Before we talk about wood shingles, it would be prudent to first understand what shingles are. No, I am not talking about adult resurfacing of chicken pox that is so very painful. I am talking about the roofing material that is used to cover the roofs of homes and other buildings. These are actually a type of tiles that are either plain or curved and overlap each other in a pattern that takes away all rain water in channels. The roof of any building plays a big part in protecting the entire structure. Proper care must be taken to choose the material to cover the roof. The use of wood for these shingles is quite old, and even today, wood proves to be quite useful as making wood shingles ensures water pours off through the force of gravity down to the gutter on the road. Though other materials are fast becoming popular (metal, ceramic and PVC tiles), wood continues to rule the roost because of its unique appearance and richness.
wood-shingles
wood-shingles
IT COSTS MUCH THAN BEFORE
It is true that wood is getting scarce as a natural resource in modern times and getting wooden shingles for your roof proves to be a costly affair these days. But in old times, when there were plenty of trees, wood was considered an ideal material for making roofing shingles. Not only wooden shingles lightweight and easy to install, they can be given any shape easily. They can be made extremely smooth to let all water drain off through channels or groves made in these shingles thus preventing any chance or leakage from the roof. Wood shingles also look very attractive and give a feeling of being in the lap of the nature which is why majority of buildings in earlier times had wooden shingles. The only disadvantage with wood shingles is that of maintenance as wood is prone to rotting and damage by insects. Thus one may need treatment of wood shingles with chemicals to protect it from insects.
Though one has many options today as far as material for shingles is concerned, there is no doubt that those who go in for aesthetic value still prefer wood over other types of shingles. However, if you do decide in favor of wood shingles, you have to be prepared for regular maintenance and care so as to increase the lifespan of the shingles. The natural looks of wood shingles can never be replicated with other synthetic materials.
wood-shingles
wood-shingles