Want a Red Cedar Roof, Concerns About Longevity?

8 years ago

About 15 years later than we hoped, we are finally building the south-Jersey beach house we've dreamed about. We really want a warmer toned wood roof than the light silver- gray Alaskan Yellow Cedar that our architect loves --it's beautiful, but it dictates a cool (blue, gray, green) paint palette for siding, whereas we (being half Californian) want a warm white and wood tone palette. Being from the east coast I could probably come around to the gray and white look, but unfortunately my Californian husband and son find it bleak and unwelcoming. So we want Western Red Cedar.

But the more I read, the more concerned I get that red cedar roofs today are much softer than they used to be, and can't be expected to last nearly as long as the roofs of the houses around us that went up between the 20s and 80s. Is that accurate? Does it depend on the grade of the shingle/shake, or is today's premium or No. 1 red cedar just not as resilient? Can anybody give thoughts on the wisdom or unwisdom of using red cedar (so far architect is specifying shingles rather than shakes), what our best bets are for making a red cedar roof last if we are required to use fire-rated material, and if there are other wood roofs out there (or really great looking synthetic shakes?) that might work for us if we want a brown-gray roof rather than a silver-gray one? We've see one wallaba shake roof that is absolutely beautiful, but can't find out anything about warranties or cost for that kind of roof. All thoughts welcome and greatly appreciated!

Featured Answer

rwiegand

8 years ago

The main problem with wood shingle roof now is that no one seems to know how to install them. To last a long time they need to be put onto spaced sheathing with no intervening tarpaper or other non-breathable materials. The shakes need to be able to dry from both sides. Using solid sheathing or strips of tarpaper under each course will trap water and promote rot in short order.

Red cedar turns gray pretty quickly when exposed to sun and weather. I'm not sure you could tell the difference between red and white cedar after a couple years. If color is your primary concern I'd go with a synthetic product, and save a bundle in the process.

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Comments (7)

robin0919
8 years ago
Have you thought about a metal roof? Maint. free and lifetime....

http://www.bing.com/search?q=metal+roofing+styles+and+colors&qs=AS&pq=metal+roofing+styles+and+&sc=2-25&cvid=8D4B0EE187164A68A1A74D2BE00C9213&FORM=QBRE&sp=1&ghc=1
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User
8 years ago
I have a white cedar roof as well that we installed about 10 yea ago(Jersey shore but a few miles in) . It is really brown not gray at all. As the above poster says, if it's installed correctly without sheathing, it will last longer. Ours has the sheathing and we are just hoping for 15 years.

There really is no substitute for the look in my opinion but I have a Dutch colonial so lots of exposed roof in front pushed my choice for cedar.

Here is a pic so you can see the color. It really could go with any color siding. My neighbor has a red cedar clapboard house (weathered naturally) and it is the same color as my white cedar clapboard
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millworkman
8 years ago
Old Growth Cedar which used to be prevalent and readily available has been replaced with trees harvested much sooner. As such the wood is not as mature, as dense or had the chance truly develop to as tight a grained stable tree.
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User
8 years ago
Look at metal shakes in a red brown color. That will stay red brown. Cedar will turn gray. All Cedar.
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robin0919
8 years ago
Metal roofs come in numerous designs and colors. I'm not with a metal roof company......just believe in them.
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Ed(Edwina) and Stephen Ci
8 years ago
My experience. I had a red cedar roof in Cody Wyoming, as many people do. It is a very different climate from yours- very dry for 6 months then piled with snow for 6. If well insulated roof the snow does not melt off the roof most of the winter. The shakes were installed by previous owner/builder who was a contractor in 1984. I put a new door in 2009, I believe. About 2000 I bought a couple bundles of red cedar shakes to put on the chicken coop so it would match the house. I was disappointed in the quality- some of them I could snap with my hands (female- just think what a guy could do with them!). Maybe if you purchased a thick shake it would last longer. On the other hand- the exterior was red cedar planks- those were like new when I sold the house two years ago, but I did maintain it well. Used oil about every three years which is a must in such a dry climate. (Due to poor quality fast growth wood used today, when I put a new roof on I used architectual shingles. Would have done metal but knew I would sell relatively soon. Have metal roof now, in Florida and will do so in next build too. Some insurance give credits for metal roof for fire reasons. In Wyoming/State Farm they would make me have a rider 'because of potential hail damage'. I hate insurance companies!!
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