Established neighborhoods in many parts of the country often feature homes with old wood and/or cedar shakes and shingles. They were a very popular roof option decades ago, and since re-roofing is often a pricey hassle, it makes sense that homeowners have limped along with these roofs as long as they can. But eventually, there's simply no more repairing to be done, and replacement is required.

Here are five reasons NOT to re-roof with cedar shakes and shingles (and that's if you're even allowed to - homes in certain forested areas aren't even permitted to re-roof with this highly flammable material):

Reason 1: Today's cedar roofs aren't what they used to be

Old-growth forests were, at one time, the source of many shake and shingle roofs, but that's no longer the case. And that means that the material used today doesn't offer the same hardness and high grain density, so they're very prone to shrinking and swelling as moisture content changes. The result is a product that offers a fraction of the lifepsan it did just a few generations ago.

Reason 2: Cedar and wood shakes and shingles are expensive

While it's typically true that you get what you pay for, that's not the case with wood and cedar shakes and shingles. You pay a premium for this roof material (it's costly to both buy and install) and what you get in exchange is a roof material with a lousy lifespan that will look ancient and haggard in just a few years. It's also incredibly eco-unfriendly AND seriously unsafe in the event of fire. Sounds like a sweet deal!

Reason 3: Cedar and wood shakes and shingles are a strain on the environment

Harvesting our limited resources for roofing material when there are far better alternatives is plain bad for the environment. Period.

Reason 4: Cedar and wood shakes and shingles require major upkeep

While it is possible for these roofs to last a fairly respectable amount of time, that only happens if they receive regular maintenance - and who does major, regular roof maintenance anymore? The days of hiring someone to re-graphite the roof and replace the loose, cracked and broken shingles are long gone. And that means that not only will your cedar/wood shake or shingle roof require replacement far too soon, given what you paid, it's going to look downright old and haggard in a matter of just a few years.

Reason 5: Cedar and wood shakes and shingles = kindling

Wood burns, so any roof made of wood that finds itself in the path of a fire is really just a big pile of kindling.

So what's the alternative? There are beautiful metal roof options in shake and shingle profiles available in coated and finished steel that do a bang-up job of replicating the look of wood and cedar shakes with none of the environmental and safety drawbacks of the real thing.

Get a thorough comparison of metal roofing to cedar shakes and other popular re-roofing materials with our FREE re-roofing booklet.