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Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

wood shake replacement

| Posted in General Discussion on November 5, 2002 08:23am

May need to replace a wood shake roof soon and looking for advice and products that will look like wood shake, but not look too phony.  SOCAL location

 

Thanks

Reply

Replies

  1. gwcarpenter | Nov 07, 2002 04:26am | #1

    Wood Shakes.

    Now that the smart-adz'd answer is out of the way... you've several

    fake-shake options, most are thinner versions of the fake slate roofing, or one could just whack on High Definition Architectural shingles available from ELK Roofing.

    Edited 11/6/2002 8:35:22 PM ET by George W. Carpenter



    Edited 11/6/2002 8:36:40 PM ET by George W. Carpenter

  2. Piffin | Nov 07, 2002 05:27am | #2

    First thing to check is whether you are bound by land deed restrictions, covenants, or local codes like "Shake roofs only" or "Fireproofed shakes only"

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius

  3. andybuildz | Nov 07, 2002 05:32am | #3

    whats wrong with using real wood shakes? You can get em fire retardent and water retardent . Why go fake?

    Be well

            Namaste

                         Andy

    It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

    1. User avater
      aimless | Nov 07, 2002 07:43pm | #4

      Some parts of SoCal no longer allow wood on the roof, period.

      1. Piffin | Nov 08, 2002 03:40am | #5

        Bannana leaves then!.

        Excellence is its own reward!

        "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius

    2. pm22 | Nov 08, 2002 04:20am | #6

      If you had a forest fire situation and you were a fire captain and you had limited resources and you had a choice of either defending a house with a tile roof versus a house that looked like it had wood shingles, which would you defend?

      -Peter

      1. Piffin | Nov 08, 2002 04:31am | #7

        The one with wood shingles wood look like it needed help more so Off to the rescuse.

        Excellence is its own reward!

        "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius

        1. pm22 | Nov 08, 2002 09:36am | #9

          Piffen,

          I guess this parable didn't work as planned. I meant it that the correct tactical decision would be to defend something which is salvable - not a lost cause.

          Not only are wood shakes themselves flamable and easily ignited, but the also release brands - flamming embers which sail off over yonder and ignite something else. Maybe wood shingles would work in someplace where it rains every other day like Hawaii or west Washington - or Maine? - but in a state plagued by forest fires like California, there are better, safer options.

          You may be interested in Building Construction for the Fire Service by Francis L. Brannigan, 3rd edition. [pp. 124-126]`1v In fact, I reccomend it to all builders. Boss Hog may enjoy the chapter on trusses.

          -Peter [and the cat]

          [the cat wrote the bit `1v and I don't know what that means.]

          1. andybuildz | Nov 08, 2002 03:03pm | #10

            I'd defend the wannabe ( course unless there was a real wood shake roof house then that'd be first cause I'm predjudice)wood shake roof house. BTW they sell fire retardent wood shingles. Also you can recoat them to fire retard them years later if you feel its necessary. I ain't down on you for wanting wannabe wood shingles. Just stated my opinion for what its worth. I can understand your point my brother.

            Stay well

                      Namaste

                                 Andy

            It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

            Edited 11/8/2002 7:05:07 AM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)

          2. User avater
            BossHog | Nov 08, 2002 03:20pm | #11

            " Boss Hog may enjoy the chapter on trusses."

            No, Boss Hog wouldn't. I've read stuff written by him before, and specifically some of his stuff on trusses. He likes to twist the facts around regarding trusses, and uses emotional arguements about killing firefighters. The guy may be smart, but he's a jerk, IMHO.Why is the televised news DEATH, DEATH, DEATH, Weather, DEATH, DEATH, DEATH, Sports, DEATH, DEATH, Cute little story involving kittens?

          3. roucru | Nov 08, 2002 10:56pm | #12

            Boss WHERE do you come up with these tag lines???? Love this one!Tamara

          4. User avater
            BossHog | Nov 09, 2002 01:33am | #13

            I answer that question a lot. I collect themn from stuff I see on the internet, stuff that gets emailed to me, etc. I keep them in a text file on my hard drive. Then I copy a line from the top of the file and move it to the bottom so they aren't repeated often. I once worked as a horse trainer. It was a stable job.

          5. pm22 | Nov 09, 2002 08:56am | #14

            Mr. Hog,

            I don't think Mr. Brannigan would appreciate your attitude. He writes for firefighters and wants to protect their lives. He is not being a jerk for doing so. All he is doing is pointing out various dangers they may face in different types of construction. He doesn't single out trusses. He has chapters on the dangers of high rises, concrete, masonry [not masonary], and "ordinary construction". His motto is: THE BUILDING IS YOUR ENEMY. KNOW YOUR ENEMY.

