Wooden roof shingles offer a distinct look to any home. Because of the difference in grain and cut, every wooden roof is unique. Typically wooden roof shingles refer to wooden shingles that are sawn rather than hewn. Wood shakes are a type of axe hewn wood shingles, and are rougher, thicker, and more durable than ordinary wood shingles.

Wooden roof materials are susceptible to fire in drier areas. In these areas, wooden roof shingles may require treatment with a fire retardant material, or may be banned entirely. In more humid regions, professionals recommend a fungicide treatment on wooden tiles.

History of Wooden Roof Types

Wooden house shingles come in a variety of different types. Wooden roof shingles are made from heartwood, the center and hardest part of a tree. Historically, wood shingles were made from local trees, including various types, including:

• Cedar
• Oak
• Pine.

Although cedar wooden tiles are the most commonly used in North America today, other types are:

• Eastern white pine
• Western red cedar
• White oak.

Immigrants that settled North America each had distinct styles of architecture for their wooden roofs, and these can still be seen around the US. Wooden roof shingles were sawn to enable them to fit together easily. Two distinct styles of wood roofs developed during the 19th century were the following:

• Carpenter Gothic: pointed windows and steep gables
• Queen Anne: gabled roofs and wraparound porches.

Installing and Repairing Wooden House Shingles

To install a wooden roof, the same methods apply as with other shingled roofs. Begin at the bottom and move upwards. Don’t install or repair wooden tiles when it’s raining, and cover unfinished areas if it does rain before you finish the project. Wooden roof shingles work much better on sloped roofs that allow rain to run off, and shouldn’t be installed on flat roofs.

If you apply several coatings to wooden tiles, this will improve the lifespan of a wooden roof. Consider applying chromate copper arsenate and copper naphthenate to help prevent the growth of:

• Algae
• Lichen
• Mildew (in warm, moist climates)
• Moss.

When you apply penetrating oil-based stains to wooden house shingles, make sure they contain a wood preservative and water repellent.

When repairing wood shingled roofs, replacement wood shingles should:

• Be of best quality wood and similar texture
• Have matching decorative features
• Have similar shape and size
• Match installation pattern.

Acceptable methods for repairing an older wooden roof include:

• If visual patterns match, using a different nailing method
• Installing modern flashing
• Using different species of wood tiles
• Using fire retardants.