6 Important Tips for Cedar Shake Maintenance

There are lots of things you need to maintain: your car, your health, your yard, and even your hair. But maintaining your home should always be towards the top of your list. Cedar shake maintenance is an important part of your overall home upkeep.

Cedar shake maintenance is a very important step to ensure that your home is well protected and that it has plenty of visual appeal. If you fail to maintain your cedar shakes properly, they could end up damaged or even come off the home completely. This leads to expensive repairs and possibly additional damage as a result.

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Tips for maintaining cedar shakes and extending their life include the following:

• Periodic maintenance on these materials can greatly extend their life and help you avoid costly replacement expenses.
• Treating wood shakes with preservatives or sealants is not usually recommended by roofing experts because these prevent the wood from breathing.
• Any damaged or missing shakes should be repaired or replaced a soon as possible to avoid any further damage.
• Take steps to keep your roof clear of any debris to avoid damaging any shakes or any debris build up that could cause a blockage of proper water flow off the roof.
• Only use qualified and licensed roofing professionals who have experience with these materials.
• Treatments for insects or fungus are not usually needed because cedar has a natural repellant that will help prevent these problems without any treatments being needed.

1. Proper Cedar Shake Maintenance Can Prolong the Life of Your Roof Considerably

With a little cedar shake maintenance, you can prolong the life of your roof by years. There is great debate about whether or not you should power or pressure wash shakes. If professionals do not do this it can damage the shakes or even cause them to come loose and fall off. If you are not sure about the proper maintenance of your roof, always consult a professional and find out.

It is a fact that high pressure washing by inexperienced people will cause significant damage to any material.

Source: CedarBureau.org

2. Treating Wood Shakes May Not be Recommended

Treating wood shakes is not usually necessary according to most roofing professionals, and this step could actually create problems instead of preventing them. Avoid any contractors who recommend sealants or preservatives as part of any annual cedar shake maintenance, because they are probably not the best person for the job.

Beware of any extreme claims that sealants can add years of effectiveness to the cedar shakes. Also ignore any fire-retardant statements. You must be very careful of any type of product that is put on your roof for cedar shake maintenance. Again…consult a professional.

3. Repair or Replace Any Damaged or Missing Shakes as Needed

Part of any cedar shake maintenance plan should be to check for any damaged or missing shakes on a regular basis. This can sometimes be done from the ground, just walk around the home while looking at the roof to see if you notice any issues or areas of concern.

If there are portions of you roof that you cannot see from the ground, do not attempt to get on the roof to inspect. Walking on cedar shake roofs can cause a great deal of damage and is a dangerous place for amateurs to be.

Walking on a cedar roof can be tricky and can also damage a roof — even one in good condition.

Source: OldHouseWeb.com

4. Keep Debris Off a Shake Roof to Prevent Problems Later On

Regular debris removal is important for cedar shake maintenance. When debris is allowed to stay on the shakes or build up this can result in damage, or the debris could build up on the roof and create a clog or blockage. If this happens then water may not be able to flow off the roof properly, and leaks can occur as a result.

5. Use a Qualified Roofer with Cedar Shake Experience to Prevent Any Unintentional Damage

Cedar shake maintenance and repairs should only be performed by a highly qualified roofer who is licensed, and who is experienced in dealing with these types of materials. A contractor who has never worked with cedar shakes is not the right choice because they may not understand all of the important aspects with this roofing material.

6. Cedar Shake Roofs are Naturally Resistant to Insects and Fungus

Some roofing contractors will recommend treating wood shakes on a yearly basis as part of your cedar shake maintenance plan. However, this is not normally needed and is just an unnecessary expense. Cedar wood is naturally resistant to insects and fungal growth so using treatments for this purpose will just waste your hard-earned cash.

What cedar shake maintenance plan do you follow?