There are two common types of shakes used in residential roofing; tapersplit and handsplit. Tapersplits are made by hand and handsplit are created from a block and sawed into two symmetrical shakes. Straight-split shakes do not taper in thickness like the usual shakes or shingles do. These are not intended for residential roofing purposes.
Both shakes and shingles are available in different grades; 1, 2 and 3. Grade number 1 is cut form heartwood, a clear completely edge-grained wood that is the more resistant to rot than the other grades. It is also the most expensive of the grades. Grade number 2 has a limited amount of sapwood which is less rot-resistant than heartwood and can include knots. Grade number 3 shingles or shakes are usually used for outbuildings. It is important to buy the highest quality of shingles or shakes that you can afford.
The shingle length needed will be determined by the desired exposure. Exposure is determined by the pitch of the roofing system. Shingle widths vary from 3 to 9 inches.
With the proper preparation you can shingle over a roof of wood shingles but you cannot reroof over shakes because they have such an irregular shape. Both shingles and shakes can be installed over asphalt composition shingles which is a big plus to using this material.
In order to install shingles and shakes, the roof must have a large enough slope. The reason for this is simple, unlike self-sealing composition shingles or roll roofing and voids remain between courses of wood shingles and shakes. With enough pitch for quick runoff this poses no problem, but when installed on a low-slope, roof shingles are not protected from wind blown rain or snow.
Shingles are not recommended for roofing systems with less than a 3 in 12 slope. Shakes are not recommend for roofs with a slop of less than 4 in 12. Exposure also must be limited for slight slopes. Shingles that are 24 inches long can have the greatest exposure.
If you are looking for help with your wood shingles or shakes in Colorado, contact Quality Roofing Denver at (303) 419-7276 or visit their showroom 1827 Pearl St. Denver, CO 80203 or their website: roofing company Denver