Shake roofing for the rustic, textured look

Shakes and shingles are beautiful, woodsy materials used on roofs and siding. Originally shakes were split from a log, whereas shingles were sawn. Shakes were thicker and more uneven; shingles were flatter and thinner. It is still possible to purchase wood shake roofing, but there are excellent reasons why today, whether wood or a substitute, shakes are split or split-looking only on the exterior and flat on the reverse side. Such shakes lie flatter on the roof, and if real wood, are less susceptible to damage from wind and fire when expertly installed. Wood shakes should also be pressure-treated with flame retardant and installed with felt between courses to mitigate potential hazards.

Manufactured shakes give the richly-textured, deep-shadowed appearance of wood and can be made from stone-coated metal, high-tech composites, fiberglass, concrete and a number of other materials.