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Cedar shake nailing pattern (C) Carson Dunlop Associates Wood Roof Life Expectancy: Shakes, Shingles

Wood roof life expectancy: Here we summarize the average life expectancy of wood roofs, including wood shingle roofs and wood shake roofs, and we list the factors that affect expected wood shingle/shake roof life.

We photographed the wood shingle roofed home shown above in Frankfort, Germany in 1969 - Ed. See WOOD SHAKE & SHINGLE ROOFING where nearly every wood roof article listed there includes factors that will affect wood roof life.

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How Long Will a Wood Shingle or Wood Shake Roof Last?

List of Factors Affecting the Life Expectancy of Wood Roof Shingles or Shakes

Improperly set wood shingle roof (C) Daniel Friedman The combination of observations about wood roof condition, leaks, shingle or shake installation quality, condition of the shingles or shakes,

WOOD ROOF WEAR / INSTALLATION DEFECTS

and WOOD ROOF MOSS & LICHENS

will allow an experienced inspector to estimate the "wear age" of a roof - that is, not its chronological age but the rough percent of typical life expectancy that remains for the roof.

[Click to enlarge any image]

But wood shingle or wood shake roof life expectancy varies considerably depending on

As stated in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) (printed text) chapter on BEST ROOFING PRACTICES:

Other than selecting a durable wood, the most important factor in determining a wood roof’s longevity is its ability to dry out from both top and bottom when wet.

While this was a natural feature of traditional installations over spaced sheathing, new methods and products are required for installation over solid sheathing. The two main approaches are:

Wood Shingle Roof Life Research


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WOOD ROOF LIFE EXPECTANCY at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ROOFING

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