get all of the pros of real wood without any of the downsides!