synthetic roofing material

Natural Cedar vs. Synthetic Shake Roofs

Are you thinking about installing a new roof? If you love the idea of a natural cedar shake roof, you’ll also be impressed with its exceptional durability and value. A cedar shake roof is one of the premier options available on the market today.

Cedar Shake Roofing: Beautiful and Durable

One reason why homeowners originally selected natural cedar shake as a roofing material was its impressive curb appeal. Today, although there have been advancements in synthetic materials, the rich natural beauty of natural cedar remains unparalleled in today’s roofing market.

Over the years, cedar shake was also selected as a roofing material for its exceptional durability.

Homeowners who keep their natural cedar shake roof well-maintained can expect it to last 50 years or more. Synthetic cedar shake roofing may offer a similar warranty of up to 50 years as well.

However, natural cedar shake also provides some other impressive features, including:

  • Sound suppression.
  • Retaining heat in the winter.
  • Reflecting heat during the summer.

This means that once installed, a natural cedar shake roof can help homeowners save money on both their heating and cooling costs for decades to come.

The sound deadening qualities of a cedar shake roof also offer homeowners a quieter atmosphere within the home, with less noise emanating from outside noises such as street traffic and adverse weather conditions.

Cedar Roofing Customization

While synthetic cedar shake roofing materials can be customized in terms of color, shape, and texture, natural cedar shake roofing materials also offer thickness and finishes options.

While synthetic cedar shake roofing materials can be customized in terms of color, shape, and texture, natural cedar shake roofing materials also offer thickness and finishes options.

  • Tapersawn Shingles — Homeowners who prefer a more stately and massive roofline appearance may prefer the thicker size of a tapersawn cedar roof shingle. 
  • Sanded Shingles— For a more refined appearance, sanded cedar roof shingles are a good choice. The shingles’ sanded sides offer a smoother, more modern look that works beautifully with today’s home styles.
  • Sawn Shingles — Sawn cedar roof shingles offer homeowners a slightly more tailored appearance than traditional cedar shakes. 

While shingles such as these are sawn from solid wood blocks, there are other cedar roofing options as well. Cedar shakes are also available in a flat grain style and edge grain style.  

Summary

Cedar roofs offer long-lasting natural beauty and are available in a multitude of styles to suit every homeowner. If you’d like to know more about cedar roofing materials for your next home remodeling project, please contact us!