Quick Answer: The best alternative to a wood shake roof is stone-coated metal shakes since they resemble real wood better than asphalt shingles, are recyclable, lightweight, and last longer.
Your current wood shake roof is worn out and needs replacing, and you’re wondering what the best alternative is. Maybe even an alternative that’s also environmentally-friendly. After all, one of the reasons you probably got a wood roof was because it’s eco-friendly. Or perhaps you’re looking for a roof that lasts longer or is less expensive than real wood. You’re in luck. Today, you have more options than before to consider. But there’s one clear winner 😉
Although there are some advantages to a wood shake roof, there are some disadvantages – because they’re made from wood, they are flammable. Shake is also expensive. On average, a wood roof costs twice as much as mid-grade asphalt shingles. Wood has a short life span, at around 15 years. They are high maintenance and are susceptible to mold, rot, and insects.
Wood Shake Roof Alternatives
Because real wood shake must be treated to resist rain, insects, hail, etc., it’s not that eco-friendly. Here are some alternatives.
Most folks who buy a shake roof do so because they’re environmentally conscious – they want a natural roofing product that’s recyclable. In addition, they like the appearance of natural wood. Therefore, the best wood shake roof alternatives are also those that are natural-looking and environmentally friendly. With those requirements in mind, you have three options available to you today – stone-coated steel shingles, concrete tiles, and asphalt shingles.
Steel Shake
Stone-coated steel shakes are the best alternative to real wood shakes – they’re more eco-friendly, are recyclable in Northern Colorado, are long-lasting, and are low-cost long-term.
Concrete Tiles
Concrete tiles are also a good alternative to real wood because they resemble it closely. They’re also recyclable. However, they’re extremely heavy.
Asphalt Shingles
Traditional asphalt shingles are another alternative to wood shake. However, they don’t resemble real shake very much. Nor are they eco-friendly. They also don’t last very long, which makes them expensive in the long term.
Stone-Coated Steel Shakes
Another alternative to real wood shake roofing is stone-coated steel shakes. They are a happy medium between heavy concrete tiles and unrealistic asphalt shingles. Stone-coated metal shakes look more like wood shakes than asphalt shingles, but not as good as concrete tiles do. Decra has its Shake XD metal shakes. Westlake Royal Roofing has its Pine-Crest Shake steel shakes. Check out this stone-coated steel roof we installed for a client in Greeley.
Another nice thing about steel shakes is that they last so much longer than wood shakes. A wood shake roof here in Colorado lasts between 15 and 25 years. Steel shakes often last 70 years or more. Let’s say you’re a new, young homeowner and you put new stone-coated steel shakes on your roof. You might not ever replace your roof in your lifetime. How does that sound? If longevity is your primary factor in a wood shake replacement, metal shingles are it. And, given that steel shingles only cost a little more than wood shake, you get a lot more bang for your buck than wood shake.
Steel shakes are considered green since they are recyclable. We’ve identified metal recycling centers in Greeley, Fort Collins, and the Denver area. As of the time of this writing, there are no asphalt shingle recycling centers in our Northern Colorado area.
Stone-coated steel shakes are much more durable than wood shake or asphalt shingles. Steel shingles withstand hail better than wood shake or traditional asphalt shingles. When large hailstones hit wood shake, the shake shingles crack. Not so with steel shingles. Unlike wood shake, steel shingles are not susceptible to rot, mold, or insects. To resist mold, rot, and insects, wood shakes need regular maintenance. Steel shingles do not.
Steel shakes only cost a little more than wood shakes. On a small 28′ x 46′ roof, you can expect to pay at least $10,000 for wood shake. Steel shingles, on the other hand, only cost a few thousand dollars more. And, again, the last 3 or 4 times as long as wood shake.
Wood is naturally combustible. Metal is not. That’s why metal is naturally fire-resistant. This is important to us Coloradans, given our lower humidity and strong winds. Our great state is already prone to wildfires. Your roof has a better chance of surviving a fire with a metal roof compared to wood shake.
Lastly, white stone-coated metal shakes are much cooler than asphalt shingles. Westlake’s Barrel-Vault Tile in Dover (white) has a reflectivity of .41. Wood shake is between .30 and .39. Even the most energy efficient asphalt shingles only have a reflectivity of .15 to .25.
Concrete Tiles
Today’s concrete tiles strongly resemble real wood shake. In fact, if appearance is your most important factor, concrete tiles are it. Westlake Royal Roofing’s Madera 900, for example, even up close, looks the most like real wood shake. Concrete tiles have a low solar reflectivity, however, which makes them not the coolest roofing material. Concrete is recyclable; therefore, they are environmentally friendly. A concrete tile roof is among the most expensive roofing materials. For a small, simple 28′ x 46′ roof, expect to pay at least $15,000. Concrete tile roofing is very durable and long-lasting. You can expect your new tile roof to last between 50 and 75 years if professionally installed. Therefore, over the long run, it can cost less than some less expensive roofing materials. Concrete tile roofing is fire-proof and high-wind resistant.
NOTE: Clay tile doesn’t resemble real wood shake, so we are intentionally leaving this product out of our list.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing material. Several manufacturers offer products that do a decent job of resembling real wood shake. Owens Corning has their Woodcrest and Woodmoor line of asphalt shingles. GAF has its Grand Canyon, Grand Sequoia, and Grand Sequoia AS line. CertainTeed has its Presidential Shake, Presidential Shake TL, and Presidential Shake IR shingles. Asphalt shingles from these manufacturers somewhat resemble wood shake.
On average, your mid-grade asphalt shingles last around 25 years. This is comparable to wood. We recently replaced a Greeley resident’s 15-year-old shake roof. The problem with asphalt shingles, however, is that they are not recyclable in our area. Additionally, asphalt shingles look the least like wood shake, compared to other alternatives on this list. The good thing about asphalt shingles is that they are less expensive than shake, which is why they’re in this list.
Wood Shake Roof Alternative Installation
Need someone to install your new wood shake alternative roof? Contact us for a free inspection and estimate. We offer a 5-year workmanship guarantee, are a Preferred Contractor of Owens Corning and CertainTeed, and a Tamko MasterCraft Pro Installer.
Best Alternative to Wood Shake Roof
When looking for the best alternative to a wood shake roof, one needs to determine what’s important. Do you want a roofing product that looks most like wood shake, lasts the longest, is the least expensive, or is environmentally friendly? The one that looks the closest to wood shake is stone-coated metal shingles. If you want the cheapest, go with asphalt shingles. The most environmentally-friendly roof is concrete tiles or metal shingles. If you want the one that lasts the longest, any metal roofing product is what you want.
When you’re ready for a new metal roof, be it stone-coated or metal panels, look no further than Bob Behrends Roofing. We have a dedicated residential roofing crew and are licensed and insured in the great state of Colorado. We provide free, no-obligation roof inspections and estimates.
