Cedar Roofing and Sidewall Products

These shakes have split faces and sawn backs. Cedar logs are first cut into desired lengths. Blanks or boards of proper thickness are split and then run diagonally through a bandsaw to produce two tapered shakes from each blank. Available in Premium Grade (100% edge grain) or Number 1 Grade (Up to 20% flat grain allowed in each bundle).

These shakes are sawn both sides. Premium and Number 1 Grades are the most common. Premium Grade is 100% edge grain, 100% clear and 100% heartwood. Number 1 Grade allows up to 20% flat grain in each bundle. Number 2 and 3 Grades are also available.

Produced by machine or in the same manner as tapersplit shakes except that by splitting from the same end of the block, the shakes acquire the same thickness throughout. Premium Grade only. (100% edge grain).

Produced by hand, using a sharp bladed steel froe and a mallet. The natural shingle-like taper is achieved by reversing the block, end-for-end, with each split. Premium Grade only. (100% edge grain).

The premium grade of shingles for roofs and sidewalls. These top-grade shingles are 100% heartwood, 100% clear and 100% edge grain. Available in 16" or 18" or 24" lengths.

Shake or shingle product used to cap the peak of a roof. The appropriate hip and ridge unit should be selected to match the adjacent shakes or shingles. However, in many areas, a tapersawn hip and ridge unit is used on both shake and shingle applications. Hip and ridge product type selection should be performed in accordance with the aesthetic look desired.

Also known as R&R products, these materials have the same specifications as Number 1 and Number 2 Certigrade® shingles, but they are machine re-trimmed for parallel edges and with smooth butts sawn at right angles where a uniform appearance is desired. They are primarily used for sidewall applications. Rebutted & rejointed shingles are also available with a smooth sanded face, with the length of the sanded face at a length greater than the maximum exposure.They are manufactured from 16", 18" and 24" lengths. R&R products are for sidewall applications only.

Machine grooved shingles are manufactured as a rebutted & rejointed shingle with one face striated for a length greater than the maximum exposure. Machine grooved products are for sidewall applications only, and are remanufactured from 16", 18" and 24" shingles.

These shingles are 5" wide and are manufactured from 16" and 18" lengths. An 18" length, 96-piece carton will cover 25 square feet at 7 1/2" exposure. Certi-Cut® shingles can also be custom produced to meet individual design specifications.

Historical Applications Accuracy

It is of prime importance to replicate the original building. A challenge comes with finding historically accurate products and meeting current building codes. Years ago, people did not use products such as plastic shakes, vinyl siding, and concrete tiles, Wood was the building material of choice, and wise project leaders are still specifying wood. The CSSB can help with period-correct specification of cedar shakes or shingles, assist with application information, and source the proper finishing products relevant to the era of specific historical projects. The CSSB also has contacts in the building official community and highly recommends you contact them for project approval guidelines, possibly including variances for specific historical projects.

Custom Dimensions Available

CSSB member manufacturers offer specialty products to meet the needs of historic project managers. Dimensions that exceed “stock" sizes can be sourced through the CSSB's extensive member network. Key historical products that are available: Tapersplit shakes, in various lengths up to 36″ and beyond. Straight Split shakes, in various lengths up to 36″ and beyond (Straight Split shakes are also known as Barn shakes). Shingles are available in various thicknesses upon request.

Roofing and sidewall system integrity depends upon the quality of the product used. Ensure your cedar shakes and shingles meet grading rule requirements, as required by building codes. Certi-label® products undergo third party inspections and each bundle is clearly labeled with the appropriate product grading information.

CSSB District Managers offer seminars that provide CEUs for AIA registered architects. Contact Kathy Milne at the CSSB office for details on upcoming program schedules or to request a seminar in your area. Seminars are provided free of charge, however, accommodation, meal and transportation costs for non-profit CSSB staff are greatly appreciated.

The CSSB was delighted to learn that Springton Manor Farm's Great Barn was being reroofed with Certi-Sawn® Premium Grade 24" x 5/8"tapersawn shakes at 7" exposure. Manufactured by Best Shingle Sales Inc., Hoquiam, WA, this current project is massive, so large that it is visible from the road leading to the job site. The project requires 147 squares of roofing material and has six people on the installation crew at most times.

Overlooking a magnificent rocky coastline sits a Rhode Island jewel: Stone Lea. Originally constructed in 1884, this 9,000 square foot home has been painstakingly restored to its original glory.

Certigrade® Shingles for a circa 1894 Bowling Alley on a Gothic Revival Estate.

Certi-label® Cedar Abounds

All of the cedar roofing and siding materials for this project were manufactured by Anbrook Industries Ltd.,a fourth-generation family business.

Based in Queens, NewYork, the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society's mission is to save the "Onderdonk House"and exhibit the artifacts and history associated with this rare 18th Century Dutch American farmhouse.

