Home Care Tip #8: Wood Shake Roofs

Maintaining your home’s wood shake roof is a good way to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. It also helps your home look fresh and new year round!

  • Clear debris from the roof valleys, roof fields, and spots where debris likes to snag, like the upper rim of skylights
  • Pressure washing of mildew from shakes if this hasn’t been done in the last 3-5 years
  • Replacement of any split or rotten shakes at roof fields and ridge-caps.
  • Check ridge-caps for stability and re-secure if loose.
  • Apply an anti-fungal spray with a pump sprayer. This does not have to be done every year. If it is put on thick it can last from 3-5 years. Caution: Wood shake roofs can be very slippery. Use a good quality ladder to access the roof, use golf shoes with metal spikes or extremely good lug soled boots to walk on the roof. Start spraying the anti-fungal spray at the highest spot on the roof and work your way back to your ladder. Watch out for the change in traction when the anti-fungal spray is applied. Never walk on any area with wet spray!
Marti Reeder, Realtor, Managing Broker