The Reality Of Wood Shake Siding For Exterior Walls
While wood shake shingles are traditionally utilized as a roofing material, they are occasionally installed as exterior wall siding to achieve a highly textured, rustic aesthetic. Standard sawn cedar shingles are a relatively common sight on exterior walls, particularly in coastal architecture, but rough-split wood shakes are exceptionally rare in siding applications. Utilizing rough roofing shakes on vertical walls introduces significant structural and maintenance challenges that property owners must carefully evaluate before proceeding with installation.
Maintenance Challenges And Durability Concerns
Wood exterior cladding requires consistent upkeep, but wood shakes demand an even higher level of rigorous maintenance. Over time, exposure to harsh ultraviolet rays, fluctuating temperatures, and seasonal moisture causes the raw wood to degrade. An inspection of a typical wood shake exterior often reveals multiple compromised areas, including severely split, broken, or entirely missing shakes. Because shakes are split rather than smoothly sawn, their irregular thickness and varied profiles make them particularly susceptible to weathering and impact damage, leading to a much shorter lifespan on a wall assembly compared to modern composite materials.
Fire Safety And Building Code Considerations
The most critical drawback of utilizing wood shake siding is the elevated fire hazard it presents to the structure. Unmodified, dry wood shakes act as highly combustible fuel. In the event of a localized fire or a larger wildfire scenario, a building enveloped in wood shakes will ignite and burn at a drastically faster rate than structures clad in non-combustible materials like brick, masonry, or traditional stucco. Due to these safety risks, many homeowners and builders actively avoid this material in favor of safer, more resilient siding solutions.
Final Thoughts On Wood Shake Exteriors
Selecting the correct siding material dictates the long-term safety, weather resistance, and maintenance schedule of a structure. Given the propensity for physical damage, rapid weathering, and severe fire risks, installing wood shakes on exterior walls is generally not recommended for modern residential or commercial construction.
Three Key Construction Tips
Prioritize fire-resistant siding options: When planning a building exterior, prioritize non-combustible or fire-resistant materials like stucco, masonry, or fiber cement over raw wood shakes to drastically reduce the structure's fire vulnerability.
Implement rigorous exterior inspections: If managing a property with existing wood cladding, conduct frequent visual inspections to identify and immediately replace split, broken, or missing pieces before moisture can penetrate the building envelope.
Differentiate your wood products: Recognize the performance differences between smooth, uniform cedar shingles and rough, uneven wood shakes, as the irregular profile of shakes makes them much more difficult to properly weatherproof on a vertical surface.
Bonus Questions And Answers
Do Building Codes Allow Wood Shakes On Exterior Walls
While the visual appeal of rustic wood is undeniable, homeowners must navigate strict regulations when selecting exterior cladding. Under the International Residential Code, wood shakes are permitted for exterior walls provided they meet specific grading standards and are installed over an approved weather-resistive barrier. However, local jurisdictions, particularly those located in Wildland-Urban Interface zones, frequently amend these national codes to strictly prohibit untreated wood siding entirely in order to mitigate neighborhood wildfire risks.
What Is The Difference Between Wood Shingles And Wood Shakes
Understanding exterior materials requires looking closely at how they are manufactured and how that affects their weatherproofing capabilities. Wood shingles are sawn on both sides, resulting in a uniform thickness and smooth surface that lays flat and tight against a wall assembly. Wood shakes are split rather than sawn, creating a highly textured appearance with an irregular thickness that does not lay completely flat, making them much more susceptible to wind-driven rain intrusion if not installed with meticulous overlapping techniques.
How Do Weather Resistive Barriers Work With Wood Siding
Beyond the visible exterior, the structural integrity of a wall relies heavily on its hidden defensive layers. Standard building practices require a weather-resistive barrier, such as an approved house wrap or asphalt-saturated felt, to be properly installed over the structural wall sheathing before any wood shakes are attached. This crucial membrane allows interior water vapor to escape the wall cavity while simultaneously preventing exterior wind-driven rain from reaching and rotting the underlying wood framing.
