Wood Shakes

Cut from western red cedar, redwood, cyprus and pine trees, wood shakes and shingles are split from logs, reshaped and manufactured for use in residential roofing. Cut thicker at the butt end than shingles, generally one or both surfaces are split to obtain a textured effect. There are a variety of styles that differ in the way they’re cut and the final appearance. Split and resawn shakes have a split face and sawn back, whereas a taper sawn shake has a natural slope and is sawn on both sides. Wood shingles are also sawn on both sides for an even taper and uniform thickness. The industry terms “Perfection” and “Royal” refer to shingles that are 18 inches and 24 inches in length, respectively.

Specialty treatments are available for cedar shakes and shingles including fire retardant coatings and chemical preservatives that help prevent premature rot and decay.

Pine shakes offer an alternative to cedar and cyprus that is worth considering. Crafted from southern yellow pine and taper sawn, pine shakes also offer options for pressure treatment to ward off insects and decay.