Slate & Cedar Shake Roofing in Illinois

Natural Roofing Beauty Is a Phone Call Away

Does your home look like it was pulled straight out of the old world? Does it have a distinctly European style of architecture or external siding that makes it look straight out of somewhere in France or Bavaria? For many homeowners in properties like these, there is truly no substitute for an all-natural, beautiful, and durable roof that complements and accentuates its historical beauty. At Rooftop Designs, we offer products that do exactly that: offer a truly timeless and elegant look while blending modern materials to bring down costs and maintenance requirements. By working with world-class manufacturers, we proudly offer products from some of the most prestigious lines available on the market, ensuring superior longevity and timeless beauty without all of the added challenges of an actual old-world style roof.

Contact us online or call (855) 703-0905 to request a quote on your slate or cedar shake roof installation or replacement in Illinois today!

Imitation Cedar Shake Roofing

Cedar shakes were an extremely popular and versatile roofing material for many years. Cedar is a particularly hard and durable type of wood that is great for repelling water. This makes it capable of providing exceptional protection from everything from winds to rainfall. Cedar shakes were made by hand from splitting logs and branches from cedar trees into thin boards, approximately three-quarters of an inch to an inch thick. When laid out in a proper pattern, these boards formed an incredibly durable and affordable roof that was utilized all over the country for centuries, particularly during colonial American when wood was widely abundant and harvested regularly.

What is the difference between a shingle and a shake?

• Shakes are thicker, often measuring up to an inch in thickness. Shingles are generally flat and thin, measuring no more than a quarter of an inch in thickness.
• Shakes are split off on one or two sides. Shingles are typically manufactured with the edge they need, including smooth cuts and tapers.
• Shakes are crafted by hand, and that means each shake is going to be unique. Shingles are manufactured, and are machine-cut so every one is uniform or sticks to a pattern (even when they are designed to imitate shakes).

Today, wood costs have made real cedar shake roofing less affordable. However, manufacturers have invented modern materials that closely resemble the look of cedar shake roofing without the added cost and additional maintenance of the real thing. These materials offer superior durability against cracking or splitting, particularly in high heat and bright sunlight, and their affordability and lighter weight makes them a great choice for virtually anyone looking for a historically beautiful roof.

Imitation Slate Roofing

Much like modern materials can imitate the look of cedar shakes, they can also imitate the look of natural slate roofing. True slate is a natural material that used to be formed into roofing tiles by skilled stone cutters throughout Europe. However, today the material is a lot more expensive, and the added labor required to create the number of slate tiles needed to cover the average roof drives up the cost tremendously. Imitation slate roofing can give you this same timeless beauty and elegance without the added cost or the additional maintenance and reinforcement required to use the real thing.

As with all of our other roofs, our imitation slate products at Rooftop Designs come with our world-class customer service and peace of mind. Not only do we back all of our installations with a comprehensive 50-year warranty, but we also offer ongoing care for these materials. Plus we can even help you find the perfect color, style, and shade that works best for your home.

Contact Illinois’ local leaders in synthetic slate and cedar roofing and reach out to the team at Rooftop Designs today.