Lastly, shakes are thicker than shingles. Durability — Generally speaking, cedar shakes are more durable and last longer than shingles because they are thicker and made from premium grade wood. However, unlike shingles, they cannot lay completely flat on your roof. This is why an experienced roofer like us installs a layer of felt paper between courses of shakes.
This protects the cedar shake roof from wind-blown precipitation. Variations — Cedar shingles come in a number of different grades.
Grade 3 is affordable, perfect for walls or sheds. Grade 2 is typically used as a starter course or for re-roofing while Grade 1 is premium quality. Their varied sizes and rougher faces make for a more rugged appearance than shingles, which are generally arranged in a more uniform way. Shakes may be more commonly used in conservation projects and listed buildings whereas shingles are more general purpose.
Shakes, with their uneven charm, lay rough split side facing up. But even if they have a smoother, sawn side facing down, they may lay less flat than shingles, which makes the gaps between them more susceptible to penetration by the elements. Shingles are installed in 3 overlapping layers, without the interleaved underlayment. When it comes to installing wooden shingles you can choose which side is face-up — in most cases that can be whichever side you think looks the best! Because of their thickness and more complex installation process, shakes tend to be slightly more expensive than shingles to install.
On the other hand, shakes, being thicker than wooden shingles, naturally have better heat-retention, making heating the house slightly more energy and cost-efficient.
The Western Red Cedar variety of shingles and shakes has thermal insulation properties that will also keep the heat out in the summer, meaning less money spent on air-conditioning or electric fans. But whether you are cladding the roof in shakes or shingles some thought still needs to be put into how the room below is ventilated. Sticking with Western Red Cedar as an example, you can see the features they share that make it one of the most popular varieties.
Shingles and shakes both vary in quality, depending on the different types of wood grain they are cut from. The highest quality and most durable of these is edge grain, which also makes it more expensive. Grade 4 Under-coursing : utility grade for under-coursing of double coursed sidewalls. This is NOT a roofing material and should not be used as a starter course for roofs. Shakes are recommended for installations on pitch of and steeper.
All are cut from the premium Grade 1 clear heartwood, with no defects. Heavy split and resawn: sawn on the back, while the front is split with the natural grain. This creates a highly textured surface on the exposed face, that can be instantly recognized for its rugged appearance.
Medium split and resawn: it is similar in appearance to the heavy split, and also produces a textured look. Tapersawn: it is actually sawn on both sides to mimic the smooth uniform look of a shingle, only it is thicker. As a result, you get the tailored shake shingle look, accentuated by a sharper shadow-line, created by the thickness of the butt. This is the most popular wood shake roof, as it works well with virtually any architectural home style.
Depending on your needs and budget, there are a number of premium products available for both cedar roofing shingles and shakes. Fancy-butt shingles: see picture on the right. These gorgeous shingles are manufactured in a variety of dramatic shapes. These are ideal for decorative accents. If you are looking for enhanced durability, you can order the following treatments these are available both for shingles and shakes :.
These products carry a distinguishing Certi-Guard label. This is an ideal option if you live in an area of high humidity. These products carry a distinguishing Certi-Last label. It is obvious that because shakes are thicker and are made from premium grades, they will typically be more durable and long lasting than shingles. However, there is one very important design and installation difference that affects overall functionality. Because wood shakes are not made to be uniform and cannot lay completely flat unlike shingles , the gaps between and under, make them more susceptible to wind blown precipitation.
To mitigate this issue, it is required by code to install a layer of felt paper between courses of shakes. Felt helps block excess moisture and protects the roof. It also enables shakes to be installed with 2 rather than 3 layers, which would be very thick. However, there are a number of inherent problems with this type of installation.
First, there are many unscrupulous roofers, who cut corners and ignore building codes. Instead, because there is felt paper, roofers install these joints in an adjacent fashion, without off-setting them, which leaves felt as the primary source of protection against precipitation. Moreover, even with proper installation, felt paper is not a strong guard against the elements, because it is thin and weak by nature. During the install, it often ends up being riddled with holes, which further weaken its ability to serve as a weather barrier.
On the contrary, shingles can lay flat and provide a more precise installation felt paper is never used. Because they are thinner, shingles are always installed in a way that there are 3 overlapping layers at any point.
This provides strong protection against rain and snow, even in severe weather areas. This means that if you live in a region with frequent inclement weather, you have the following options:. Go for Heavy or Medium shakes: make sure to hire an experienced contractor , who will do a top notch job with the felt layers.
Realize that with this option your roof will still be susceptible to moisture penetration, as felt is not meant to be a primary protection barrier.
Not all shakes and shingles are made the same. If you want to ensure that your roof is made from the highest quality materials, select a product that carries the Certi Label , a registered trademark of the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau. Since , it has been an industry leader in monitoring and inspecting member mills and manufacturers for quality assurance.
Participating members that carry the blue color Certi Label on their products must adhere to the most stringent grading rules and are inspected by legitimate, third party agencies, accredited by the Bureau. Be careful of scams by manufacturers that put a blue color label on their products to lure consumers.
We recommend you consult their website for a list of member manufacturers.
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