Ideas for How to Side Cedar Shakes

Definitions of Shake and Shingle

• Shakes and shingles are often thought to be the same but there is a structural difference between them. Historically, shakes were produced from a block of wood using a mallet to hammer in an L-shaped blade called a froe to split the shakes. This resulted in a rough, thick surface. Shingles were sawn at a mill, which presented a thin smooth surface. Despite the differences the words are often alternatively used today. Currently, very few siding shakes are produced with a froe and shingles can be purchased in bundles.

Architectural Tradition of Cedar Shake Siding

• Use of cedar shakes as siding in America appeared circa 1880, primarily on Queen Anne and shingle style architecture. Both were popular during that period to 1900 and both utilized shakes to add visual interest and contrast. Queen Anne style homes were highly decorative, featuring asymmetrical facades and multiple architectural elements. Shake siding could be found on bands between floors, gable ends and on towers, sometimes on all areas of the same building. Shingle style homes were clad either completely in wooden shakes (roof and walls) or the bulk of the home would be covered in continuous courses with no corner boards. Shakes could also be found later on Craftsman-style homes from 1905 to 1930.

Application of Shakes

• Shakes can be applied using two types of coursing. Single-course siding begins with installation at the bottom of the wall and shakes are overlapped by about half the width. Double-coursed siding features an underlayment of shakes and exposed shakes are attached 1 inch lower than the butt of the underlayer, creating a shadow line.

Cedar Shake Course Designs

• Shakes can be creatively arranged in gable ends or over the entire house in contrasting styles. Common shapes are diamond, fishscale with scalloped exposures and hexagonal. Lesser-known styles are half cove with reverse scallops, staggered, using uneven butt courses, arrow with pointed butts and ribbon, featuring stacked courses of square shakes laid 1/2 inch lower than the course over it for double shadow lines. Combinations of shapes like diamond paired with square shakes can be visually striking as can delineating areas of the house with different shake configurations.