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Cedar Wood Shingles and Shakes

With a cedar roof, there’s no settling for one size fits all roofing materials. After all, your home deserves better than the ordinary. With the various types of cedar wood shingles and shakes, homeowners have numerous options for selecting a roof that meets their preferences for appearance, style and cost. These five characteristics define the types of cedar shingles and shakes available for your consideration.

1. Types of Cedar Wood

The two main kinds of cedar wood used in crafting roofing systems are red cedar and white cedar. Red cedar is the higher priced of the two because of its extremely high quality, a key factor when considering cedar wood for the roofing or siding of your home. That’s why we’re partial to Western red cedar shingles and shakes. Besides its strength and longevity, Western red cedar wood is naturally resistant to rot and insect damage, can withstand varying temperatures and climates, and contains tannic acid, a natural preservative.

White cedar is a less costly alternative and ages attractively to a silvery grayish hue. Certain types of white cedar wood, such as Atlantic white cedar, Eastern white cedar and Northern white cedar, are resistant to decay, will not splinter and provide good stability.

2. Types of Cedar Shingles

Cedar shingles, which are sawn from wood blocks, are available in two types: sawn and sanded. Sawn cedar shingles are made to look like cedar shakes, but are more tailored in appearance. They’re ideal for homeowners who want a more sophisticated rustic look. Sanded cedar shingles are smoother on both sides than traditional cedar shingles and are preferred by homeowners looking for a more refined appearance to their roof.

3. Types of Cedar Shakes

Cedar shakes, which are split from wood blocks, also have two distinct types: hand split and tapersawn. A hand split cedar shake roof is ideal for achieving a rustic look because it has a rough, textured appearance. A tapersawn cedar shake roof is more distinguished and tailored because it is sawn on both sides, similar to a cedar shingle, yet still retains its rugged look.

4. Types of Cedar Roofing Sizes

Cedar shakes and shingles are available in variations of thickness, widths and lengths to achieve a desired look. For homeowners looking for a unique, handcrafted look, we recommend cedar shakes because they offer the most size options. Because cedar roofing shakes are milled differently than cedar shingles, they are available in widths ranging from three to eight inches and lengths between 18 and 24 inches. The size you select determines the overlap distance between installing one shake and the next. Cedar roofing shingles are typically available in lengths of 16, 18 and 24 inches, with widths of three to 14 inches.

5. Cedar Shingle and Shakes Color Types

Whether you choose red or white cedar, cedar roofing provides an attractive natural look, even as it ages. But the coloring of cedar shingles and cedar shakes can be enhanced by selecting from a wide range of stains that give your roof a different color effect while still allowing the wood’s natural grain and texture to be visible. The availability of various color stains gives homeowners more design choices when matching their roof color to their exterior siding.

Different Types to Meet Your Needs

Because of the meticulous way they are crafted, cedar wood shingles and shakes provide homeowners with customized roofing options to match what they are looking for in a roof. This pure craftsmanship is the reason why a cedar roof looks so perfect on the home it crowns. To learn more about the versatile roofing options cedar wood offers, contact us for a free consultation.

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