Wood Shingle & Wood Shake Roof Protective, Preservative & Fire Resistant Coating Guide

WOOD ROOF COATINGS & FIRE RATINGS - Fire resistant treatment for wood shingle & wood shake roofs
- Wood preservative treatment for wood shingle/shake roofs
- Wood shingle roof inspection, failures, repair, product defects
- Key design details & references for preservative coatings & fire resistive coatings used on wood shingle roofs
FIRE RATINGS for ROOF SURFACES - separate article
Questions & Answers about preservative coatings & fire resistive coatings used on wood shingle roofs
References

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Coatings for wood shingles or wood shake roofs - wood roof preservatives, wood roof fire resistive coatings: This article explains fire resistant treatments and preservative treatments for wood shingle or wood shake roofing in historic and contemporary use.

Protective Coatings & Treatments for Fire Rating for Wood Shingle & Wood Shake Roofs - Getting from No-Rating to B-Rating to Class A Fire Rating

More details useful for determining the condition of a wood roof are at WOOD ROOF INSPECTION GUIDE. More about wood coatings and about cleaning wood shingle or shake roofs is found at WOOD ROOF MAINTENANCE. Also see Wildfire Damage Prevention.

Types of Wood Shingle/Shake Roof Treatments Available

US FPL climate index for the US As we mention in our outline of roofing materials and their properties found at ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR, wood shingle roofs, if treated with a fire retardant, are fire rated B.

Un-treated wood roof shingles have no fire rating and are not permitted by code in some areas. A class A fire rated wood shingle roof can be installed using special procedures and materials that include plywood and gypsum board.

NRCA's David Flickinger explained in 1999 in Professional Roofing, that treatments are available for wood shingles and wood shakes on building roofs to preserve the wood from rot and to increase its fire resistance. For new wood shingles, a pressure treatment impregnates the shingles with a wood preservative (in the 1990's CCA or chromated copper arsenate) or a fire retardant.

When shingles are treated with a fire retardant they are then heated to complete that treatment procedure.

Typical spray or brush-on wood roof treatments are also available to treat wood shingles or shakes that have already been installed on a building.

According to Flickinger, the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau (CSSB) recommends that cedar roofing products used in locations with high decay potential should be treated with a preservative.

A U.S. map provided by the Forest Products Laboratory (above-left) indicates that the southeastern quadrant of the U.S., but extending north into West Virgina and parts of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee make up this area of high decay hazard (the dark colored area on the map) based on the FPL climate index.

Questions About the Durability of Fire Retardants & Preservatives for Wood Roofs

According to the NRCA both of the wood roof processes described above, when wood roofing shingles or shakes are treated under pressure, before installation on the roof, are considered "permanent", that is, the treatment should last for the life of the wood shingle.

For existing wood shingle roofs, treatment might be applied using a topical spray or brush-on of preservatives. These treatments are not permanent and need to be performed periodically depending on the geographic locale of the roof

According to Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction and discussed in BEST ROOFING PRACTICES,

Where premium red or white cedar is too expensive for a particular roofing job, wood roof buyers should consider pressure-treated southern yellow pine shakes and shingles. In its favor, yellow pine is a tougher and stronger wood, and although not as pretty as red cedar when new, over time they will both weather to a similar silver gray.

Because penetration of the treatment on pine roofing shingles is nearly 100%, pressure-treated pine shingles carry guarantees against decay for up to 50 years, making them well suited to high-moisture environments, shallow slopes, and shady wooded sites where organic matter may collect on the roof. The preservatives should not leach out over time.

One drawback to yellow pine shingles and shakes is that many are flat-grained, so most come pretreated with a water repellent to help them resist cupping and splitting. However, retreatment with a water repellent at some point may be required for optimal performance. Western red cedar shingles are also available pressure-treated for severe applications where standard cedar shingles are prone to decay.

A bit before Flickinger's 1999 article, in 1995 in his article on Choosing Roofing, Jefferson Kolle questioned the durability of wood shingle fire retardant treatments. Kolle suggested that rain tends to draw the fire retardant to the shingle surface where it is washed away over time.

The same article however, quoted Don Meucci from the Cedar Single & Shake Bureau who said that tests performed on fire-retardant-treated wood shingles from a 16-year old roof passed the current fire resistance tests of that time. Nonetheless, some communities where fire risk is particularly high (Los Angeles California, Newcastle, New Hampshire) have banned the use of wood roofs regardless of their treatment.

For added details about proper wood shingle or wood shake roof installation, perhaps the most authoritative source of wood shingle and wood shake information is from the Western Red Cedar Shingle & Shake Bureau (now the Cedar and Shake Shingle Bureau, since not only western red cedar is used for roof shingles).

