Traditional wooden shake shingles have been popular in the old days as they delivered great characters. However, their popularity has declined in recent years and replaced with shake shingles made of fiberglass or asphalt. The modern-day shake shingles are specifically designed to provide the charm of hand-split wood shakes, but without heavy expenditure or high maintenance.
What Distinguishes Shake Shingles?
When it comes to protection and style, shake-style roofing is the ultimate choice. The present-day shake shingles offer high resistance against wind and fire while replicating the appeal of wood shakes. They are thicker than the regular asphalt shingles and offer more resistance to snow, wind and ice. This is one of the many reasons for their exploding popularity. In fact, most of the new, as well as, replacement roofs that are seen today are constructed with shake-style roofing.
The Upsides and Downsides of Wood Shake Shingles
Great aesthetic appeal and durability are the two prized characteristics of wood shakes. With time, they even change colour – from a warm, vibrant red to prominent gray. Moreover, you can recycle them into chips and mulch, and they are energy-efficient.
Wood shakes are high maintenance and that is one of their major downsides. Poor ventilation, prolonged exposure to rain and sun, rot, mild, fungus growth and mildew seriously deteriorates wood shakes and wear-and-tear can be seen easily on them. If you do not maintain them on a regular basis, the wood shakes might not only curl and split, but impair the integrity of the entire roofing system. Besides that, they pose a fire hazard, especially for people who reside near wildfire zones and they are priced exorbitantly.
Why Should You Consider Getting Shake-style Roofing?
Shake-style roofing shingles is an ideal choice for homeowners who want to increase the life of their roofing system and reduce their monthly energy costs. Compared to wood, modern-day shake shingles are extremely low maintenance. They do not decay or rot like their wooden counterpart. In addition, they are protected against harmful UV rays and rain as they are constructed using woven fiberglass with a waterproof asphalt coating and ceramic granules. They have a long life expectancy, fire resistance and energy-efficient. Since they are lightweight and do not fade, shake roofing lasts long and comes with a long-term warranty, along with an Energy Star certification. There are even high-end shake-style roofing tiles that come with algae resistance and stays protected for approximately 10 years.
Is Shake-style Roofing Ideal for Modern Homes?
Are you concerned about losing the old-world magnetism of wood shakes? You can rest assured as modern-day shake shingles showcase ornate and elaborate designs that lend a multi-dimensional and sculpted appearance, which you can barely distinguish from wood shakes. You will find shake shingles in myriad colours to complement your home and boost the overall appeal.
So, go ahead and replace or upgrade your roof system with shake-style shingles. Your home will thank you for it! Contact our team to learn more about this great material or our other roofing materials like our popular slate roofs.
