Wood Shingle Installation in Arlington VA
Arlington Roofing provides wood shingle installation in Arlington for homeowners who want a smooth, uniform wood roof with genuine curb appeal. Wood shingles are a different product from wood shakes, and knowing the difference matters before choosing between them.
We install wood shingles across Clarendon, Ballston, and Rosslyn. Colonial and Victorian-style homes throughout the area have used wood shingle roofing for generations, and it remains a strong fit for homes with that architectural style today.
Wood Shingles vs. Wood Shakes: A Real Difference
Wood shingles are sawn on both sides, giving them a smooth, uniform, tapered shape and a clean, polished look across the entire roof. Wood shakes, by contrast, are split rather than sawn, at least on one side, which creates the thicker, more rustic, uneven texture people associate with a cabin or cottage look.
If you’re comparing the two, shingles suit a more refined, structured aesthetic, while shakes lean rustic and textured. Both are typically made from cedar, though the manufacturing process is what actually separates them, not just appearance. If a rougher, more natural texture is what you’re after, our cedar shake installation service is the better fit instead of wood shingles.
Grain Quality Matters More Than People Expect
Not all wood shingles are cut the same way, and grain pattern affects long-term performance significantly. Edge grain shingles, cut perpendicular to the tree’s growth rings, are the most stable and least likely to warp or split over time. Flat grain shingles, cut parallel to the rings, are considerably less stable and more prone to distortion. This is a detail many homeowners never hear about, but it directly affects how long a wood shingle roof holds up.
Wood Shingle Sizes and What They Mean
Wood shingles typically come in 16-inch, 18-inch, and 24-inch lengths, always tapered and always thinner than shakes, generally between 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick. Longer shingles offer more design flexibility, including specialty cuts like diamond, fish scale, or sawtooth patterns for homes wanting a more distinctive roofline.
Why Wood Shingles Need Careful Installation
A wood shingle roof needs proper spacing and ventilation underneath, similar to wood shake installation, since trapped moisture is the primary cause of premature failure in any wood roofing system. Solid decking traps moisture against the shingles, while spaced sheathing lets air circulate and moisture escape.
Fastening pattern matters just as much as spacing. Wood shingles expand and contract with humidity and temperature changes, and improper nailing restricts that natural movement, leading to cracking and premature wear.
Our Wood Shingle Installation Process
We start with a full tear-off of existing roofing, since wood shingles require a clean, properly ventilated surface underneath. Spaced sheathing or a breathable underlayment goes down first, followed by the shingles themselves, installed with correct spacing and exposure to allow for natural expansion. Every course gets checked for proper overlap, since that overlap is what actually keeps water out over the life of the roof.
Maintenance Wood Shingles Require
Like any wood roofing material, wood shingles need regular upkeep to reach their full lifespan. Annual inspections, debris removal, and periodic treatment against moisture and biological growth all matter here, along with fire retardant treatment where required by local code or insurance requirements.
Decades of Experience With Wood Roofing
Arlington Roofing has installed wood shingles, wood shakes, and other natural roofing materials across Northern Virginia for more than 20 years. We’re licensed, insured, and based at 901 N Frederick St, and we’ll help you choose between shingles and shakes based on the actual look and performance you want, not just what’s easier to install.
Get a Wood Shingle Roof Installed Right
Wood shingles offer a clean, classic look when installed with proper spacing and grain quality in mind. Call Arlington Roofing at (877) 304-3171 for wood shingle installation in Arlington, VA.