Historic Restoration and Renovation

Cedar shakes and shingles are often used on historic restoration and renovation projects, and can be made to resemble original materials. Examples of historically accurate products include tapersplit shakes that are produced by hand, using a sharp bladed steel froe and a mallet; and straight-split shakes, that are produced by machine or in the same manner as tapersplit shakes.

When working with historic replications, design professionals should keep in mind that materials should be selected that are specific to the period, not necessarily to the building's completion date. Design criteria for historic renovations with cedar shakes and shingles include the following:

• Avoid handsplit and resawn products. Handsplit shake machines were not available until approximately 1935.


• Shingle machines have been in existence since about 1835, developed by Shakers in Maine and New Hampshire.


• Shingle and shake application should be three ply buildup without felt paper.


• Use nailing strips, not solid deck sheathing.


• Antique sheathing boards were rough sawn, which leads to an uneven decking surface. Plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) panels are not authentic.


• Ridge airflow products are not historically accurate.


• Use hand nailing rather than any kind of power fasteners. Do not use staples.

A Renewable Resource

Wood is biodegradable, recyclable, renewable, and an environmentally sound building material. According to the American Forest and Paper Association (www.afandpa.org), "In 1999, the forestry community planted some 1.7 billion trees in the United States. That's an average of more than 4 million trees planted every day − more than 5 new trees a year for every man, woman and child in America."

There has been a concerted effort by government, industry, environmentalists, and other stakeholders over the last 20 years to develop a stringent set of forest management practices in the United States and Canada. Among all the building products available, wood is one of the few building products that is derived from a renewable resource.

Steel, aluminum, plastic and concrete are sometimes viewed as wood substitutes. The forest industry replaces what it removes; the same cannot be said about iron ore, bauxite, precious oil reserves, petroleum, or limestone materials.

Extending the Life of a Cedar Roof

Cedar has been proven to last over hundreds of years. The life of a cedar roof depends on various factors, including the quality of the product. Quality shakes and shingles are generally manufactured by mills subscribing to a third party inspection agency program. The grade of the product on the label is also important. Premium Grade shakes or Number One grade shingles are 100 percent edge (vertical) grain and will yield the longest life.

Installation should be performed by an experienced, quality-oriented roofing contractor. Subcontracting to crews is an acceptable industry practice, but architectural specifications should list required qualifications for subcontractors, including that they should be experienced, trained professionals.