Sources of Wood Roof Fire Retardant Coatings - where to buy

Fire Retardants Inc., 123 Columbia Court North, Suite 201, Chaska MN 55318, Tel: 800-913-9385, email: info@fireretardantsinc.com, Website: www.fireretardantsinc.com
The company produces Burn Barrier No. 10 Shingle Treatment, Clear, Fire Retardant solvent-based wood roof coating, fire hazard hazard classifcation Class "B"
Carboline Fire Protective Coatings, Carboline Company 2150 Schuetz Road St. Louis, MO 63146 Phone: 1-314-644-1000, Tel: 800-848-4645 website: www.carboline.com
Flame Safe Wood Products, Flame Safe Chemical Corporation and Flame Safe Wood Products, Inc. 2653 Warfield Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 Phone: 817-740-9197 Toll Free: 1-800-333-9197, website: www.flame-safe.com/
Contact us to add product listings, no fees, no conflicts of interest are involved

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the fire rating of wood shingle or wood shake roofs & about wood roof coatings to improve fire rating & fire resistance

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
[2] Thanks to Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, for assistance in technical review of the "Critical Defects" section and for the photograph of the deteriorating gray Owens Corning flex duct in a hot attic. Mr. Cramer is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator.
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
- Home Inspection Education Home Study Courses - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
  Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference eBook, an electronic version for PCs, the iPad, iPhone, & Android smart phones.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones.
[4] "Choosing Roofing," Jefferson Kolle, January 1995, No. 92, Fine Homebuilding, Taunton Press, 63 S. Main St., PO Box 5506, Newton CT 06470 - 800-888-8286 - see http://www.taunton.com/FineHomebuilding/ for the magazine's website and for subscription information.
[5] Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
[6] Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
[7] Fire Retardants Inc., 123 Columbia Court North, Suite 201, Chaska MN 55318, Tel: 800-913-9385, email: info@fireretardantsinc.com, Website: www.fireretardantsinc.com
The company produces Burn Barrier No. 10 Shingle Treatment, Clear, Fire Retardant solvent-based wood roof coating, fire hazard hazard classifcation Class "B"
[8] Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
[9] The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau in the U.S.: Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau, P.O. Box 1178
Sumas, WA 98295-1178, or in Canada: Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau, #2 - 7101 Horne Street
Mission, BC V2V 7A2, 604-820-7700 E-mail: info@cedarbureau.com. The association can also be contacted by their website, cedarbureau.org where CCSB offers wood shingle installation instructions in the form of a manual - cedarbureau.org/installation/wall_manual/introduction.htm
[10] "Treatment of Cedar Shakes and Shingles," David Flickinger, RRO, p. 74, Professional Roofing, NRCA, October 1999, Rosemont IL.
[11] Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, CSSB, U.S.: Sumas, WA 98295-1178, Tel: 604-820-7700, In Canada: Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau #2 - 7101 Horne Street, Mission, BC V2V 7A2 Tel: (604) 820-7700, E-mail: info@cedarbureau.com , website: http://www.cedarbureau.org/
CCSB offers wood shingle installation instructions in the form of a manual - cedarbureau.org/installation/wall_manual/introduction.htm
[12] Forest Products Laboratory, US FPL, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53726, Tel: (608) 231-9200, Email: mailroom_forest_products_laboratory@fs.fed.us608-231-9200, website: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/
[13] NRCA - National Roofing Contractors Association - http://www.nrca.net/, 10255 W. Higgins Road, Suite 600, Rose mont, IL 60018-5607, Tel: (847) 299-9070
[14] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E 84- Class " A " UL 723, Type 1, NFPA 255, UBC 42-1 ASTM E 2898, AWPA C-20, AWPA C-27
[15] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E 84 - Class " A " UL 723, Type 1, CAN4-S102-M83 NFPA 255, UBC 42-1
[16] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: International Maritime Organization Resolution A.753 (18) AND ASTM F1173-85 section A5 Wet Condition Classification of " Waterfilled Plastic Pipe"
[17] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E 84 - Class "B" UL 723, Type 2, CAN4-S102-M83 NFPA 255, UBC 42-1
[18] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E 108 Fire Tests for Roof Coverings-Flying Brand, Burning |Brand, Spread of Flame and Intermittent Flame Exposure ASTM E 2898
[19] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: NFPA 701
[20] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: California Administrative Code Section 1237.1 of Title 19
[21] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: Federal Standard 16CFR 1632 (FF 4-72) California Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 3 Section 1371- mattress/mattress ticking
[22] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: Cal Tech 117-F
[23] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E 162
[24] Fire Safety Standard/Classification: ASTM E662

