The Ultimate Guide to Shake-Style Roofing

by Lisa Matthew Roofing Contractors Tennessee

Roofing and roofing system has changed a lot since the wooden shake shingles have become thing of the past. However, today the homeowners are looking for designs that can help them turn their home into a modern setup and there are many shake shingles options available in the market.

What is Shake-Style Roofing?

In the old days of American history, the shake-shingles were pretty common and they were also very abundant. This has made it one of the most practical materials to use for residential and commercial buildings at that time. For a long time, the log was split and thus they were named as wooden shingles that became the name of the shake-style shingles.

Today, there are two very famous materials, such as asphalt and fiberglass shingles. Moreover, they both are affordable and can give charm and character to your house.

What are wooden shakes?

These shakes are made from hand-split wooden logs and the shake is a wooden shingle individually applied to create a roof. This kind of roofing was quite famous in the USA during the colonial period. The reason is simple, at that times, the trees were abundant and it was easy for the people and the companies to cut them down and get the wooden shakes out of them. However, with the time and construction of industries, the wooden shingles started to lose their market and the people turned towards other cheaper sources of shingles.

Shake-Style vs. Wooden Shakes

The modern shake roofing is the ultimate in style and protection and it replicates the look of wood shakes. Moreover, these shake style shingles can provide you’re the high fire and wind resistance of asphalt shingles. They are thicker than the regular asphalt shingles and they are better at guarding against the wind, snow and ice. Well, to your surprise most of the roofs that are being constructed today are made up of shake-style roofing shingles.

Wooden Shakes Pros and Cons

Pros

The wooden shakes are known for their durability and aesthetic aging appeal and they transform from a bright war, red and brown tones to a grey color over time.

The wooden shakes are also energy efficient and they can be recycled into chips and used again for some other purposes.

Cons

Wooden shakes have a downside and that is they are high maintenance. They tend to show wear and tear quite easily when they are exposed to the sun and rain, poor ventilation, mold or even the growth of fungus on them can damage them badly.

If you are not able to maintain them properly, they will split, curl and they can undermine the overall integrity of the entire roof system. Moreover, there is always a risk of fire which can damage the wooden shakes badly to the extent that you might replace all of them.

This is why people are turning towards metal roofing. Moreover, some of the companies might not even insure certain roofs, such as wooden shakes as they caught fire quickly.

Shake Style Pros and Cons

Pros

If you are a homeowner and you wish to extend the lifespan of your roofing system, by keeping the energy costs low and going for the modern alternatives, then shake-style roofing shingles is the best option.

Their maintenance is not that high like the wooden shakes and they won’t decay or rot like the natural wood. These are made up of woven fiberglass base mat and they are covered with waterproof asphalt coating and topped with ceramic granules which can shield the product from harmful UV rays.

Moreover, they are fire-resistant and have a long lifespan. They are lightweight and fade resistant, and they are even algae-resistant too.

Cons

They are non-recyclable material and they are also not as energy efficient as other materials are. Moreover, if they are poorly installed, they won’t be able to stop the high winds. Contact Roofing Contractor in Myrtle Beach SC.