Wood Shingles

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, people that knew how to make wood shingles were aware of what a labor-intensive job was ahead of them. The wood species used depended upon the local wood available and it was the logs inner section or heartwood they made into shingles. The conventional method for making wood shingles began with log bolts or sections that were hand split into wedges. They used an axe to split thin planks from these wedges, following the wood grain. To make tapered wood shingles they flipped the log after every consecutive strike. They planed the irregular hand split shingles using a shaving horse with a drawshave or drawknife, so each shingle fit the roof evenly over the open sheathing boards.

The early nineteenth century saw the revolution of shingle fabrication, which mass-produced uniform, tapered shingles using steam powered sawmills. The wood shake shingles and sedar wood shingles made today are thicker and have a rough, rustic looking surface.

Many homeowners today use cedar shingles of wood because they want their wood roofs to look natural. Weathered wood shingles are also strong and stand up against the elements. In wood shingle installation, both red and white cedar shingles remain a popular choice of roofing. When using wood shingles, the install and wood shingles and how they look are very similar to years ago. The white cedar shingles, perfect for Nantucket style cottages and bungalows, is weathered wood roofing which stands up to coastal weather, unlike red cedar that often turns black. Approximately every six years you need to use a bleaching oil to treat white cedar shingles to increase their longevity and durability. They saturate red cedar shingles with tannic acid because it is a natural preservative and prevents corrosion. Although a lot more expensive than white cedar, the creosoted wood red singles add a charming, rich look to a homeowner’s property, are the preferred choice and available in silver gray, cinnamon, and honey hues.

If a homeowner wants a Nantucket style cottage with wood shingles, it is the wood roof trusses, which supports the roofing materials and the wood roof truss that determines your roofs shape. The wood roof truss dimensions depend upon the size of the roof and the type of roofing material the homeowner wants. Installing wood shingle siding will give your home a rustic, lovely wood appearance. Cedar shakers, normally sold unpainted, are available pre-stained, treated with a preservatives or fire retardants or painted.