Real cedar shake roofing was once common on Florida Bungalow, Craftsman, and Shingle-style homes. It is no longer code-compliant in most of the state for new installation — failing both the wind-uplift requirements and the fire-resistance standards required in coastal zones.
For owners renovating one of these homes (or building new in a sympathetic style), three alternatives convincingly approximate cedar shake while meeting current code.
DaVinci Multi-Width Shake
Polymer-blend tile cast from molds of real cedar shake. Reads convincingly as cedar from any reasonable distance. Color blends are available that match weathered cedar, fresh cedar, and stained variations.
- Wind rating: meets Florida HVHZ requirements with the prescribed attachment
- Fire rating: Class A
- Cost: roughly $15-22 per square foot installed
- Lifespan: 50-year warranty
- Best on: contemporary or Craftsman-style homes where the cedar aesthetic is wanted
GAF Grand Sequoia
The heavyweight designer asphalt shingle we have written about previously. From a distance it reads as cedar shake; up close it is asphalt.
- Wind rating: meets Florida code with the prescribed attachment
- Fire rating: Class A
- Cost: roughly $11-15 per square foot installed
- Lifespan: 30-40 years in Florida
- Best on: Shingle-style homes where the budget does not support a polymer alternative
CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL
The triple-layer Presidential. Reads closer to wood shake than to slate; the closest asphalt match to cedar.
- Wind rating: meets Florida code
- Fire rating: Class A
- Cost: roughly $13-17 per square foot installed
- Lifespan: 30-40 years in Florida
- Best on: traditional architecture where the asphalt-versus-polymer choice favors asphalt for budget reasons
What we will not specify
Real cedar shake on new installation in any windborne debris region. The code does not permit it; the fire performance is poor; the longevity in Florida is short. We have walked away from clients asking for this rather than build a roof that will fail prematurely.
What about historic homes with original cedar?
If your home has an original cedar shake roof that needs replacement and the home is in a historic district, two paths exist:
Replacement with one of the three substitutes above, with a written variance from the historic review board approving the substitution. Most boards accept this for the obvious code reason.
Replacement with new cedar shake if the home is exempt from current code (rare; requires a documented historic variance).
The first path is what we have done on every Tampa and St. Petersburg historic Craftsman project we have completed.
How to choose between the three substitutes
In order of architectural fidelity to actual cedar shake:
- DaVinci Multi-Width Shake — most convincing
- CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL — second
- GAF Grand Sequoia — third (but most affordable)
In order of budget-friendliness, the order reverses.
The right answer depends on the home and the owner's priorities. For a serious renovation budget on architecturally significant work, DaVinci. For a value-engineered renovation, GAF. The middle case is genuinely a coin flip between the three.
Filed under