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
The Journal of Light Construction has generously given reprint permission to InspectAPedia.com for this article. All rights and contents are ©Journal of Light Construction and may not be reproduced in any form.
Architectural elements: the technological revolution: Galvanized iron roof plates and corrugated sheets; cast iron facades, columns, door and window caps, ... (American historical catalog collection), Diana S Waite, available used out of Amazon.
Asphalt Roofing Residential Manual,
Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
Built-Up Roof Systems, Manual, C.W. Griffin, Mcgraw-Hill (Tx); 2nd edition (July 1982), ISBN-10: 0070247838, ISBN-13: 978-0070247833
Concrete Folded Plate Roofs, C. Wilby PhD BSc CEng FICE FIStructE (Author), Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998, ISBN-10: 0340662662, ISBN-13: 978-0340662663
Concrete Shell Roofs, C. Wilby PhD BSc CEng FICE FIStructE (Author),
Concrete Dome Roofs (Longman Concrete Design and Construction Series),
Concrete Roofing Tile, History of the, Batsford, 1959, AISN B000HLLOUC (availble used)
Copper Roofing, by CDA
Copper Roofing, Master specifications for copper roofing and sheet metal work in building construction: Institutional, commercial, industrial, I.E. Anderson, 1961 (hard to find)
Corrugated Iron, Building on the Frontier, Simon Holloway
Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide, Edmund C. Snodgrass, Lucie L. Snodgrass, Timber Press, Incorporated, 2006, ISBN-10: 0881927872, ISBN-13: 978-0881927870. The text covers moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height of 350 species and cultivars.
Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, Kelley Luckett, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009, ISBN-10: 007160880X, ISBN-13: 978-0071608800, quoting: Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design Construction methods for new and existing buildings Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection Details on optimal soil formulation Illustrations featuring various stages of construction Best practices for green roof maintenance A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality Tips on the LEED design and certification process Considerations for assessing return on investment Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs Useful checklists, tables, and charts
Handbook of Building Crafts in Conservation, Jack Bower, Ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY 1981 ISBN 0-442-2135-3 Library of Congress Catalog Card Nr. 81-50643.
Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Historic Slate Roofs : With How-to Info and Specifications, Tina Skinner (Ed), Schiffer Publishing, 2008, ISBN-10: 0764330012 , ISBN-13: 978-0764330018
Low Slope Roofing, Manual of, 4th Ed., C.W. Griffin, Richard Fricklas, McGraw-Hill Professional; 4 edition, 2006, ISBN-10: 007145828X, ISBN-13: 978-0071458283
- Roof failure causes in depth (and specific methods for avoiding them)
- Roof design fundamentals and flourishes, based on voluminous industry research and experience
- New technologies and materials -- using them safely and correctly
- Comprehensive coverage of all major roofing systems pecifications, inspection, and maintenance tools for roofing work
Metal Roofing, an Illustrated Guide, R.A. Knowlton , [metal shingle roofs],
Patio Roofs, how to build, Sunset Books
Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
Roofing The Right Way, Steven Bolt, McGraw-Hill Professional; 3rd Ed (1996), ISBN-10: 0070066507, ISBN-13: 978-0070066502
Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977 by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
Roof Tiling & Slating, a Practical Guide, Kevin Taylor, Crowood Press (2008), ISBN 978-1847970237,
If you have never fixed a roof tile or slate before but have wondered how to go about repairing or replacing them, then this is the book for you. Many of the technical books about roof tiling and slating are rather vague and conveniently ignore some of the trickier problems and how they can be resolved. In Roof Tiling and Slating, the author rejects this cautious approach. Kevin Taylor uses both his extensive knowledge of the trade and his ability to explain the subject in easily understandable terms, to demonstrate how to carry out the work safely to a high standard, using tried and tested methods.
This clay roof tile guide considers the various types of tiles, slates, and roofing materials on the market as well as their uses, how to estimate the required quantities, and where to buy them. It also discusses how to check and assess a roof and how to identify and rectify problems; describes how to efficiently "set out" roofs from small, simple jobs to larger and more complicated projects, thus making the work quicker, simpler, and neater; examines the correct and the incorrect ways of installing background materials such as underlay, battens, and valley liners; explains how to install interlocking tiles, plain tiles, and artificial and natural slates; covers both modern and traditional methods and skills, including cutting materials by hand without the assistance of power tools; and provides invaluable guidance on repairs and maintenance issues, and highlights common mistakes and how they can be avoided. The author, Kevin Taylor, works for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors as a technical manager presenting technical advice and providing education and training for young roofers.
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com, 143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
Slate Roofing in Canada (Studi4es in archaeology, architecture, and history),
Smart Guide: Roofing: Step-by-Step Projects, Creative Homeowner (Ed), 2004, ISBN-10: 1580111491, ISBN-13: 978-1580111492
Solar heating, radiative cooling and thermal movement: Their effects on built-up roofing (United States. National Bureau of Standards. Technical note), William C Cullen, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off (1963), ASIN: B0007FTV2Q
Tile Roofs of Alfred: A Clay Tradition in Alfred NY
"Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Wood Shingle Roofs, Care and Maintenance of wood shingle and shake roofs (EC), Stanley S. Niemiec (out of print)
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