Cedar Shakes And Shingles Difference

While shakes provide a less uniform more rustic appearance they can also be vulnerable to wind blown rain or snow and must be installed using a layer of felt paper weaved layers of shakes to reduce this vulnerability.

Cedar shakes and shingles difference.

For centuries and as recent as 50 years back cedar roof shingles were sawn from a block of wood while shakes were split off using a mallet and a froe sharp blade. They are best suited for roofs of 4 in 12 pitch or greater. Today with the advances in technology shingles are machine made. Shakes offer a more traditional rough hewn style as they ve been around for centuries whereas shingles can be identified by their uniformity and even taper.

The physical difference between wood shakes and shingles is the width of the butt end and sawing method of cutting them. Cedar shingles and shake look great on any house options for cedar shakes cedar shakes are naturally thicker than shingles which as we mentioned before can partly account for their higher cost. Shingles are generally thinner than shakes and are seldom greater than 1 2 inch thick. What s the difference between cedar shake and cedar shingle roofs.

They are sawn smooth on both sides and cut tapered. The length of cedar shingles used can impact the appearance of your house. Shakes don t have a smooth finish like shingles which are more defined and refined but they make for a more rustic roof for old fashioned homes or homes that emulate cottages. There are three types of wood shake each desirable for its own set of qualities.