Why wood shake roofing?
There are many reasons to select a wood shake roof for your home.
- Safest roof in a fire.
- Longest lasting common roof.
- Environmentally friendly.
- Most economical.
- Saves energy.
Why are wood shake roofs not a popular roof today?
- Bad publicity from the media concerning fire.
- Homeowners not being told how to maintain the roof rather than replace it.
- Initial cost of installation.
- Fewer roofers qualified to install, therefore fewer roofers offer this type of roof.
- Insurance companies not wanting to insure the roof after 15 years without maintenance due to leaks.
- Residents may believe they are not allowed. CA Title 24 permits wood shake roofs (click here).
- Residents and contractors may believe the wood shake roof is not a cool roof. It has passed the cool roof test (see next document here for example of heavy shake). Also, your common sense may lead you to this conclusion, in any case (click here) to go University of Texas study mid-page.
Testing evidence (next) shows that the wood shake roof rates high on protecting the home from heat, and is only surpassed by whitened roof surfaces, a look that may not be considered appealing to the eye or matching the design of the home.
What is the solution to the problem? Educating the public about wood shake roofs. That is the purpose of this site.