I will be reroofing an old victorian with a worn out 21 yr old cedar shingle roof (my grandmothers residence). I am hoping to find a reputable synthetic alternative to cedar that might last a bit longer and provide some improved fire resistance. Given the 2×4 rafters I cant consider a cement product?
The most likely candidates I have discovered are ever shake or enviroshake.
Do any of you have any firsthand experiences or observations of them or similar alternatives?
I have searched this forum and come up with some related posts but nothing that gives specific info on these.
It seemed the most detailed responses were from Piffin (and others) on simulated slate roofing.
I did find a roofers forum and got a bit of info there but I am having a tough time finding people who have owned or worked with simulated wood shingles/shakes.
http://www.rooferscoffeeshop.com/forums/viewreplies.asp?TopicID=668&Srch=False
FWIW I am on the northern california coast in Santa Cruz.
If I can’t find a reliable shingle that looks like wood I am open to using composition shingles but the prospect of re sheeting the 12:12 roof with plywood is not that enticing. I know evershake can be applied over skip sheeting if one is willing to accept a reduction in fire rating.
Karl
Replies
You might find something here: http://www.duraloc.com
And here's a forum: http://www.metalroofing.com
ShelleyinNM
SB,
Thanks for the links, I originally was intrigued by metal roofing after reading a post on this forum about gerard metal roofing. The aesthetics may be good but I am really trying to match the effect of a cedar shingle roof. The other factor is that this roof has a lot of hips and valleys so it would be fairly wasteful of material if I was applying steel panels. Noise is the final concern with metal.
I asked at my local supply house and they said they could get metal roofing formed like shingles but they were the first to warn me the look might not live up to my expectations.
nonetheless, thanks for the tips,
karl
Karl -
We are building a log home and wanted the cedar shake look without the cedar shake maintenance. After much research, we decided on eco-shake, from Re-New Wood, Inc. It's designed to (and pretty much does) look like cedar shake. It's made from recycled garden hoses and saw dust, has a 3-D texture (not just shading), and each square comes with assorted 4, 7, 12 inch pieces.
We have it sitting on our site and are going to install next week. I ordered samples from several companies, including those you mentioned, and really liked the look and feel of these best. If you want more info go to ecoshake.com and check it out. They'll send you a sample and more information. I won't be able to tell you how it installs until next week, but the roofer is pretty excited about trying it!
Some specs: weight/sq = 250#, 50 yr warranty, Class A fire rating, UV protected, solid color throughout, passes 100mph wind driven rain testing, ........
Hope this helps a bit. Good luck!
Susan
Susan, thanks for the info. I wish I was corresponding with you five years down the road to get a long term reaction.
Was there any evidence that convinced you this would be good enough for long term uv exposure?
I will check back with you if I am still deciding after you have had a chance to install some.
Karl
What's the price of these eco-shakes? With steel prices so high, an alternative that isn't asphalt is welcome.
Bird,
the evershakes I looked at are around $250/square. I don't have pricing info on the other brands.
My concern is more the longevity of plastic than the price.
Wood just doesn't seem to last with the current quality of forest products.
Karl
If all you are interested in is longevity, you can Lifepine (http://lifepine.com/) shingles, presure treated pine. They don't have the fire resistance you may be looking for though, but they're guarenteed for 50 years. You can get a really chunky 'shake' look, with one of their lines. Its pricey, the same as cedar, but will last 3X or longer.