Have you noticed that cedar shakes don't
always look uniform? It's a sign that the splitting was done by hand; to be
more accurate, it was done by froe (or shake ax) and mallet.
Splitting a block of cedar is as easy as
chopping firewood. The grain makes it easy for a block to be split, helping the
blade cut all the way to the other side. Add the fact that cedar used for roofs
or sidings are naturally resistant to decay and pests and you have a
ready-to-use material. However, you need a good hand to cut shakes at a certain
thickness.
Then again, even with a stable grip and
control, shakes don't always come out level. One end of the shake can be
thicker than the other by a few inches, with general thickness ranging between
0.5 to 2 inches. You can even expect some loose wood fibers along the sides of
the shake, supporting the fact that it was cut by hand.
As a result of the varying thickness, cedar
shakes may leave some parts of the roof exposed to wind and rain. That's why
shakes are usually installed in no less than two layers and felt backing
becomes necessary. More layers gives the cedar roof more chances of keeping the
elements out of the home.
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