Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 12, 1999 09:12am | #1

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   Jaspell

   Depending on where you live, a wood covered roof might not pass code.

   Joseph Fusco

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1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 12, 1999 09:55am | #2

   *Jaspell - are you talking about cedar "shakes" - which are hand split and cut kind of unevenly on the butts? Or are you talking ablut cedar "shingles" - which are bandsawn and very uniform in thickness and cut evenly across butt?Shingles are gonna last longer, cost more, cost more to install, and might or not be the look you are thinking of. What we used to call #1 "blue labels" (shingles) might last 50 years on a real steep (say 12/12) roof, in a real dry climate, with no needles or debris falling on roof. But they are gonna be mighty hard to find, and I'm guessing somewhere around 120.00 per square (just the shingles)In hand split shakes it is hard to find what we used to call "heavys" (I think the butts were at least 1") and it seems like the cedar we get now days doesn't have the resins it used to, which would help explain why it absorbs moisture so bad. If you could find them, and applied them under the same favorable conditions I described above, they might last 50 years, but I wouldn't tell a customer that, and put my word on it. - jb

2. 
   JohnKirk | Jun 12, 1999 10:30am | #3

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   Jaspell,

   If you know how old you your house is you can pretty much answer your own question. You already have one layer of cedar shingles on your house.

   Cedar Shingles only last in areas of low humidity.

   JohnKirk

1. 
   Richard_Angell | Jun 12, 1999 08:07pm | #4

   *The origional shingles on my house (120 yo) lasted at least fifty years. The wood was old growth cedar, split along the grain and planed flat. They also appeared to have had applications of copper sulfate from time to time. I put on #1 shingles 25 years ago and the sun exposed side is weathered completely through the outer exposed shingles in some spots. Re replacement, #1s cost about $150 a sq. here. My dilemma is similar with weight a consideration in this high seismic activity area. I am considering aluminum shingles. Any advice?

3. 
   Guest_ | Jun 12, 1999 10:33pm | #5

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   a few questions---- what pitch are you dealing with? a steep pitch out of the trees will last longer than one that is lower and in the trees( don't use shakes here}-----what kind of ventilation do you have? the more the better the shakes need to have free flowing air on both sides of the roof. if you look at the older farm houses and barns the attics have large gable vents and or windows that allow a great cross wind to help keep the attic the same temp as the outside this also helps to dry out the shakes and keep them moisture free(ants and other bugs like wet wood) one more thought an old building practice was to put a copper strip or wire on the ridge (and in the middlie of the roof if it is a big span) this helps to keep the roof clean and free from all mossy types of fungi wood roofs if constructed with traditional (read old time pratices) will last 100 years or more. we have plenty of them around here in the midwest that are that old and are now just being replaced.check with the local inspector to see if the wood roofs need to be laced (woven) with 1/2 rolls of 30# felt. this seems to be the code now and i have not seen these last much over 15-20 years. good luck personally i like the shakes and think that they are the way to go if done the "right" way.

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   Guest_ | Jun 14, 1999 09:39am | #6

   *My Mother's old house in a suburb of Los Angeles was built in 1939. Split cedar roof. I could stand in the garage and look up at the skip sheathing and see pin points of light but it never seemed to leak. We sold it four years ago to settle her estate. We are talking 55-60 years of service. That is two, three asphalt roofs. Even so, I think I would want to look at metal roofing options. Live in Arkansas now. Three tabs are the norm here.

4. 
   stevenpsouth.net | Jun 17, 1999 03:59am | #7

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   Jaspell,
   I have done some research on wood roofs and I ended up at a web sight of the st. of Washington Cedar bur. a couple of years ago. they were pretty specific about the climatic zone of the home I was building. It was based on the actual lattitude the building was in.If I remember correctly they were also pretty adament about using only western red cedar on the roof no matter where it was ,also the recomendation they gave me was to ventilate the under side of roof ,somewhat like your skip sheathing but with the roof deck 1/2 cdx ply ,with ice and water shield first 3 ft. then 30 lb. felt covering the rest of the roof.Next to take 2 1/2" strapping and run paralell with and directly over the rafters then skip sheath perpindicular over the vertical strapping. expensive but is ventilated well. if you need more let me know. Steve.

5. 
   Jaspell_ | Jun 17, 1999 10:23am | #8

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   I have a 2 layer roof that needs replacing. The underlayment is skip sheathing, the first layer is cedar, the second layer is Timberline asphalt. My roofing contractor proposes to remove both layers,resubstrate w/ 1/2" cdx and place 25 year architectural asphalt over 15lb felt. This is fine but my question is this: Norm Abram says cedar shakes should last 50 years if properly installed over skip sheathing. Why then shouldn't I just strip the two layers, bag the plywood, and relay 5"exposure number 1 cedar shakes over the existing skip sheathing? My roofer says cedar will only last 15 years. Who's right and what are my options?

6. 
   Guest_ | Jun 17, 1999 10:23am | #9

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   The fundamental question remains: "Why put a large quantity of tinder on your roof?" As Mr. Fusco points out in many areas now they are verbotten. I have been told by folks in a subdivision I did some work for that some insurance companies charge a premium for houses with shake/shingle roofs; also due to the fire hazard.