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Post by Ruffer on Sept 19, 2003 17:14:04 GMT -5
It is my understading that many of the homes which burnt down near K-town had Cedar Shake roofs,...
Really?,...I was dumbfounded when I heard this,...is there a MORE flammable roofing material available?. Oil soaked rags maybe?.
How smart is it to allow this in "fire country"?.
Cedar grows/thrives on the Wet West Coast,...for a reason.
Some common sense in local building codes is obviously needed.
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Post by MyParentsHouse on Sept 19, 2003 17:30:40 GMT -5
was not the whole picture...on my parents house there was Special Aspestus(sp) roofing meant for log homes...and a fire retardant sprayed just this year on the outside of the home...many communities specified shake roofs for esthetic reasons...many people now with hindsight are looking into changing this as well as the rules surrounding their neighborhoods. This is something that many people never even thought would ever happen...reports or not...even my parents believed they would get it out before it hit their home...there had been 5 other lighting strike fires in the past 6 years that they knew of and it never got this far out of hand...Hindsight....20/20 isn't it....
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Ozzy
Full Member
http://www./
Posts: 89
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Post by Ozzy on Sept 19, 2003 17:45:59 GMT -5
PArents did your parents log house get gelled? I'm hearing horror stories of not being able to easily get that stuff off...
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Post by MyParentsHouse on Sept 20, 2003 1:06:52 GMT -5
they figured they had it covered behind their lines...they even gave up passes to go up there and then sent us down in one HELL of a hurry that day...No gel in the area of Timberline/Rimrock area...it all happened too fast. I am told the gel takes ALOT of elbow grease to remove and alot of patience...and it can be a B*tch to try and work when it comes off as the ground gets mighty slippery. Lots and lots of scrubbing, there is no other way...sorry Ozzy...
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Post by tragicallyblonde on Sept 22, 2003 0:09:59 GMT -5
came home from work one day,shortly after 8-22, to find a stack of plywood and some good lookin' roofin' boys replacing my neighbours roof:... from cedar shingles to asphalt over night...Do you think his insurance was due?? ;D..LOL...
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Post by Ely on Sept 22, 2003 0:18:57 GMT -5
It might not have to do with his insurance, just smarts. We are replacing our shakes which have been up for 18 years, looking at them from street level they look okay, however when up on roof you can see major dry rot, cracking and splitting. Seeing the damage done in areas like Crawford helped make the decision quicker to switch to asphalt as we live in a heavily treed area out in Okanagan Centre. According to our roofer, since the fire they cannot keep up with requests for estimates, 5 or more every day over all parts of the valley. Seems other people have seen the light like we have.
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Post by tragicallyblonde on Sept 22, 2003 1:25:04 GMT -5
my house on the coast, on Eagle Mountain, ( now Westwood Plateau ) was a show home back in 1982...  .. had natural cedar shake, cut thick, but also treated with retardent and moss killer...I had a chimney fire one "happy" Xmas eve... The roof was intact and performed wonderfully,...my chimney vent...alas did NOT...  |
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Post by Ely on Sept 22, 2003 1:55:20 GMT -5
You also have to remember that there is more moisture in that area to keep the shakes from not totally drying out, can't fault people for putting them on here, looks nice and hard to get same look with asphalt shingles.
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Post by Thermoguy on Sept 22, 2003 23:09:18 GMT -5
The function of a building is not to look good, they are to resist the flow of heat through them so we use less energy and less emissions with the burning of fossil fuels for heating and electrical generation. The earth is the greenhouse that sustains our lives.
The other primary function of the building is fire protection and public health, why would you strap your building with combustible material? It may have a good look but the bottom line is you are putting wood on your roof where there is less fire protection to begin with. The idea that development themes takes precedence over public health and safety will be an issue debated or litigated.
The building code is using design temperatures for buildings that are being exceeded because of Solar Gain.
This August, we recorded wood shingle temperatures of 56 degrees C. on a 25 degree day. We had a dry hot summer and those shingle temperatures would be higher on a warmer day.
There are wonderful roofing systems with solar and fire protection in mind. They may cost more initially but they are not costing more long term and can save energy use. Insurance may be cheaper, mention it!
Well intended consumers can not duplicate what a professional tradesperson can do so hire a certified tradesman. They have a piece of paper in the wallet showing qualifications and a registered number specific to them as a professional. The government specifies minimum standards, engineers and architects design to those standards and the only people trained to complete that work properly are certified tradespeople.
Buildings are a science and require professionals so when you purchase, you know you have engineered construction from concept to completion.
Presently they are thrown into a bidding process where the compromises can be many and at the cost of the owner's investment.
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.. had natural cedar shake, cut thick, but also treated with retardent and moss killer...I had a chimney fire one "happy" Xmas eve... The roof was intact and performed wonderfully,...my chimney vent...alas did NOT... 