Cedar Shakes & Shingles

The Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau is very involved in building code work. Certi-label™ cedar products are manufactured to CSSB-97 grading rules, which have been adopted by the U.S. International Building Code (IBC) and the U.S. International Residential Code (IRC) and the National Building Code (NBC). Certi-label™ shakes and shingles meet all national standards for shakes and shingles. The following code bodies and manufacturing standards in the United States and Canada govern shake and shingle manufacturing and application:

· American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM)

· California State Fire Marshall (CSFM)

· Canadian Standards Association (CSA)

· Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau

· International Accreditation Service (IAS)

· International Building Code (IBC)

· International Residential Code (IRC)

· National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

· Uniform Building Code (UBC)

All construction projects in the United States must meet at minimum, IBC and IRC standards. Prior to beginning construction, homeowners and contractors should check with the local building official in their area to ensure that their project meets all code requirements and adheres to any local ordinances in place when applying roof or sidewall product.

Wind Resistant

The aesthetic appearance and the natural durability of cedar add property value to your home. These are just a couple of the reasons cedar is so often used as a roof covering. Cedar shakes and shingles also prove to be highly wind resistant roof coverings. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, where hurricanes and tropical storms are a common occurrence, roofing systems using Certi-label™ shakes and shingles comply with the International Residential Code. Certi-label™ shakes and shingles have been subjected to the UL 1897 fourth edition “Uplift tests for roof covering systems” with exemplary results.

The classification for uplift resistance is expressed in pounds per square foot. The test method subjects a minimum 10 by 10 ft. test sample to various short term (1 minute interval) static pressures which represent the uplift forces imposed on roofing systems securement to a specified roof deck when exposed to high velocity winds. In other words it tests how well shakes and shingles hold up when subjected to high winds. It measures the degree to which the roofing material is uplifted from the roof deck.

Hail Resistant

The aesthetic appearance and the natural durability of cedar add property value to your home. These are just some of the reasons cedar is so often used as a roof covering. Cedar shakes are more resistant to hail than most other roof coverings used today. Cedar shakes have earned a high impact-UL-2218 rating. UL-2218 is the Underwriters Laboratories test standard for Impact Resistance of Prepared Roof Covering Materials. The acceptance criteria upon examination after being subjected to the test procedure is: prepared roof covering material exposed surface, back surface and underneath layers shall show no evidence of tearing, fracturing, cracking, splitting, rupture or other evidence of opening of the prepared roof covering layer. For further information on this testing procedure please visit www.ul.com.

The classifications for impact resistance are expressed as Class 1, 2, 3 or 4 which relate to a roof covering’s ability to withstand impacts from 1¼, 1½ , 1¾ and 2″. diameter steel balls, respectively. Certi-label™ 24″ x ¾” Handsplit and Resawn shakes carry a Class 4 impact resistance rating, Certi-label™ Handsplit and Resawn shakes 24″x ½” carry a Class 3 impact resistance rating. If you live in a hailstorm prone area there are some insurance underwriting companies that will offer a discount on your premium if you use a roofing material that is impact resistance rated. In the state of Colorado for instance, Western United offers a scaled discount depending on the impact resistance rating. Identifying the difference in naturally weathered and storm damaged cedar roofs is sometimes a difficult task. It takes a trained eye to assess a cedar roof and determine if it is in fact damaged due to hail, or if it is just naturally weathered. It also takes a trained eye to determine the amount of repair required.

Certigrade®

Certigrade® shingles 90 PSF (pounds per square foot)

Certi-Split® shakes 180 PSF

A subsequent report by a Florida Registered Professional Engineer converted the PSF numbers into miles per hour figures using the analytical method for wind design of roof cladding set forth in Section 6 of ASCE 7-98 (American Society of Engineers). Results, using no safety factors, are as follows:

Certigrade® shingles withstood wind speeds of 173 MPH

Certi-Split® shakes withstood wind speeds of 245 MPH

It should be noted that these calculations were conducted for a specific house in the Dade County area of Florida. When converting from PSF to MPH using ASCE 7-98 results will vary depending on many factors including building height, location, roof slope, environment etc. Be advised that all design parameters, assumptions and limitations of use set forth in the Florida engineer’s report are necessary components of further interpretation.

Do you need help with your roofing work?

Roofing your home is something that you will do very few times in your lifetime, therefore it should be as pleasant an experience as CBS Roofing can make it for you and your family.

As a leading Sarasota roofing contractor, we put your needs first and offer a plan to meet your specific roofing needs with all types of traditional and waterproofing solutions. We also hold the highest credentials as applicators for the CertainTeed Corporation.

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