Cedar Shakes

       One of the most popular roofing materials for centuries, wood shakes (mostly cedar)  are still being installed in the United States. Prized for the warm and natural appearance that compliments almost every home style and adds substantially to curb appeal and value, a wood roof:

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is light weight   has good insulating value   is naturally weather resistant   a wood roof is easily installed   is biodegradable and disposable   will self heal of hail indentations   is sourced from a renewable resource (trees)   comes in a variety of widths, thicknesses and finishes   exhibits low expansion and contraction due to  moisture

          Click here  for a description of the various types of cedar shakes.

       These properties made wood shakes the predominate high value steep-slope roofing material in some regions of the country for many years. In the process, cedar roofing became the natural roof that "man made" roofing materials have tried to imitate.

       Unfortunately however, the once enormously popular cedar shake, rightfully loved for a natural beauty that compliments so many building styles, is an increasingly obsolete roofing material.  Its numerous performance shortcomings in demanding climates are simply no longer practical or economical.

       For example, a popular recipe for roof failure calls for low humidity and rainfall, dry  winds, and intense sunshine.  This combination of climatic elements creates the hostile conditions that make wood shakes highly susceptible to failure.  Many of these same  roofs are in hail prone regions, or in or around the forested or scrub areas that have historically been the source of many disastrous wildfires. Effectively, fragile kindling on top of your house. 

       The resultant billions of dollars in insurance claims have driven the insurance industry to offer large financial incentives to “get wood off the roof.”  Some insurers may threaten policy cancellation if wood is not off the roof by a certain date, or will surcharge until it is replaced.

       Many homeowners understandably prefer the rustic look of a roof with warped, curled or missing shakes, but at some point this “character” becomes an indicator of the impending end of a shake roof’s life. In most cases, individual shakes on old cedar roofs can be easily removed with one hand.  The roof may not leak yet, but visualize the result of a significant hail or wind event on the following roofs: 

	Click to enlarge, use back button to return.

       The random width tapersplit wood look is still highly prized though, and most roofing product manufacturers have tried to emulate wood shake appearance with their own technology, frequently with less than desirable results in both performance and appearance.  The visual effect provided by thick wood shakes is virtually impossible to recreate without duplicating the wood shakes themselves.  Apparently, manufacturers have found that to be economically unfeasible, and consequently offer thin and indistinctive products that may look good in hand, but in practice do not resemble a shake roof.  Now there is the Ce·DUR Shake.
      

       
       Ce·DUR was designed to replicate the appearance of wood shakes while eliminating cedar's performance shortcomings.  A summary of Ce·DUR's performance versus cedar outlines the outstanding results of that effort.

CHARACTERISTIC 

Dry
Wet

Color
Profile

Percent by Weight
Freeze/Thaw Concerns 

Due to:
Temperature (above 32°F)
Moisture

Impact – UL 2218
Walking
Wind – UL 997
Self healing to impact

UL 790

Standard
Hail

Fasteners
Underlayments

Fastener Retention
Number of fasteners

Product Preference

Discouraged/banned

Color Shift
Resistance longevity

Color Through
Rodent Resistance
Shake Spacing

Yes
Poor
3/8" to 5/8"
 

Yes
Excellent
1/8" to 3/8"
 

R Value

 
         Conclusion. . .

REPLACE  CEDAR

WITH  Ce·DUR