Enviroshake’s Product Lines
Cedar roof shakes have a reputation for having excellent insulation qualities and thermal resistance, a good level of natural resistance to the wind and rain, due to the natural preservative properties they possess in the form of natural essential oils, and strong structural stability, being fairly earthquake-resilient. However, they also require a certain, and not insignificant, level of maintenance and care, to increase their life span. They are also not naturally fire-retardant, and must be treated if they are to be fire-proof.
Enviroshake and Enviroshingle are both composite tile roofing products that are designed to authentically replicate the look of natural weathered cedar roofing materials, but improve upon their performance in terms of weather resistance, resistance to environmental stressors, and overall longevity. Combined, our product lines aims to take care of and minimise roof maintenance, through use of sustainable roofing materials.
Enviroshake Profiles
Enviroshake
Enviroshake is designed to replicate a taper sawn cedar shake, and is meant to be installed at a 9″ exposure. Enviroshake offers a thick cedar shake look, which is aesthetically pleasing and has great architectural value.
Enviroshake is available in 8 different profiles (all bundles are pre-shuffled to include a mixture of profiles) to create rustic cedar shingles that give a really authentic finish.
Every shake is 20” long, and 12” wide with the thickness at the butt being ½” and the thickness at the tip being 1/8”. Each shake weighs approximately 2 lbs.
Enviroshake is installed at a 9” exposure, and can be installed on roof slopes 2:12 and greater. All ridge caps are custom made for each project (available in 2/12 through 20/12 pitch, and come in bundles of 10).
Learn about Enviroshake’s other composite tile roofing products, Enviroshingle, Enviroslate, and EnviroCool™, which can replace an old roof or complement your existing Enviroshake solution.
Enviroshake Options
Classic Silvered Cedar
The authentic look of a 3-4 year old silvered cedar shake roof. A fresh, coastal gray roof that has grown in popularity in recent years, and suits both modern and more traditional property styles. Cut from younger trees.
Aged Cedar
The darker grey tones found in a 10-12 year old cedar shake roof. An attractive, slightly more aged and rustic finish that blends beautifully into surroundings.
Multi-Tone
The best of both worlds, combining silvered grey and darker grey colors installed in an alternating pattern to achieve the authentic look of an ageing cedar shake roof.
*With our multi-tone look, the shakes will weather over time and the disparity in the two tones will be reduced. As we use recycled material and natural fibres to ensure an eco friendly roof, the final tones may not exactly resemble those in the pictures.
What You Need to Know About Shake Roof Cost
While choosing a roofing material to replace your roof or selecting the roof of your new home, there are many diverse roofing materials to consider. Composite synthetic cedar shakes are one of the best and perhaps more attractive alternatives available. Roofing using cedar shakes has been commonplace throughout history, and is still a popular choice today. Shake roofing complements a variety of architectural styles, in particular colonial, Nantucket, and other more traditional architectural styles. The unique rustic appeal, and natural look cedar represents a symbol of heritage and exclusivity, making it a popular style amongst owners of period homes who want to preserve their architectural charm.
It’s true that, over time, cedar shakes, because they are a natural material, will weather and turn a silvery gray colour, and then darken further as they deteriorate. Simply stated, cedar deteriorates as a result of exposure to moisture, freeze-thaw, UV, and salt spray, leading to related issues such as mold, mildew, decay, curling, warping and cracking shakes, which all require ongoing maintenance, and ultimately replacement.
Therefore, in order to prolong the life of a cedar shake roof, topical treatments and maintenance solutions are required.
A composite tile roof and shakes are designed to produce the natural look of a cedar wood whilst avoiding the issues and maintenance that natural cedar involves, and of course, the cost that these carry. Simply stated, you will get the look and feel of natural cedar, with enhanced performance, durability and longevity.
Cost of Shake Roofing
Enviroshake can be installed for less or equal to #1 heavy Cedar shakes. When installing a cedar roof, you may need to purchase around 15-20% of extra material to account for the upfront waste of unusable shakes, and installation cuts and wastage. Sadly, these are unavoidable and relatively common. For those homeowners living in neighborhoods that are prone to fire, you may also want to purchase pressure-treated shakes, to achieve some level of fire resistance, as this is a natural vulnerability of these types of roofing solutions. In addition, proper cedar shake installation requires the use of specific underlayment & nails, cedar breathers, and zinc strips. If your roof deck, rafters, or valley and eave metal are damaged or rotten, replacement or repair might be required, which can also increase the initial installed cost. Additional cost drivers when it comes to replacement or repair of shake roofs include the height, slope, complexity and size of your roof. These are just a few of the cost related factors that you need to take into account when planning your cedar shake roof.
No doubt about it, engineered composite shakes are quickly becoming the most sought after roofing material found across North America. This comes as no surprise. Simply stated, compared to cedar, they are far easier and faster to install, without the cedar breathers, interweaving, and special accessories cedar requires. Although the material cost for a composite material may be more than cedar shakes, it is the installation cost savings that allow both natural and composite materials to be installed for about the same price. The cost savings from installing an engineered composite roof lie in the fact that there are no additional maintenance costs, no treatments or topical coating costs, and most importantly no re-roofing costs, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars even after only 5-10 years.
Wood Shakes: Lifetime Cost and Comparison
Wood shakes have a significant lifetime cost compared to composite and synthetic roofing shingles. In order to maintain the appearance and be resistant to weather and age related deterioration, natural cedar must be topically treated, repaired and maintained at least every five years, but in some cases as often as annually. If looks alone were everything, wood shakes are undoubtedly a great choice, but that’s just part of the story, and in our experience, if you want a good value roofing solution, then true lifetime cost must be considered.
Being critical when it comes to making decisions on the kind of roofing to use, and considering both the regular maintenance and work you are willing to do yourself, and can afford, will help to ascertain the kind of shake roofing that will best service and suit your home and your own lifestyle. Essentially, if long term costs, maintenance and erratic weather are a concern in addition to the desired aesthetic of wood-shakes, then no doubt about it, composite roofing is absolutely the way to go. What’s more, Enviroshake offer a wide range of products that can mimic most kinds of natural wood shakes, and shingles, which means that whatever look you prefer, and whatever level of aesthetic ‘ageing’ you would like to achieve, we will have a product that can fulfil your requirements.
