There are three types of wood shake each desirable for its own set of qualities.
Cedar shakes and shingles difference.
Shakes offer a more traditional rough hewn style as they ve been around for centuries whereas shingles can be identified by their uniformity and even taper.
Fivex shingles are 16 inches long.
Cedar shakes shakes are split on one or both sides and are more irregular than shingles.
The length of cedar shingles used can impact the appearance of your house.
When used in installation or repairs cedar roofs can come in the form of either a shake or shingle.
Cedar shingles and shake look great on any house options for cedar shakes cedar shakes are naturally thicker than shingles which as we mentioned before can partly account for their higher cost.
Shingles are generally thinner than shakes and are seldom greater than 1 2 inch thick.
They are sawn smooth on both sides and cut tapered.
They are best suited for roofs of 4 in 12 pitch or greater.
For centuries and as recent as 50 years back cedar roof shingles were sawn from a block of wood while shakes were split off using a mallet and a froe sharp blade.
While shakes provide a less uniform more rustic appearance they can also be vulnerable to wind blown rain or snow and must be installed using a layer of felt paper weaved layers of shakes to reduce this vulnerability.
Today with the advances in technology shingles are machine made.