Cedar Shakes Can Give You a Fair Shake

Sometimes a shake has nothing to do with greetings and beverages. If you're looking for a variety of siding for your home, then one of the most practical options is cedar shake. This can give your house a face-lift and boost its value.

What is it?

As you might guess, this type of siding is comprised of shakes. But what exactly are they? Shakes are actually bits of wood that were split from a block of wood. Besides the cedar variety, you can also find vinyl shakes. While cedar shake resembles shingles, it's crucial to note that they differ. Creating shingles involves cutting all sides of a piece of wood, to make it a certain size. On the other hand, shakes involve first cutting down the wood, and then splitting the wood.

What are the benefits?

1. Appearance

Due to shakes' manufacturing process, they differ in both size and shape. This creates a rural appearance that many people consider attractive. On the other hand, if you're looking for a variety that's more contemporary or has a more uniform appearance, then you might want to choose a different variety.

2. Variation

This is due to the various shapes and sizes of the shakes. You can use pieces of different lengths to create a stunning visual effect. For instance, you could use small shakes nearby the house's roof, and larger pieces on the rest of your house.

3. Variation

In particular, the finishes of cedar shake can vary considerably. In fact, you can even choose shakes without any finish at all. Shakes without a finish will eventually fade to a natural gray hue. After buying the shakes, you can use a variety of treatments on them. By staining them consistently, you can give them an attractive rich, dark hue. Another option is to paint them. And if you're concerned about mold or insects damaging the shakes, you can also add a treatment to the shakes.

4. Replacement

Replacing a few damaged shakes is fairly simple. In fact, sometimes you can use shakes from other structures, if you remove them carefully.

What are the drawbacks?

1. Deterioration

As with other types of siding, shakes can become vulnerable to normal wear and tear. The wood can become spongy and split. Additionally, if they're not secured correctly, the shakes can fall off the house. Yes, that's a bad thing!

Another problem is that shakes can bug you (quite literally). Like other types of wood siding, it's vulnerable to the insects nibbling at it.

2. Installation

This is certainly a crucial matter to consider when selecting siding for your home. The process of installing it is quite lengthy, and can be fairly costly as well. So if these could be major issues for you, then you should consider a different variety instead. You may determine that you lack the time and money to install shakes.

If you want to create a rustic look for your house, then cedar shake siding is an excellent choice. Though somewhat difficult to install, afterwords it can give you the look you want for your house.