What are Wooden Shakes?

Shakes are wooden shingles which are split, rather than cut, creating a distinctive feel which many people think of as rustic. Wooden shakes have been used in roofing and siding for centuries, and they continue to be widely produced for new homes and to replace damaged or lost shakes on older structures. Many hardware stores carry shakes, and they can also be made by hand, if you have the tools and experience; many woodworkers, for example, make wooden shakes as practice projects. A wide variety of woods can be used to make shakes, depending on the region in which they are made. As a general rule, they are made from woods which are naturally resistant to infestation with insects, such as redwood and cedar, and they are also made from reasonably hard woods which will withstand years of use. Depending on the type of wood, shakes range in color when freshly made from a tawny gold to a rich, dark red. Shakes are classically made by bucking a log into segments, splitting these segments into ... more