When it comes to natural beauty, nothing beats the authentic look of real cedar shake shingles. With their old-style charm and graceful way of aging, they’re a great fit for pretty much any style of home.

That being said, because they are made of organic material—wood—any cedar shake roof installation pro will tell you that they require special maintenance in order to keep performing at their best and guarantee your family’s safety from the elements. Perfect Exteriors, your Monticello provider of residential roofing services, has a handy how-to-care-for guide below.

Keep Your Cedar Shake Shingles Debris-Free

Any roof dislikes debris, be it leaves, moss, or tree branches. Because sloped roofs use gravity to redirect rainwater away from your home below, any extraneous object can really get in the way! The resulting standing water seeps through your shingles and eats away at your roof’s protections, creating a moist environment that’s perfect for mold.

However, cedar shake roofs face additional problems when it comes to leaving detritus around. Because they are, again, made of wood, the standing water issue not only affects what’s beneath your roof, but the shingles themselves. Indeed, certain species of wood-destroying fungus would like nothing better than to eat your roof for dinner.

The maintenance solution? Keep your cedar roof free of spoilage—just like you would with any type!

Keep Your Cedar Shake Shingles Clean

In addition to removing larger pieces of debris, you should also pay attention to the smaller issues, namely moss and dirt. These both can contribute to the long-term detriment of your cedar shake roof, so it’s critical that you give your cedar shake shingles a good wash at least yearly. Plenty of roof cleaners are specially-designed for cedar!

Keep Trees Trimmed

Ideally, you want your cedar shake shingles to all be exposed to sunlight for roughly the same time each day. While it’s impossible to assure this to the minute, too much of a difference can lead to uneven fading and a patchworked look.

To avoid this as best as you can, make sure trees are neatly pruned back. This will help keep sunlight-blocking debris off, for one, but it will also make sure no nearby branches get in the way of an evenly toned roof.

Perfect Exteriors: Excellent Exterior Contractors and More

Roofers, siding experts, window installers—you name it and our team can wear the hat with expertise and care. Give our Monticello office a call today at 763-271-8700.