Highlights
Midwestern Director Mike Vaille of the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, says: "Our organization has found that most homeowners throughout the Chicagoland area mistakenly believe they can have a cedar roof installed, leave it alone and watch it last for 50 years. This simply is not true. While there are naturally occurring extractives in cedar that make it stronger than many types of wood, it's not immune to deterioration."

"It can be rather awkward telling homeowners who - just a few years ago - spent thousands and thousands of dollars on a new house or on having a cedar roof installed that they now need to spend even more money to maintain their investment," says Mike Catalanello, president and owner of Cedar Preservation Specialists, "but it would be even worse if they didn't know about the roof's unique needs."

"The four most deadly threats to cedar are moisture, sunlight, moss and fungi," say Barbara Murray of ISK Biosciences Corp. Inc., manufacturer of the water-repellent, weather-resistant, cedar treatment product known as Sta-Brite®R. She adds the toughest moisture a cedar roof endures is heavy snow sitting on the roof for an extended period of time, which as the snow melts, often soaks into the shakes or shingles. Since the moisture can't escape, it eats away at the wood fiber, making the cedar spongy. Heavy rains can have the same effects.

The Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau recommends having a cedar roof professionally maintained every 5 years.

Highlights
"Cedar roofs have been around forever on the East and West Coasts," says Mike Catalanello, owner of Cedar Preservation Specialists - the largest company in the Chicagoland and Milwaukee area to offer complete, cedar roof and deck maintenance service. "In comparison though, they are relatively new to our area and our climate. Thus, so is the information on caring for them. People on the coasts know that regular preservation is essential for a cedar roof to last," he continues. "However, many people in our area are not told this when their cedar roof is installed."

The following are steps that Catalanello would consider good, cedar roof maintenance and some tips on what you should expect from a company you choose to preserve your roof.

1. The roof must be cleaned first.
   
   
2. Stressed shakes or shingles should get attention.
   
   
3. "Preservation" also means fighting rust and leaks.
   
   
4. When your roof is sprayed, make sure that is all that gets sprayed.
   
   
5. Inquire about the characteristics of the preservative itself.