Ashford, Connecticut is home to a very special 5-acre parcel of land. Originally part of a larger 60-acre estate, the property contains a house once used for 19th Century summer parties. Playing horseshoes and enjoying family gatherings were popular pastimes, proven by antiques, historical documents and photos found on site. From 1929 -1979, the home stood vacant, boarded up and quite forgotten, likely to avoid inheritance taxes. As the years passed, sheep were raised on the surrounding land. It seemed inevitable that the home was destined to eventually fall prey to a bulldozer.

Ardent fans of the traditional English cottage will no doubt appreciate this gem of a home located just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the midst of a professional community, 10 minutes from the city center, sits this Cotswolds-inspired home. Built to replicate one of the famous English yellow fieldstone cottages, tough Minneapolis winters required a roofing product a bit more weather resistant than traditional thatch. Certi-label® cedar, long known for its weather resistance, was the perfect choice for the design and protection of this lovely home.

An exceptionally busy set of homeowners decided that their residence needed a fresh decor plus a new roof. This Chicago suburban home was originally roofed with 24" x 1/2" medium shakes. The homeowners wanted to stay with cedar but preferred a thicker profile product. Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau (“CSSB") Approved Installer member Countryside Roofing Siding and Windows, Inc.(“Countryside") was called and subsequently spent a good deal of time with both homeowners to ensure that all their questions were answered.

It was on a sun-drenched day in 2012 when CSSB District Manager Tony Bonura and Director of Operations Lynne Christensen paid a visit to the magnificent Lawson Tower. On approaching the town of Scituate, the structure looms ahead, dwarfing everything in sight. Lawson Tower is a project that really defies the ordinary. 153 feet tall at the tip of the wind-vane pole, it has 123 narrow, winding stairs, 240 squares of Certigrade® Western Red Cedar (WRC) shingles and 108 years of history. What once shielded a wealthy woman from an eyesore, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lawson Tower is both a famous landmark and a tourist attraction, known simply as “the most beautiful, most photographed, and most expensive Water Tower in the United States"(Courtesy Scituate Historical Society).

At the end of a majestic tree-lined residential street in Spokane, Washington, stands Campbell House: a mining magnate's family home and a mansion that does justice to the beauty of Certigrade® cedar shingles. This historic home and accompanying carriage house are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Washington, and operated by the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (EWSHS). Both buildings were reroofed in the summer of 2016 and the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau (CSSB) was part of the project right from the start.

Set deep in the heart of Lancaster County,Pennsylvania, is a project that rapidly attained the title Celebration of Wood. True to the 140 acre farmland property's roots, this project was designed from the start to showcase the natural beauty of forest products.

This has been an intensive project with a large team of craftsmen and skilled trades persons, all organized to complete the work on a “fast-track" schedule. Even with such a demanding work pace, dedication to exhibiting the beauty of wood provided a common bond that brought out the best in each of the crew members. Top quality Certi-label® roofing products were used. Premium Grade Certi-Sawn® Yellow Cedar, 18" x 5/8" tapersawn shakes were manufactured by Waldun Forest Products Partnership. Certi-Ridge® hip and ridge units were manufactured by G & R Cedar Ltd. Certi-Last® preservative treatment was provided by Western Wood Preservers, Ltd.

A notable Greek revival house is the centerpiece of this 200-acre family homestead east of Austin,Texas. Completed in 1857, the main house is nestled in a grove of ancient oaks. This project is teeming with history.

Starved Rock State Park sits at the end of a winding road in a lovely forested setting. Surrounded by deciduous trees that blanket fall landscapes with vibrant colors, it continues to delight visitors with a welcoming, natural retreat.

The town of Hull, Massachusetts, is situated on an arrow peninsula just South of Boston Harbor. Locals are determined to preserve Hull's heritage as the founder of seafarer lifesaving efforts. The Hull Lifesaving Museum, former US Coast Guard Point Allerton Station, is a prime example of a character building with precious ties to the past. From 1880-1969, this building housed lifesaving crews who chanced their own lives to save mariners at risk from the sea's jagged rocks.

Pursuing History with a Passion. At the street, bordered by a forest and a colonial-era, stone wall made about 1740, stands a saltbox design home currently undergoing a complete exterior and interior makeover. The homeowners are clearly fascinated with United States history, and wanted their remodel project to be an authentic recreation of a circa 1750 home. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau (“CSSB") was privileged to have the opportunity to visit this jewel of a project. Of all the projects the CSSB team has seen over the years, this one stands out due to the homeowners' relentless drive for quality and historical accuracy.

Residential Renovation Project Showcases Western Red Cedar Roof and Sidewall Products

A tall, medieval style door swings open on an interior that celebrates Mother Nature at her best. Deep in the heart of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, the new home of the Barry family is best described as a unique house that stays true to its roots. Literally. Taking a tour of this home is a privilege, door after door opens up on a gorgeous wood showcase, an environmentally friendly masterpiece perfectly suited for this large, busy family.

The Narragansett Chamber of Commerce and the Narragansett Historical Society are trying to raise money to support the restoration of The Towers to its former glory.