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.

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

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

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]

• The typical life of a wood shingle roof is 30-40 years.
• Similarly, a good quality, properly-installed wood shake roof has a life expectancy of 20-40 years.

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

• The wood shingle or wood shake grade or quality
• How the shingles were installed
• How the wood shingle or shake roof is ventilated.
  
  For example wood shingles installed on solid plywood roof decking can be expected to have a shorter life than the same shingles installed over skip sheathing or spaced nailers that provide plenty of ventilation.
  
  See our quote below from BEST ROOFING PRACTICES.
• The pitch of the wood shingle or wood shake roof (its slope)
• The wood shingle or wood shake roof's sun and weather exposure
• The wood shingle or wood shake roof's exposure to overhanging trees or debris that may hold water on its surface
• The wood shingle or wood shake roof's exposure to shade that may promote moss or lichens growth
• Flashing material, installation quality, proper details

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:

• Create a system of spaced sheathing above the solid sheathing using vertical and horizontal battens; or
• Use a breathable underlayment applied over the sheathing

Wood Shingle Roof Life Research

• Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, CSSB, U.S.: Sumas, WA 98295-1178, Tel: 604-820-7700, In Canada: Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau #2 - 7101 Horne Street, Mission, BC V2V 7A2 Tel: (604) 820-7700, E-mail: info@cedarbureau.com , website: http://www.cedarbureau.org/
  CCSB offers wood shingle installation instructions in the form of a manual - cedarbureau.org/installation/wall_manual/introduction.htm
• Flickinger, David, RRO, TREATMENT of CEDAR SHAKES & SHINGLES [PDF] avid Flickinger, RRO, p. 74, Professional Roofing, NRCA, October 1999, Rosemont IL.
• Kolle, Jefferson, "Choosing Roofing," January 1995, No. 92, Fine Homebuilding, Taunton Press, 63 S. Main St., PO Box 5506, Newton CT 06470 - 800-888-8286 - see http://www.taunton.com/FineHomebuilding/ for the magazine's website and for subscription information.
• Niemiec, Stanley S., and Terence D. Brown. Care and maintenance of wood shingle and shake roofs. Extension Service, Oregon State University, 1988.
• Park, Sharon C., AIA, THE REPAIR & REPLACEMENT of HISTORIC WOODEN SHINGLE ROOFS [PDF] Preservation Brief No. 18, U.S. NPS, National Park Service, retrieved 2022/10/07, original source: https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/19-wooden-shingle-roofs.htm
  
  Excerpt:
  The special visual qualities imparted by both the historic shingles and the installation patterns should be preserved when a wooden shingle roof is replaced.
  
  This requires an understanding of the size, shape, and detailing of the historic shingle and the method of fabrication and installation.
  
  These combined to create roofs expressive of particular architectural styles, which were often influenced by regional craft practices.
  
  The use of wooden shingles from the early settlement days to the present illustrates an extraordinary range of styles.
• See additional citations at page endReferences or Citations

...

Continue reading at WOOD ROOF MAINTENANCE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• WOOD SHAKE & SHINGLE ROOFING - home
• WOOD ROOF COATINGS & FIRE RATINGS
• WOOD ROOF FLASHING DETAILS
• WOOD ROOF HIP & RIDGE DETAILS
• WOOD ROOF INSPECTION GUIDE
• WOOD ROOF INSTALLATION SPECS
• WOOD ROOF LIFE EXPECTANCY
• WOOD ROOF MAINTENANCE
• WOOD ROOF MOSS & LICHENS
• WOOD ROOF SHAKES INSTALLATION
• WOOD ROOF SHEATHING, UNDERLAYMENT
• WOOD ROOF SHINGLE PROPERTIES
• WOOD ROOF WEAR / INSTALLATION DEFECTS
• WOOD SHINGLES, RE-ROOFING WITH

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

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ROOFING

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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

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