Is it safe to heat with wood with a Cedar Shake roof?

[Moddoo]

Hello all,
I have been burning wood for the last 2 winters.
I burn 24-7 fall to spring.
My house currently has an traditional asphalt shingle roof.
I need to replace it this summer.
I have a line on some shakes for a very good price.

However, I am wondering how safe it is to cover my house with kindling and then light a big fire inside?

They are plain handsplit medium shakes with no fire retardant at all.

I can attach a pic of the house and chimney(s) later today.

Thanks in advance

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I would not dare answer this question but I have seen homes with thatch roofs which seem a lot more flammable

 

[Zodiac45]

I wouldn't worry about it Moddoo.

I live on the coast in Maine and every other house here has cedar shakes on it. Allot of grey houses! Heck my own 200+ yr old house has cedar clapboards (painted) on it. Everybody burns wood here. Same as always, keep your chimney's clean, and burn your stoves hot. If you are talking about putting cedar shakes on your roof, that's a different animal? I wouldn't do it. Just re-roof it with asphalts or tin. :greenchainsaw:

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

My house still has it's original shake roof that was installed in 1967 when the house was constructed. It's getting thin in a few places but that should be expected for a 41 year old roof that sees fairly extreme differences between winter & summer and fairly intense high altitude sun.

We burn all winter long and I don't worry about the roof. I will be replacing it with a composition shingle roofing system fairly soon. Shake or wood shingles are no longer allowed in my area, mainly due to the threat from wildfires.


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[olyman]

anndddddddd--heres a question to think about--how many houses do you think years ago had cedar shake roofs??????????????? damn near all of them!!!!!! no tin, and no asphalt. and guess what they were burning then??????????? wood!!!!!!! and they normally had a chimney fire if anything, that destroyed the house. not because the roof caught on fire. if the chimney is throwing hot enough embers out the chimney--id say asphalt would light off also, not just cedar-----

 

[czeigler]

anndddddddd--heres a question to think about--how many houses do you think years ago had cedar shake roofs??????????????? damn near all of them!!!!!! no tin, and no asphalt. and guess what they were burning then??????????? wood!!!!!!! and they normally had a chimney fire if anything, that destroyed the house. not because the roof caught on fire. if the chimney is throwing hot enough embers out the chimney--id say asphalt would light off also, not just cedar-----

Most houses that are destroyed by Chimney Fires are due to cracked flues or problems with the chimney itself. It is rare that a House Fire is the result of sparks flying out of the chimney.

 

[ShoerFast]

Here, Jefferson County Colorado.

You will not even pull a permit with out a down to board tear-off. Mid job inspection, and just about anything but shakes. Over an ice-dam 4' back from the inside wall. There tired of half-butt jobs.

Fire hazard is just way to hi here for wood shingles.

 

[user 19670]

anndddddddd--heres a question to think about--how many houses do you think years ago had cedar shake roofs??????????????? damn near all of them!!!!!! no tin, and no asphalt. and guess what they were burning then??????????? wood!!!!!!! and they normally had a chimney fire if anything, that destroyed the house. not because the roof caught on fire. if the chimney is throwing hot enough embers out the chimney--id say asphalt would light off also, not just cedar-----

You've got a point there. Something to think about, for sure.
LOL, for those areas that worry about shakes and wildfire you'd think they would shake in their boots if they had vinyl siding wouldn't you?

 

[Log Splitter]

I burn under a shake roof every day. Do the right things to prevent having a chimney fire and you will be fine.

 

[ShoerFast]

Most houses that are destroyed by Chimney Fires are due to cracked flues or problems with the chimney itself. It is rare that a House Fire is the result of sparks flying out of the chimney.

How true, but another $0.03 cents worth.

If there is a fire from any source, wood shingles give just that much less time before there is just a basement.

With asphalt shingles, the roof usually ends up smoldering in the basement.

 

[czeigler]

How true, but another $0.03 cents worth.

If there is a fire from any source, wood shingles give just that much less time before there is just a basement.

With asphalt shingles, the roof usually ends up smoldering in the basement.

LoL. Usually how its ends up! Surround and Drown. opcorn:

 

[Moddoo]

I am liking the activity here.

Just to be clear, I am not concerned about a chimney fire.
I am very careful to keep it clean.

I am worried about embers landing on the roof and starting a fire.

Never seen any embers coming out the chimney though.

BTW, it's a clay lined 8"x8"
So it will have less velocity than a 6" flue.

 

[MRCONRAN]

Better check with your home owners insurance first

 

[user 19670]

LoL. Usually how its ends up! Surround and Drown. opcorn:

And me with the dreaded 'wooden' basement. There will just be a smoking hole in the ground

 

[reaperman]

Well being from Minnesota also, I think you can agree with me that there is going to be snow on your roof for most of the burning season. So whatever roofing you will end up using will most likely be under a blanket of the white stuff. Checking with insurance company is a wise idea.

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

You've got a point there. Something to think about, for sure.
LOL, for those areas that worry about shakes and wildfire you'd think they would shake in their boots if they had vinyl siding wouldn't you?

...no vinyl siding permitted here.


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[Locoweed]

Checking with insurance company is a wise idea.

FYI, out here, you get a pretty good discount on your insurance if you have a metal roof.

 

[bigbadbob]

Spent 10 years as a volunteer fireman.
Only shake roof fire we had was on house the owner had lit his fire with newspaper, the burning paper went up the chimney and on to the roof and under the shakes, bingo roof fire. He didn't know it was burning until the neighbors told him.
No one hurt, house need new roof, trusses and some water damage.
But why put kindling on your roof if you don't have to???

 

[Moddoo]

Spent 10 years as a volunteer fireman.
Only shake roof fire we had was on house the owner had lit his fire with newspaper, the burning paper went up the chimney and on to the roof and under the shakes, bingo roof fire. He didn't know it was burning until the neighbors told him.
No one hurt, house need new roof, trusses and some water damage.
But why put kindling on your roof if you don't have to???

Thanks for the info.

I like shakes a lot, and no one else near me has a shake roof.

So far, I am getting the feeling that it is not very dangerous.

However, if you have ever started your stove fire with some shake scraps, you know why I'm worried.

 

[mga]

put a screened cap over your fireplace flue.