Our 15-year old cedar shake roof (in Seattle) is just about ready to be replaced. I would like to replace it with something that will last longer but cannot use standard asphalt 3-tabs due to the neighborhood covenants. The replacement has to look roughly like shakes.
I’ve heard that there are other materials that fit this bill but have not seen much information other than marketing rah-rah. Do any of you have experience with any alternative roofing materials? For example, I’ve heard that there are aluminum shakes, several materials made of plastics and concrete (likely too heavy for the trusses). Are there any others? Any horror stories or glowing reports? Do you know of a resource for comparing roofing types?
Thank you,
— Bruce Kelley in Redmond, WA