Rendering may easily develop cracks and need to come down and be replaced and large wood panels may start to rot on one spot and need completely replacing. Shingles are different as they are made up of many individual shingles, usually hundreds: This means that if one shingle gets damaged then only that one or sometimes those around an area need replacing. Shingles may get damaged for a number of reasons, some may crack or start to rot, they may even get a insect infestation or become waterlogged. It is important to keep an eye on wooden shingles especially but also any shingles as damage to one can either spread to others in the case of wooden shingles but also may simply lead to a leak when they could easily be fixed.

If you want to avoid your shingles becoming damaged in the first place you will need to ensure they are properly put up and then maintained. Nails may often not last as long as shingles and so you may even need to remove nails and add new ones to keep using the same shingles and stop expanding rusted metal damaging the shingles. Wooden shingles can be treated regularly with wood treatment chemicals so that they last longer, resist water and also resist insect infestation. Some woods like white cedar have oils that last longer and keep the wood rain resistant longer and also are naturally resistant to insects.

Asphalt shingles were very popular at one point for their cheapness and the idea that they should be very water tight and easy to install, this was true to a point but asphalt shingles tended to rip easily and wear away as water ran over them, they also often melted in hot sunshine. Fibreglass shingles last slightly better but eventually become brittle after exposure to too many hot summers and cold winters and eventually start to crack and break when landed on by birds or debris.

White Cedar even has a cost advantage over some other long lasting woods such as hemlock which is more expensive: despite this white cedar is a wood you can trust long term. Many woods such as pine quickly get weathered by extreme weather conditions like rain, snow and most of all sun; the sun dries out some woods and the oils in the wood that keep it looking great and allow it to keep its shape and strength get lost. In white cedar the hard wood keeps its natural oils meaning that it won’t warp, shrink or expand and that it will remain impervious to water while some woods may begin to actually soak up water and will eventually become waterlogged and useless even starting to disintegrate.
White Cedar keeps its color as well even after 50 years, which is how long it can last: aging but keeping character while some woods simply fade. Far from being white white cedar is a pale brown but with a great depth of color that is neither overpowering or bland.

Where to get ready cut white cedar shingles from though may be a problem: you could try a local timber yard or even a home improvement store that may have some shingles but probably not in white cedar, they may also have white cedar but not cut. This means finding a specialist: you may want to find a specialist shingles seller either in a big city or area where many homes use shingles or online. Also many shingles fitters will be able to source shingles for you though they may not sell them to you at the price they buy them and you may be able to buy them more cheaply elsewhere.

Wherever you do choose make sure that you are going to be able to get more shingles of the same size in the future both for if you run out of shingles when fitting them but also if you need replacements in the future.

If you are buying online it may be easier to get feedback from other customers for sellers, specialist shingles suppliers online may also have a phone number where they will be able to give you expert advice and take orders over the phone as well. If possible find a producer’s website where you can buy direct for the lowest prices and even the possibility of buying wooden shingles in bespoke sizes.

Clear Grade B Cedar has no imperfections up to clear line: which basically means that no imperfections will show once the shingles have been properly laid.

Clear Grade C does have imperfections but they will be knots that are not going to come out or cause leaks. Utility grade D may well have imperfections and are basically left-overs not guaranteed to be free of imperfections that may lead to leaks.

If you live in an area where most of the homes have traditional wooden shingles then you really should try and make your home fit in and you will get a beautiful historic looking home into the bargain. Even if your home is modern you can give it a traditional look or feel by adding wooden shingles especially if it is amongst older buildings. You will also want future owners, be they your children or people you sell to to also keep the same look and feel to the home so make sure you buy shingles that will last and stay looking good to stop them being removed. White Cedar may be the best wood to use, a beautiful light brown color they will keep their color and their strength and water resistance for 50 years or more.

Wooden shingles vary depending on the quality and suitability of the wood so that some of the best woods will last 50 years and still look great: including woods like White Cedar. Soft woods like pine however are cheap but don’t last, especially when any treatment wears out and they are susceptible to the extremes of weather and may easily crack, warp, shrink or expand as well as simply becoming waterlogged and falling apart.

The first stage is to remove your previous roofing, if you have had shingles before remove the nails as well but you may want to make sure it is clear where they have been as starting points if your shingles will be the same size and you want the same look.

The number of shingles you need will depend on how close together they will be and how big an overlap there may be: so do calculations of how many of a particular size you will need and make sure you order extra.

You will need to make sure there is space underneath your shingles for ventilation so that moisture doesn’t get caught underneath the shingles. Casings around doors and windows need to be ready before you start putting shingles down so there will be a good fit where doors and windows meet shingles.

Put down shingles so joins don’t overlap those below and so joins don’t overlap imperfections. You should also have no point where there is not at least a depth of two shingles, allow a gap between shingles as well for expansion.

The biggest problem with shingles compared to tiles has always been that they easily crack, rot, expand or shrink as the weather is thrown at them. Many areas traditionally use local wood, in some areas for example pine. Soft woods like pine have fibers that easily come apart and get waterlogged, once the wood is wet its strength quickly goes. White cedar wood is virtually impervious to water and even if completely soaked keeps its strength.

Shingles fit together in such a way that water easily rolls down them and if treated regularly will last a long time without rotting. When eventually side shingles do need to be replaced they can be taken from the building without damaging the actual structure of the building, which has been kept safe underneath.

Wooden shingles have been used in North America since colonial times so are a great way to bring a historic or rustic feel to your home be it new or old.