Technical Specification
Overview
John Brash & Company source its Cedar shingles and shakes from manufacturers in Canada and North America. Until recently Western Red Cedar was almost the only choice. More recently there has been a growing market for Oask and Chesnut Shakes - especially for conservation work. We import two types of Cedar: Western Red Cedar and Eastern White Cedar.
Western Red Cedar
In the case of Western Red all products meet the stringent requirements of the
Red Cedar Shingle and Handsplit Bureau's Blue Label Certigrade. The Blue Label
grade ensures that all shingles and shakes are made from cedar that is 100% heartwood,
100% edge grain and 100% clear.
Other grades of Western Red Cedar are available. The No 2 Grade Red Label, which
contains flat grain and limited sapwood. These have a tendency to curl, so it
should only be used in certain situations for siding, but not for quality roofing.
The No 3 Grade Black Label is a general utility grade that contains more flat
grain, sapwood and defects. John Brash can supply No 2 Grade Red Label Shakes
to order.
What are Shingles and Shakes?
Shingles and shakes are a wooden roofing and external cladding material - a form
of tile that is attractive, durable, versatile and effective even on roofs with
pitches as low as 14 degrees.
Shingles and shakes perform the same functions but are manufactured in different
ways. A shingle is produced by sawing a block of wood on both sides giving a relatively
smooth face and back to the tile. A shake is hand split from a block of cedar
along the natural grain of the wood and then re-sawn to produce one smooth surface.
Cedar shingles and shakes are a highly practical, sustainable and economic roofing solution. They have been used for a wide range and size of structures, including:
- Domestic dwellings
- Home offices
- Schools
- Churches
- Gazebos
- Restaurants
- Swimming pools
- Stables/Riding Schools
- Covered walkways
- Garden buildings
- Temples and Pergolas
- Theme parks, e.g. Eurodisney
- Bus shelters
Why use Shingles and Shakes as a roofing and cladding material?
Timber has always been one of nature's more versatile, adaptable and attractive
materials. Cedar, in particular, with its natural attributes of strength, beauty
and incredible durability, is one of the most popular woods for building applications.
The rich, warm colour and texture of Cedar shingles and shakes can enhance the
design of both traditional and modern structures to create a truly individual
building that blends naturally with the environment. The natural preservatives
in the wood ensure the good looks last, with the only effect of ageing and weathering
a gradual change in colour to an attractive silver grey.
Natural Attributes of Cedar
- even grain
- exceptional strength in proportion to weight (shingles and shakes are only one tenth the weight of traditional building materials)
- low ratio of expansion and contraction
- high impermeability to liquids
- outstanding natural durability
- high thermal insulation properties
These attributes are reinforced by the additional strength derived when Cedar
is installed using the overlapping method.”
