History Of Wood Roof Shingles

However this longevity requires maintenance.
History of wood roof shingles. A new set of shingles can be cut to replicate an older set on a classic home but it s hard to achieve. The size and shape of the shingles as well as the detailing of the shingle roof differed according to regional craft practices. National board of fire underwriters launched a campaign to eliminate the use of wood shingles. Visit our website to view historic photos of the cedar shake shingle bureau.
People within particular regions developed preferences for the local species of wood that most suited their purposes. Nearly all the houses and buildings in colonial chiloƩ were built with wood and roof shingles were extensively employed in chilota architecture. Here in the south cedar and cypress are common due to their excellent weather resistance. Typically wood shingles are made from regional species of wood.
Wooden shingle roofs were prevalent in the north american colonies while in central and southern europe at the same time thatch slate and tile were the prev. Perhaps surprisingly wood shingles can last for decades without succumbing to algae mold or mildew. Dating back to the. Wood shingles are thin tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roofs and walls of buildings to protect them from the weather.
The cedar shake shingle bureau has been operating since 1915. The use of wooden roof shingles has existed in parts of the world with a long tradition of wooden buildings especially scandinavia and central and eastern europe. It s easy to assume that early man slept out in the open under the stars or was protected from the elements inside a cave. These wood shingles provided a major fire risk and the u s.
In colonial times wood was extremely popular in north america thanks to the abundance of land and. The first asphalt based shingle. Today shingles are mostly made by being cut which distinguishes them from shakes which are made by being split out of a bolt. Historically shingles were split from straight grained knot free bolts of wood.
Wood shingles were popular throughout the country in all periods of building history. The use of wood began years ago primarily in ancient middle eastern times. This campaign created a huge growth for asphalt shingles in the 1920s. Before the invention of the asphalt shingle a popular roofing material were wood shingles.
If you take care of your wood shingle roof properly it can last anywhere from 30 to 40 years. History of wood roofing ancient middle eastern times. The size of each shingle can determine the look and longevity of a given rooftop set.