About Shingles & Shakes for Roofing

Although appearance wise nothing can beat the rural loveliness of a recently installed cedar shingle or shake roof. There is no doubt that your cedar roof ought to sustain its good looks for many years if you are prepared to put in your time and money for its regular maintenance.

Once you start overlooking regular maintenance your cedar roof to face problems. Just like asphalt, cedar shingles and shakes are also at risk of rot and moss growth, more so in the shaded areas. Poor maintenance will let leaves and rubbish to accumulate on your cedar roof, which entraps moisture and in turn speeding the progression of decay.

Although moisture on its own can cause destruction to your untreated cedar roof, nevertheless the sun is also an enemy of cedar. Cedar shingles and shakes can crack due to the UV rays of the sun and in due course lead to leakage. It is highly recommended that you treat your cedar roof with chemical preservative in a span of every three to six years. This is more important for houses in moist climates. You need to think about this continuing cost at the time of comparing quotes for different options for roofing.

As their asphalt counterparts, cedar shingles and shakes also come with an extensive variety of warranties that may or may not that essentially reveal their tangible lifetime. Still worse is the fact that such 'warranties' are mostly pro-rated which means that your warranty worth lessens the older your roof gets. The durability of cedar roof depends chiefly on the quality of installation, the maintenance, and the quality of the cedar itself.

Asphalt or composition shingles are used on the majority of homes and these are made of a base, which is organic or fiberglass, drenched with asphalt and covered with minerals on the upper side to defend against weathering. Between the fiberglass shingles and organic shingles the fiberglass ones are additional flexible and stronger. Shingles usually come in an extensive assortment of colors. These composition roofs can easily be superimposed with a new roof if the original roof is in a single layer and very good form. The life of the composition shingles depends on the rating and quality ranging anywhere between 20 to 30 years. Most of the manufacturers agree to overlay a composition roof if it is still under warranty, but it is better that it be done by a knowledgeable, qualified and certified roofer. This is because the usual problems as well as maintenance concerns arise when during the installation ventilation and/or flashing was not provided satisfactorily.

Dimensional shingles are just akin to composition shingles. The only difference is that dimensional shingles are thicker and available in customized look. Dimensional shingles have much better lifespan with an expectancy up to 40 years that depends on the rating. Like composition shingles, the dimensional shingles have similar concerns and problems of building up of moss, quality, as well as sufficient venting/flashing.

Shingles and shakes, both besides being used as roofing material are also used as a siding material and a siding style.