Cedar or redwood shakes roofs have been around for centuries and are one of the original roofing materials. In early days, the shakes were laid over top of spaced lathing strips that were spaced so the shakes would stay dry. As a result, such cedar or redwood roofs can last for many decades.
Cedar Shakes roofs have a material life expectancy of anywhere from 40 to 60 years but because of the lack of maintaining they tend to last 15 to 25 years based upon the grade of the shakes. This is why you will hear that a cedar roof will last, on average, about 20 years.
The reason for this is that cedar/redwood shakes will not decay on their own. It takes moisture and some form of infestation (moss, mildew, lichen, mold or fungi). Thus the only way to get the full life-span potential from a cedar/redwood roof or siding is to maintain it and have it cleaned.
One problem with cedar/redwood roofs that were installed in the last 30 years is the installation itself. Lath installation is no longer used and they are now installed upon decking with an underlining, or what we call roof felt.
The felt does make for a great water barrier, but because of improper spacing between the felt and the shakes, the shakes often cannot breathe or dry properly. Thus the shakes retain moisture, allowing for infestations to move in.
Over time, the shakes lose their integrity, which can lead to interior water damage and premature roof replacement if there is no regular roof maintenance or cleaning. With a cedar shakes roof, the under felt protect the home or is the water barrier and the shakes protect the felt. So the integrity of the shakes is key to the preserving of the felt or water barrier.
Many cedar/redwood shakes roof homeowners were never told they need to maintain their roof to reach the potential natural life span of anywhere from 40 to 60 years. Normally after a 10-year period of not cleaning, a homeowner will notice the green moss or mold, the lichen or the dark brown to black coloration of fungi.
At this point, many homeowners believe that a new roof is needed, when in reality, a good cleaning will often solve the problem. Once the wood roof is properly cleaned, the infestations and moisture are removed, allowing the shakes to breathe again and stay dry. On average, a good cleaning should last between six and eight years.
In regards to staining and sealing a cedar/redwood roof, staining is fine for curb appeal but adds very little value to preserving the roof itself. Sealing of cedar/redwood roofs should never be done! Cedar shakes need to breathe so they can expand and contract, that is why they are installed spaced. Given cedar has 3% natural oil content, which will leech out over time, some form of oil rehydration should be considered for proper maintenance purposes.
In addition to cleaning, you should make sure there is no debris left in the valleys and no over-hanging trees over the roof as this will cause moisture and shade. Also, it is a good idea to replace any missing shakes that will expose the felt, as UV light can cause felt deterioration.
When properly maintained, a cedar or redwood roof can last for many decades.
As to the cleaning process itself. You have, what is labeled, the three step process and then there is the non-pressure process. One can require the use of some form of pressure and getting on the roof, while the other can be done with garden hose pressure from a ladder. There are different types of cleaning solutions that can be used, depending on the process. We prefer the non-pressure process and have developed our own cleaning solution. Both processes can be very effective.
Cedar shakes roof cleaning is a niche service. We started out as a complete roof cleaning service only. Now 95% of our service is cleaning cedar shakes roofs. As more and more cedar roof home owners become educated to the need to maintain a cedar roof. The demand for our service is constant.
Unlike the other roofing materials, it is well documented that cedar shakes roofs have to be maintained.
What can I say? Bruce and Keith provided an exceptional service, and they are really nice guys too. Found out at the last minute they were in Minneapolis, and they fit me in for a cedar shake roof cleaning the next evening after their regular job was done. Even cleaned up my gutters, small fence, and small deck at no charge. The place looks outstanding! Highly recommended.
Mike Richards
Minneapolis
I highly recommend this business. Due to the work performed we are going to get another 10-14 years out of our cedar shake roof. We were told by some roofing companies that the roof should be replaced in 2 years. I lucked out and found Sullivan Roof Cleaning while researching companies that perform this service, and was pleased to learn that the company does work outside of Iowa. If you need your cedar shakes cleaned, go with Sullivan Roof Cleaning.
Eric Oelrich,
St Cloud, MN
Bruce did a great job cleaning the whole exterior of my house. The roof has new life! It looks practically brand new. All the mold and moss on the roof, on the gutters, under the eaves, completely gone. He exceeded all our expectations. When he tells you what he can do for your house, you can believe and trust him. Great guy, great service.
Stuart Malone
Kansas City, MO
A Cedar Shake Roof will last a long time, depending on the grade of the cedar, but it does need to be looked after and cleaned about once every 10 years or so. If the roof is neglected then it will need replacing before which will incur a huge amount of unnecessary costs.
Cedar Shakes are a naturally renewable and sustainable resource that is also organic matter. They also last longer than other materials and can be composted once no longer in use. Ensuring they stay in optimal condition will help to reduce the impact on the environment.
A cedar shake roof that is not maintained will lose some of its natural ability to hold an abient temperature. They allow the home to breath, to stay cool in the summers, and help to keep them warmer in the winters. If the cedar shakes become damaged, degraded, or generally fall into disrepair then all of this is lost.
The formula is specially created and offers maximum efficiency for cleaning of cedar shake roofs whilst being harmless to those most important to you.
Keep the roof in the best condition possible by keeping your Cedar Shakes clean and free of organic material. We also use ladders rather than walking on the roof.
Bring your Cedar Shakes back to their original look and color, while also increasing their longevity.
Whether your cedar shake roof has dark, ugly streaks or a bunch of moss and algae making it weak over time; get it clean with an expert cedar shake roof cleaning team and make it look brand new again.
We use low-pressure cedar shake roof cleaning techniques with the addition of our environment-friendly formula that amazingly removes all the damaging roof organic matter from your cedar roof without damaging your cedar shake roof in any way. The solution we use is biodegradable, making it safe for your garden, family, and pets. Don’t just contact any roof cleaning service provider to restore your cedar roofs as it may do more harm than good. Make sure to hire certified, insured, and decade-long experienced cedar roof cleaning experts to offer you a reliable cedar roof cleaning solution with proper inspection and execution.
What can I say? Bruce and Keith provided an exceptional service, and they are really nice guys too. Found out at the last minute they were in Minneapolis, and they fit me in for a cedar shake roof cleaning the next evening after their regular job was done. Even cleaned up my gutters, small fence, and small deck at no charge. The place looks outstanding! Highly recommended.
Mike Richards
Minneapolis
I highly recommend this business. Due to the work performed we are going to get another 10-14 years out of our cedar shake roof. We were told by some roofing companies that the roof should be replaced in 2 years. I lucked out and found Sullivan Roof Cleaning while researching companies that perform this service, and was pleased to learn that the company does work outside of Iowa. If you need your cedar shakes cleaned, go with Sullivan Roof Cleaning.
Eric Oelrich,
St Cloud, MN
Bruce did a great job cleaning the whole exterior of my house. The roof has new life! It looks practically brand new. All the mold and moss on the roof, on the gutters, under the eaves, completely gone. He exceeded all our expectations. When he tells you what he can do for your house, you can believe and trust him. Great guy, great service.
Stuart Malone
Kansas City, MO