            Perhaps the main lesson for all builders is to insure fire separation - pipe penetrations, firestops,etc. For instance, there is a steel truss ["bar"] which goes thru a drywalled wall separating two stores or something and the sheetrock is just a rectantular hole around it. During a fire, the smoke and hot gases go right thru.

            A steel beam 100' long, when heated to 1000º - easy in a fire - will elongate 9". If this beam is firmly attached to two tilt-up slab walls, it can push them over. He just wants the firemen to be aware of this possibility.

            =Peter

            Dewey = 628.925 Brannigan              Technical = NFPA BCFS-3

          6. User avater
            BossHog | Nov 09, 2002 07:15pm | #16

            I realize that the guy is trying to teach firemen something. I don't have a problem with that.

            What I have a problem with is that he paints the building industry as a whole as just a bunch of nuts who don't care about firefighters.

            It's not his message I have a problem with - It's the way it's delivered.Seatbelts are a great safety device. If you sit on the buckle, it keeps you from falling asleep at the wheel

          7. Piffin | Nov 09, 2002 06:33pm | #15

            I realize that there is a judgement call on which to save and to some degree I went with the shake roof to play devil's advocate (frenchy's influence, I guess)

            I'm sure by the time a fire captain gets to that point where he has to make that judgement call, he has plenty of training and experience to hone that judgement. From his view, the home is an inanimate object but speaking as a builder, designer, and owner, a home is much more. Medical triage asks us to make difficult choices too.

            I'm not sure why we would want to read this book if it is written for firefighters to help them understand buildings. What info does it have to apply to the contruction and design process?.

            Excellence is its own reward!

            "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius

    3. bill3404 | Nov 10, 2002 01:25am | #17

      I agree that wood would maintain the character and aesthetics of the home, but there is a chance that the insurance company is not going to renew policies on wood roofs, and i am merely planning for the worst.  As far as i am concerned, until the roof leaks or has a problem, it is a good roof.  Just planning ahead. I just got an estimate for Fire free shakes, I will check out the Elk website

      thanks

      Bill

  4. stonefever | Nov 08, 2002 08:19am | #8

    Bill,

    Been there, done that...

    Run over to South Coast Shingle in Mission Viejo.  It's to the west of the 5 and south off Crown Valley.  I believe they're on Forbes Rd.

    Inside, to the right of the counter as you face it, is a nice display of CedarLite concrete tiles.  Several different shades to match the degree of weathering seen on various shakes.  The Queen and I took a fallen shake in to match.

    These aren't cheep.  But they're actually a bit less than installing new fireproofed shakes along with the required fire barrier underneath.  And they're cheaper than heavier concrete tiles (over 6lbs/sq ft requires engineering to certify the framing can take the load).  I paid about $200 per square for the material.  The ends and ridge pieces come in a amoured truck.  But it looks stunning.  Most people think they are shakes.

    Now I gussied up the project.  Put in all copper flashings, vents and every other damn thing imaginable.  For a 12/12 pitch with too many dormers, hips, and chimneys and using 31 square, the final cost was in the low thirties.   And I was happy to pay that.  Really looked nice.

    1. bill3404 | Nov 10, 2002 01:27am | #18

      Thanks, my Brother in law is an architect and recommended the same store!!  we will make a day trip and check it out, if I decide to reroof.

      Bill

      1. andybuildz | Nov 10, 2002 01:43am | #19

        Fire shmire...I LOVE wood! Take the necessary precautions the best you can. With all the new technology I believe fire retardent shingles work. I've tried em with my torch. I did so because I will be redoing a real old house with them... with two chimmneys and three fireplaces. They work awesome. I aint down on anything ya all wanna do what- so- ever. Aint puttin' anyone down at all. Different strokes fer different folks but to me WOOD can't be beat. I feel its worth the money and the time. Spose I think that before ya know it the whole world will be artificial wannabe material. Sad day if ya ask me. I love the rich feel of wood and authenticity. The depth and soul of it. The natural elements over my skullbone. OK OK so just call me a romantic fool (thats why me wife loves me.....lol). Spose thats why I love being a carpenter/builder. My wife and Mom call me a "builder"...spose thats some sorta ego thing for them but when someone asks me what I do for a living I say" I'm a carpenter". I think it means working with wood. So I spose' I may be predjudice, so pay me no mind. I'm kinda caught up in the poetry of it all. Walt Whitmans home is about 10 minutes from mine. All wood....good enough for him then good enough for me....My house and his have been around a perty long time with "non" treated wood shake roofs.

        Be well

             Namaste

                          AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

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