A Practical and Personal Guide to Cedar Shakes in the Lower Mainland

Embracing a Material with Soul

Cedar shakes aren’t just roofing. They carry a story that started long before they became part of your home. Each shake was once part of a towering cedar tree, standing somewhere in a forest not unlike the ones bordering Vancouver’s North Shore or tucked into the green spaces of Surrey. It weathered seasons, stood through storms, and stretched toward the sky before becoming something new. There’s something almost poetic about that—a roof that once stood as shelter for wildlife now offers the same protection as a home.

Not many materials have that kind of history embedded in their grain. With every layer of wood laid down over the years, cedar shakes have absorbed the rhythm of nature. Instead of soaking up the rain in a forest, they shed it from your rooftop. Instead of reaching for the sun, they deflect it, keeping your home cool. Choosing cedar isn’t just picking a product—it’s choosing something that was once alive and still moves and shifts with the world around it.

Aesthetic Warmth

Walk through older neighborhoods in Burnaby or drive through parts of Coquitlam where time seems to slow down a little, and you’ll see it—roofs that don’t just sit there but feel like part of the landscape. Cedar shakes aren’t flat, uniform panels stamped out of a machine. They have depth, texture, and character. Freshly installed, they carry warm, rich hues—golden browns, deep russets, and occasional flashes of red. And then, with time, they settle into a soft silver-gray, blending seamlessly with the misty mornings and towering evergreens.

There’s something comforting about the natural aging process. While other roofing materials fight to look the same year after year, cedar embraces change. It wears its experience well, much like an old leather chair that gets better with age. It doesn’t just sit on top of a house—it becomes part of it, adapting to its surroundings and settling into its environment.

And when you step back and look at it, a cedar roof gives off a certain warmth as the house engages in conversation with the trees around it. There’s a quiet beauty and harmony rare in modern construction.

Organic Comfort

Some materials try so hard to be flawless that they end up feeling… fake. Cedar doesn’t have that problem. It’s naturally a little irregular, a little imperfect, making it feel so real. Instead of a grid of identical shingles, each shake has its own personality. Some are wider, some a little thinner, and some have knots and swirls that tell their story.

It’s the same charm in places like White Rock or Port Moody, where no two streets are precisely alike. Where houses have history, where backyards spill into wooded trails, and where gardens grow a little wild at the edges. A cedar shake roof fits into that world effortlessly, looking right at home among towering trees and winding streets.

Adapting to the Lower Mainland’s Climate

Living in the Lower Mainland means embracing the rain, the mist, and the occasional week of sun that makes everyone forget what season it actually is. It’s a place where the weather doesn’t ask for permission—it just happens. And through it all, cedar shakes handle it with ease.

This isn’t a material that fights the elements; it works with them. Cedar absorbs and releases moisture, expanding slightly when it’s damp and contracting when it dries. It breathes, shifting gently instead of cracking under pressure. It’s a roof that knows how to roll with the changes—much like anyone who’s ever been caught in a Vancouver rainstorm with only a hoodie and blind optimism.

And let’s not forget the natural oils in cedar that help it resist rot, insects, and fungi. That means fewer surprises when the rains come, fewer headaches from unexpected damage, and a little more peace of mind knowing your roof isn’t just up there holding on for dear life.

Comfort Beneath the Surface

A roof isn’t just something you see from the outside—it affects how a home feels from the inside, too. Cedar has a way of making things more comfortable, subtly but noticeably.

It provides an extra layer of insulation, helping trap warmth on those damp, chilly mornings when stepping onto the floor feels like walking on ice. At the same time, it doesn’t let heat build up too much on those surprise sunny days when Richmond or Langley suddenly feels like the desert. It won’t replace good insulation or ventilation, but it works alongside them, helping maintain a more stable indoor temperature year-round.

And then there’s the sound. You know how loud it can get if you’ve ever sat in a house with a metal or synthetic roof during a heavy downpour. Cedar softens that, turning the rain into more of a gentle background pattern instead of an entire percussion section. The small detail makes a difference, the kind of thing you don’t think about until one day you realize just how much cozier it feels inside.

A Roof That Ages Gracefully

Most things in construction are designed to look the same forever, frozen in time from the moment they’re installed. Cedar doesn’t follow that rule. Instead, it shifts and settles, changing in ways that feel natural.

At first, it retains those rich, earthy hues. But as it weathers, it slowly fades to a soft, silvery gray—a color that looks right at home in a place surrounded by ocean, mountains, and endless stretches of evergreens. It’s not deterioration; it’s evolution.

Look at an older cedar shake roof, and you’ll see a kind of wisdom in it, a sense that it has stood through seasons, storms, and time itself. Instead of fighting against age, it embraces it. It’s a material that understands longevity and doesn’t need to be replaced every decade to stay relevant. And in a region where nature is always part of the equation, that feels like the right approach.

Installation Craft, Not Just Construction

Putting in a cedar shake roof isn’t like laying down asphalt shingles. It takes skill, patience, and a good understanding of the material's behavior. Each shake is slightly different, so a good installer knows how to work with that natural variation, layering them in a way that lets the roof breathe while keeping water out. Done right, it’s not just a roof—it’s craftsmanship.

That’s why choosing the right team matters. Not every roofer knows how to handle cedar properly. Some rush the process, ignoring the details that make all the difference. Some don’t account for proper ventilation, which can lead to problems down the road. It is key to finding a crew that understands the material, has experience with cedar in the Lower Mainland’s climate, and treats it as a craft rather than just another job.

Finding Your Cedar Moment

Your old roof is starting to show its age. Maybe you’ve always liked how cedar shakes look and how they blend into the landscape instead of standing out. Perhaps you want something that feels more alive and connected to your place.

Cedar isn’t about chasing trends or going for the cheapest option. It’s about making a choice that respects tradition, craftsmanship, and the environment. It’s about choosing a material that grows, changes, and stands as a quiet witness to the passing of the years.

And in a place like the Lower Mainland, where forests, rain, and mist shape the world around us, that feels like the right kind of roof to have.