Problems with Wood Roofs and Introducing the Best Sustainable Alternative
Woods roofs have been around for centuries (click here to visit our article about the history of wood roofing materials) and compliment the appearance of your home. While wood roofs are environmentally friendly and have insulation benefits, they are highly flammable and susceptible to splitting, rotting, cracking, mold, mildew and animal and insect infestation. Wood roofs are environmentally friendly and can be fully recycled when replacing or tearing of a roof.
High upfront costs and chemical treatments
Problems with wood roofs include high upfront cost for installation and repair, chemical treatments and preservatives, natural degradation, fire concern, and short lifespan depending on how often you take care of your wood roof and the location of your home.
If you do choose to install a natural cedar wood roof, the installation process may require special tools and a roofing contractor with experience installing wood roofing shake shingles. If you live in a mountain town or area that is prone to wildfires, your wood roof will require fire retardant chemicals and treatments. These fire retardant chemicals need to be re-applied every 5-7 years which can be a costly and unplanned out-of-pocket expense for homeowners.
Prone to mold, mildew and insects
When cleaning your wood roof, a wood roof calls for specific roof care. Wood is prone to moss, mildew, mold, lichens and insects which will rot away and eat your roof. Cleaning products are made for removing these problems and whatever else nature may bring. The downfall to this, is that certain cleaning products can be expensive as well as hiring experienced individuals to do it for you in order to get the best results. Another downfall is some of the cleaning products can strip the wood leaving it discolored and faded. When exposed to excessive amounts of water, the cedar shake can curl leaving open spaces for leaking. You can fix these curls if you catch them fast enough by applying roof sealant where needed. If the shake curls past that, you will most likely have to replace the row of shakes or shingles or replace the entire roof.
Wood is a fire hazard
Though wood roofs can provide a stunning look, they are not the best choice when exposed to certain weather. Wood roofs are a fire hazard and are hard to put out. Wood is naturally flammable so who knows how reliable the use of fire retardant chemicals is. In high wind, wood shake shingles can be ripped off and broken in high winds. When snowed on, wood absorbs some of the water which causes curling and erosion leaving your roof looking staggered and brittle. Since wood pieces are fragile, hail storms can result in bruises in the wood, cracks, breaks, and holes in your roof. Too much exposure to the sun will leave your roof looking faded and dried out.
Weigh your options
Many factors come into play when deciding on what roofing material you want to choose for your home. If you want a wood roof. It is important to know that wood roofs are temporary, and their lifespan differs depending on the location of your home. They are not meant to be a lifetime roof, especially in harsh weather conditions. It is also important to know as much information as possible when considering installing a wood roof, performing roof maintenance or doing roof care. There are many options when it comes to picking a roof and finding one that best suits you, your home, and your environment.
CeDUR is the best sustainable roofing alternative to wood shake shingles
As beautiful as natural wood shake shingles may seem, it is not your best option and comes with countless problems. CeDUR's synthetic shake shingles are a much more durable and sustainable roofing option that has virtually no issues and is low maintenance. CeDUR's shingles are also environmentally and eco-friendly, adding to the benefits of choosing them compared to other roofing options. CeDUR is also stand alone Class A fire rated and does not require a fire resistant underlayment during installation.