Wood shakes and shingles have been used on many types of roof for centuries if not thousands of years, dating back to the Greeks and Romans. More recently, church spires and roofs have used shingles, and now we are seeing them used on more contemporary buildings. What is the difference between shingles and shakes? Put simply, shingles are machine cut, while shakes are hand-split.
It is key to note that as Shakes are radially split along the grain and are thicker by the nature of the product, this process retains the integrity of the cells along the grain, and thus improves the products stability, durability and longevity. Shingles being from sawn production cut through the cells which can lead the product more vulnerable to earlier decay.
Oak Shakes and Roof Shingles UK
W L West & Sons Ltd are the sole UK distributor for Rapold GmbH shake products. We manufacture and deliver all sorts of timber roofing materials, including architectural shingles, western red cedar shingles and oak shakes.
Rapold GmbH is a family-run business based in Bavaria close to the Austrian border. They pride themselves on handmade shakes using the experiences of a company that was founded in the early 1930’s by Karl Albert Rapold.
Shingles must be one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable ways to roof or clad your property. Good straight grained trees are selected, cut to length and hand cleft into various lengths.
One of the most well-known steeplejacks in the South of England is Peter Harknett. So revered by Harald Rapold is he that he has trademarked a Peter Harknett Oak Shake. This product is made slightly thicker for greater longevity and is aimed at church spires.
To view our online catalogue for shakes please click on any image below.Â
