Cedar Shake Roofing

FireRock Cedar Shake Roofing

Shakes are a type of roofing material crafted from cedar blocks, most notably Western Red Cedar. This species of wood is known for its durability, superior quality and sustainability. In fact, cedar roofing products contain oils that make them naturally resistant to decay, making it an ideal roofing material.

A common question about cedar roofing is the difference between a shake and a shingle. Generally, a shingle is sawn on both sides and is thinner than a shake. A shake is typically split on one or both sides. The easiest way to differientiate the products is by their appearance. Shakes look more rustic, and shingles look more tailored.

Both shakes and shingles can be used as roofing material, but shakes are a more popular choice with homeowners as they give a more dramatic and full roof appearance. Shingles are more commonly used as siding.

The Strength of Cedar 

Cedar is one of the most researched and well understood plants on the entire planet. With its natural resistance to UV damage and pests, a cedar roof will protect a home for 30 to 40 years and will perform exceptionally in any climate, including those with sharp temperature shifts. More current research/insurance industry testing proved cedar roofing is superior in hurricane wind resistance, hail damage resistance, earthquake damage resistance and sustainability.

Availabile Types of Cedar Shakes

FireRock’s standard offer includes the two most popular styles of cedar shakes in Number 1 Grade. After much research, we chose Number 1 Grade because it provides a high quality product at a reasonable price.

Hand-Split and Resawn Shakes

Cedar blocks of appropriate length are split by a hydraulically powered knife, called a cuber, into straight boards, or blanks. The blank is then fed diagonally into a bandsaw, which saws the blank from corner to corner, producing 2 tapered shakes, each with a natural split face and sawn back.

• Key Characteristics: 
  • Split faces and sawn backs
  • Texture on split face side has naturally rustic appearance
  • Most common lengths are 18” and 24”
  • Butt thickness ranges from ½” to 1"
• Recommended Use:
  • For roofs on 4:12 pitch and steeper where high quality, rustic appearance and performance are desired

Tapersawn Shakes

Tapersawn shakes have a smoother appearance typical of a shingle, but with the extra thickness of the shake. This allows for the same installation procedures and exposures of the shake, provided felt underlayment paper is used as is for shakes. Produced by sawing both faces on a shingle or taper saw machine, the taper is achieved by the mechanical angle setting of the machinery relative to the saw blade for each cut. 

• Key Characteristics
  • Sawn on both sides like a shingle, but with a stronger shadowline, or thickness, than a shingle
  • Semi-textured look on both sides; smoother texture compared to split face side of Style One shake
  • Available lengths: 18" and 24"
  • Butt thickness ranges from 5/8" to 1.5"
• Recommended Use:
  • For roofs on 4:12 slope and steeper where a high quality, durable and uniform appearance is desired