06 Feb Shakes and shingles

Shakes and shingles

It’s now been 25 years since the first vinyl shake siding was introduced. Today, every manufacturer that produces vinyl siding has a shake and/or shingle offering. Some have several versions, making the possibilities for mix-and-match with other profiles almost endless. There are even some smaller manufacturers that make nothing but vinyl shakes (technically polymer shakes).

The most common of these mix-and-match approaches has been to have shakes on the front of the home, and standard type vinyl siding on the remaining areas. This provides a substantial savings over doing the entire home with shakes, which are quite a bit more costly than the regular vinyl sidings. At least double, and sometimes more than that.

Initially, shake sidings came in a double 7 inch profile, and the size has remained the most popular. But many different variations have emerged, including the 5 inch shingle type, popular for seashore or Cape Cod type homes, 9 inch hand splits that have a rugged and rustic appearance, and even scalloped or rounded shingles, which work best as an accent panel, especially on a Victorian style home.

Beyond the difference is size, the actual texture of the material can be very different, even when comparing two otherwise similar shake sidings.

And colors are a whole ‘nother ballgame. Solid, variegated and even stained colors create yet another choice to consider.

As you can see, the genre of shakes and shingles has truly evolved to the point of something-for-everyone. It’s just a matter of YOUR preference.

Yes, shakes and shingles have been around a long time now. But I was doing siding for twenty years before they appeared. What’s that say about me???

Nevermind.