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Cedar
Shingles Can Add An Elegant Touch to Your Home
A cedar shingle roof can add aesthetic value to your home,
and exemplify unique character. Sometimes entire communities
will have predominantly cedar shingled roofs due to
construction methods at the time, or homeowner association
rules of construction code. This can give the surrounding
area a uniform and pleasing look.
Many custom and higher-end builders choose cedar shingles to
convey affluence in their work. Many experts argue that they
are more environmentally friendly than man-made “composite”
roofs whose manufacture gives off emissions, and the
shingles themselves can contain asbestos, tar, and oil.
However, cedar shingle roofs do require routine examination
and maintenance more so than any other types of roofing
shingles.
Cedar Shingles
Installation- Cedar shingles must be installed properly to
begin with. Use of licensed contractors who have experience
with cedar is recommended. Local building codes may mandate
use of an underlayment material of tar, paper or felt. These
rules should be followed as well as others such as type of
nails (galvanized …), caulking, and roof pitch. A poorly
installed roof will have problems for years to come.
Moisture- the single biggest problem owners of cedar
shingles face. Any moisture that does not ‘breathe’ out of
the shingles will shorten their life. The shingles will
begin to rot, and then to dry out again. Cycles of
saturation and then drying out will cause the cedar shingles
to curl up on their ends. Eventually water may run under the
shingles and onto the underlying roof. It can soak through
and cause damage to the home.
Moss can cause buildup of moisture, as well as debris such
as pine needles, leaves and twigs. Homeowners should make
sure to keep their cedar shingled roofs clear of debris. Any
sealer a homeowner uses while repairing their cedar shingle
roofs should be appropriate for use. If not, the sealer may
actually act to hold moisture in and exacerbate the problem.
Inspection of the roof, and repair of cedar shingles should
be done at routine intervals; allowing a small problem to go
for a period of time, will result in an even larger problem
later. |
