ln defense of cedar shakes and shingles

If you've bought into any of these statements, remember, they didn't come from our industry! While it is said that imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, the shake and shingle industry is not impressed with the ongoing negative smear campaign. We appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight and speak for ourselves about our own product.

Vou DoN'r HAVE ro go very far

I these days to be exposed to manrnade roofing materials, all claiming to emulate, replicate, duplicate and imitate real western red cedar shakes and shingles. Many imitators even use the long-standing trade names associatcd with real cedar shakes and shingles, such as split shakes and sawn shingles.

Take, for example, the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Literally dozens of shake and shingle producers clamored for attention with their sample roof and wall panels of fakes, attempting to copy real cedar while at the same time denigrating the very product they tried to copy. We even had one shake producer come to our cedar shake and shingle stand at the show asking for a special selection of cedar shakes they could use for their copy moulds!

Advertising with negative messaging about real cedar shakes and shingles feeds off the principal of "If you say something enough times, sooner or later people will believe you."

When they believe your message, they will pass it on. By the time the third or fourth person hears and repeats the false message, presto, it becomes accepted as fact by the general population.

Just consider the following false statements now thought of as accepted facts :

"You can't get old growth anymore and there are no forests left."

"Cedar shakes need constant maintenance and don't last."

"Cedar shakes burn."

"Quality cedar is not available or is too expensive."

"Cedar shakes are too hard to install."

Cedar shake and shingles are, of course, made from old growth raw material. They are salvaged in ecologically responsible helicopter airlifts from downed trees left in the forest from multiple decades ago, as well as supplied from the world's leaders in forestry stewardship in log form that big-lumber sawmills can't utilize. Produced in factories with complete waste utilization and the lowest energy consumption of any roofing product, real old growth western red cedar shakes are truly the most ecological, green, renewable roofing choice.

Cedar is classed in the scientific category of "most durable"-that's why natural cedar shakes have been used and proven for three centuries of human habitation protection. Today's added factory pressure preservalive treatments increase cedar's oerformance in damp climates wheie roof debris and moisture accumulate. The products even carry a 3O-year transferable, 50-year non-transferable, non-pro-rated warranty to back it up.

Pat Skwarok, Western Wood Preservers, Aldergrove, B.C., says that in over 30 years of treating real cedar for the industry, his company has never had a claim due to decay.

Factory-applied pressure preserva- tives greatly reduce the need for roof cleaning and maintenance. In fact, just like every other roofing product on the market today, cleaning of excess debris for appearance and fire protection is all that is required with factory preserved shakes and shingles.

Fire protection for cedar shakes and shingles in areas that require Class C, B, and even Class A roofing has been available for decades and also carries a 30/50 year, code-performing warranty.

Quality of shakes and shingles is never an issue when purchasing products with ICC-ES report numbers on the label Each member mill of the B.C. Shake & Shingle Association adheres to grading and packing requirements of 288 lineal inches of on-grade shakes per bundle of 24-inch shakes and tapersawns, and 635 lineal inches of on-grade shingles per bundle of l8-inch perfections. Simply demand ICC-ES-accredited. BCSSA member mill production, for assurance of quality from mills that conform to grade.

While the cost of all roofing products fluctuates, real cedar is very competitive with, if not less expensive than, many of the current manmade imitations. A quick price comparison will show that all the benefits of using real cedar, with its centuries of proven performance, are available at favorable price points.

Installation methods of real cedar shakes and shingles have changed very little over the decades. BCSSA has produced a helpful installation instruction DVD in English and Spanish. It's posted on our website along with our "Authentic Choice," "Care & Maintenance," and "Facts & Myths about Real Cedar" video collection.

There are regional and preference differences for cedar shakes and shingles. Shakes have the natural split face and appeal, tapersawn shakes the thick smooth profile, and shingles the flat refined appearance. It's understandable that suppliers promote the products that are easiest to market. Just bear in mind that cedar shakes, with their two-ply and felt paper installation. have been proven since their inception; cedar tapersawn shakes are a beautiful choice for a shake-style, flat-laying roof, and shingles, with their three-ply system, are refined and elegant. All three choices are perfectly adaptable and acceptable, depending on your customer's

Building-Products.com lnterests.

There has never been more information available that is so easY to access. Just check out our site at www.bcshakeshingle.com for all the facts, as well as our member mill list.

So the next time you hear or see negative advertising or misinforma- tion about real cedar shakes and shingles, just consider where it's coming from. Real cedar may be often imitated, but simply cannot be duplicated.