Publication Date: Friday, January 21, 2005
Shake or shingle?
Shake or shingle?
(January 21, 2005) Many factors -- including financial -- impact decision
by Lynn Comeskey
I have a shake roof and need to replace it. Which would cost me less, a new shake roof or a composition roof?
Get bids for the alternatives from a good roofer. That's a start.
It is difficult to make a financial comparison, but I think it usually ends up being an emotional decision. One caveat: You have to have a sloped roof in order to install either shake or composition shingles -- a slope of at least three in 12 (three inches rise for each 12 inches run).
Shakes installed are always more expensive than composition installed. But, as you will see, there are other factors that enter into the decision.
Cedar shakes have to be treated to reduce the spread of flames should they catch fire. This adds to the cost and has a slight effect on the appearance of the shake. With the sun beating on the treated shake year after year, the effectiveness of the treatment deteriorates over time. Check with your insurance broker on how the type of roof you have affects your fire-insurance rate. Composition shingles have a much higher resistance to flame than cedar shakes.
You have a choice of medium, heavy and super heavy shakes. The heavier the shake the more it costs and the longer it will last. Ask your roofer for addresses so you can see the difference in appearance.
Composition roofs are more complicated. The sheathing they are installed over must be solid. Most older homes have spaced sheathing. Spaced sheathing is composed of 1 x 4s installed perpendicular to the rafters with a 3 1/2-inch space between each piece. This sheathing is meant for cedar shakes or shingles. If you have spaced sheathing, you have to pay to have plywood installed over the 1 x 4s. This cost can be considerable.
Composition shingles come with 25-, 30-, 40-, 50-year and lifetime warranties. The longer the life, the higher the cost. The installation cost remains the same so generally the marginal cost of the increased price is a bargain. Unfortunately, with the relatively short time most people live in one home before moving, the tendency is to choose a shorter life roof.
While significant improvements have been made in the appearance of composition roof, they still don't look as good as the natural product, wood. It's a tough choice.
Can I have a bay window installed in place of an existing flat window?
The answer is yes and maybe.
Yes, in the sense that the first step in the installation process is to frame a rectangular opening in an exterior wall. This is no different than framing for a regular "flat" window. The maybe comes into play because the chances are small that you could find a standard bay window that could fit in the existing opening.
However, the opening could be reframed to a new size to fit a bay. The bay is different because it projects from the exterior wall and it needs to have a bottom and a top. The bottom usually consists of supports that start at the exterior wall and extend at a 45-degree angle to the perimeter of the bay. Generally, a wall is built at the top of the bay, which projects upward to the roof overhang. The alternative is to construct a roof over the bay.
Lynn Comeskey continues to work with Mac & Lou Construction Co. in Palo Alto. Readers can write Comeskey care of the Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94301.
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