Cedar Shake Shingles - The Fatal Flaw
The main disadvantage with wood roofing may be the inherent fire hazard. I saw an aerial photo on the neighborhood in California that were struck by a brush fire. Every home had burnt on the ground except one. They all had wood roofs except for the one left position, which had a tile roof. Brush fires aren't the only fire hazard for wood roofs... Sparks from a wood-burning stove or fireplace have started out many wood roofs burning.
Insurance companies hate lumber roofs, as they have been completely burnt so many instances insuring them. Now days, they either won't provide coverage whatsoever, or want enormous premiums to do so. The fire risk is indeed great that many areas have outright banned lumber roofing, despite manufacturer's attempts to make it more fire resistant. I'm a tad on your guard on how fire-resistant it actually is. Here's why I say that...
The owner of an roofing company I used to work for liked to conserve dump fees by losing trash that accumulated approximately his warehouse and workplace. Almost every day he had a bonfire, burning up old pallets and like. I had just returned from clearing my first wood top project and had some scraps of the "fire-resistant" material in the rear of my truck. It occurred to me to test their fire-resistance by throwing them over the bonfire. I was astounded at how fast that they burst into flames.
Other down sides of cedar shake shingles include:
They can be really hazardous to walk on when wet, which they might just be when you are going after a leak.
Wood requires periodic cleaning and treatment to keep it free of fungus.
Wood tends to curl and split, creating leakages. This is a particular problem in places such as Florida, which has lots of rain, followed by a lot of sun.
Cedar shake shingles are expensive. On top of a labor intensive manufacturing approach, is the shipping expense. The last ones I got myself here in Florida were trucked all the way down from Canada.
Installing wooden shakes and shingles is usually labor intensive. Each one covers a fairly small area and has to be individually positioned and put in with two nails. And great care ought to be taken to select and cut each piece and avoid exposing nails in this course below. I once replaced a wood roof that was only three years old because the roofer screwed this up. He left exposed screws (and leaks) all over the place.
This work is somewhat of art and is not a good do-it-yourself friendly project. I want roofing systems that are simple enough for a homeowner to successfully install himself if need be. These roofing systems also have a fairly short lifetime... typically 15 years or less pc climate. Combine that with high repair and maintenance expense, and you get huge lifecycle costs.
My viewpoint of cedar shake shingles:
They might have been the best choice a century or two ago, nevertheless their time has can come and gone. I love the looks, but the fire hazard alone is a "fatal flaw" that rules them out in my book. Cypress roofing contractor