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Cedar roofs are esthetically very pleasing, provided that the owner(s) take care of them properly through time in order to avoid deterioration and important issues. Care and maintenance of the cedar roof shingles, shakes and ridge caps are therefore essential.
Most homeowners are familiar with the following aspects of repairs and maintenance:
However, there is a very important type of repair and maintenance that is not always done correctly or not at all. What if the roof has holes in it between the shakes or shingles, or due to cracked shakes or shingles?
Shimming is the practice of inserting a piece of aluminum metal (called a shim) that measures about 2 ½” x about 8” under a split shake or shingle to create a water barrier. The shim’s edges are bent and pushed under defect to next course, so its end is aligned with the cedar shake or shingle.
The edges of the shim are bent down to prevent it from sliding out after it is pushed in due to impact by rain, snow or hail. Depending on the tightness of the space under the shake or shingle, a shim may be forced in by hand, with gentle taps of a hammer or the use of specialized tools.
It is worthy to note that although “this method is effective, however, no more than 20% of a roof area should be shimmed, for both roofing system integrity and cosmetic appearance purposes. If this 20% limit is reached, one should consider repairing the area with new shakes or shingles OR a complete re-roof job, depending upon the circumstance and level of damage.” (source: Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau)
We strongly recommend that you hire professional companies, including Our Cedar Roofs Inc., to handle shimming by trained Roof Maintenance Technicians (RMTs).
Thank you for reading this article and we sincerely hope it was useful and informative.
Our Cedar Roofs Inc.
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