Wood Shake Roof - For that Classic Rustic Look

Although a wood shake roof is hard to maintain and repair, there are still quite a few people who prefer this kind of roofing primarily because of the character that such a material evokes. Basically, wood shakes are divided by hand from blocks of wood. In order to make the shakes appear more rustic and old, they are sometimes grooved. Nowadays, you can also find shakes that are machine cut on one side (for flatter surface) and are divided by hand on the other side.

Although some homeowners install wood shakes on their own, many prefer to have it installed by a professional. Typically a roof that is composed of wood shakes cost about $6 to $9 per square foot. So if you have a common ranch style house with a slightly sloped roof, you should expect your expenses for a wood shake roof to be in the range of $10,000 to $20,000. In order to save money or have more fire resistant roofing, some people who aspire to have wooden-looking roofs just opt to use roofing materials, such as polymer or rubber, created to look like natural wood shakes or shingles. There are also some who use machine-cut wood shingles because it gives a more uniform look. Installation of wood shingles, which are much cheaper than wood shakes, can cost around $6,800 to $14,500 for an average sized home.

Apart from the beauty and character evoked by wood roofing, people who prefer a wood shake roof believe that wood provide energy benefits, such as allowing proper circulation of air inside the house and also to help insulate the attic. Besides, wood roofing is considered by many as more environment friendly than other types of roofing materials. If you are someone who wants uniformity, however, this kind of roof material is not for you as the appearance of wood shakes varies in width, color, thickness or cut. In fact, many say that no two shakes can be exactly similar.

One of the glaring reasons why a wood shake roof cannot seem to gain popularity is its difficulty to maintain. Because wood is organic, it can be exposed to molding, rotting and insect infestation. So if you do not take extra precautions in maintaining your shake roof, you will end up repairing the shakes or completely changing your roof in just a couple of years. Since wood is not fire retardant, it would be best that you buy your wood shakes from manufacturers that make pressure-treated wood shakes, which passes through fire safety standards.