by lisa carton
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS WITH YOUR HOME’S
The word “roof” has been part of our vernacular for hundreds of years. It’s used in many expressions such as, “to go through the roof,” meaning to increase beyond all expectations, or “raise the roof,” to create a loud noise. But when most of us think about the word, it’s as your home’s first line of defense when it comes to protecting you and yours from the elements. A roof can also be a beautiful architectural statement that defines your home’s personality and character.
“For over a decade, CeDUR Shakes have been proven as the premier synthetic roofing material in one of nature’s toughest testing grounds—the western United States,” says Dave Dalton, the company’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
CeDUR is the next-generation roofing product developed to withstand nature’s harsh fire, hail, wind, and UV conditions, while reproducing the enduring beauty and color of natural cedar shakes. “Over 400 roofs of ours have been installed, some as long as 15 years ago, and they continue to withstand the test of time,” says Dalton.
ELEGANCE and DURABILITY
Manufactured in Colorado using state-of-the-art polyurethane technology, CeDUR Shakes, Dalton explains, can be installed for both residential and commercial applications, without the splitting, rotting, and risk of fire inherent to authentic natural cedar shakes. “CeDUR Shakes look and install like natural cedar and are molded from natural cedar shakes, making them virtually indistinguishable from natural cedar,” he continues.
CeDUR Shakes protect your roof from hail, snow, frequent rain, and harsh sunlight, as well as fire damage. “We are the only roof shake made with polyurethane rather than the widely-used polyethylene. Our proprietary synthetic material is molded, heat-activated, and cured in a process resulting in a very durable roofing product.”
“Natural cedar shake was the roofing product of choice for many, many years,” Dalton says. “However, it’s come under scrutiny because of its susceptibility to fire and hail. CeDUR has all the aesthetic appeal for someone who wants cedar shake, but we’ve enhanced the physical properties to perform very well under extreme weather and fire conditions.” Some of the other products on the market, Dalton says, have a “plastic sheen,” while CeDUR “represents the full look of natural wood cedar shake.”
Jerry and Becky Olsen, homeowners in Sun Valley, Idaho, needed to re-roof their existing wood shake home and started by researching products online.
CEDUR—READY TO WEATHER THE ELEMENTS IN STYLE
“Nothing seemed right—most had the look of plastic and not a natural appearance, until we came across CeDUR. Not only are we using CeDUR on our home in Sun Valley, but next year we’ll be having CeDUR installed on our home in Eagle, Idaho, as well.”
CLASS-A FIRE RATING
“Our product is very resistant to fire,” Dave Dalton proudly states. “The reason we’re able to get a Class-A fire rating without the requirement of a special fire resistant underlayment is because we have the fire retardant suspended in the shake. This technology is patented and proprietary to CeDUR,” Dalton adds. “Natural cedar shakes ignite at 375 degrees. The temperature on our Class-A burn test certification reached temperatures as high as 1,400 degrees, and we didn’t have ignition. Most fires spread from roof to roof so this is a very important characteristic. You can view the actual Class-A burn test video on our YouTube channel.”
Dan Houlihan, an architect in Telluride, Colorado, built his residence in 2006. He says, “I chose to roof my home with the CeDUR product because of its Class-A fire rating, because of its very realistic wood appearance, its resistance to freeze/thaw cycles, and high-wind rating. I’m very happy to say nine years later, the roof looks great and it’s performed very well in our high alpine environment.”
“We are currently working with fire code officials in high-risk areas to help address the challenges and close calls they face with natural wood shake roofs when fire strikes,” says Dalton. “Fire officials are very excited to see CeDUR, because it solves a problem for them in that they are able to satisfy a homeowner by saying they can use this product that will give you that authentic shake look, and oh, by the way, it has a Class-A fire rating.”
Dalton explains that if a home is under fire danger, fire battalions do an assessment in the neighborhoods of which homes they can save, and they’re very challenged to save a house with a cedar shake roof. “We’re currently working to come up with an identifying signage or seal that would be posted on a CeDUR house that would alert fire crews that they will indeed be able to save that home in a crisis,” he says.
Homeowners, in addition, says Dalton, often overlook the impact a high wind storm can have on a roof. “Our products have been tested to withstand winds of up to 115 mph and are warrantied to 90 mph.”
COLOR SELECTION and CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS
CeDUR is available in a variety of realistic natural wood colors. A CeDUR roof, says Dalton, “can complement any architectural style or color scheme.”
CeDUR has color-through pigmentation, meaning the color permeates all the way through, instead of just being applied to the surface like some roofing products. A new CeDUR roof will age to a natural wood color within a few months of installation.
CeDUR also has a 50-Year Limited Material Warranty when installed by a CeDUR Certified Contractor. CeDUR has a network of Certified Contractors across the western United States. Certified Contractors have been trained on proper installation techniques and also have access to the CeDUR Technical Team to provide additional support throughout the installation process.
