Cedar Shake vs Cedar Shingle —
What's the Difference?

Most homeowners use 'cedar shake' and 'cedar shingle' interchangeably. They're not the same thing — they're made differently, they age differently, and they need slightly different maintenance approaches. Here's how to tell what your home actually has.

Cedar shake: split, rough-faced.

Shakes are split from the cedar log along the grain — typically with a hand or mechanical splitter. The face you see when installed is the rough, ridged split surface. Shakes are thicker than shingles (typically ¾" at the butt vs ½" or less for shingles), which means they cast deeper shadow lines on the home. Most premium "cedar shake" siding in Connecticut is actually split-and-resawn: split on the face for the texture, sawn on the back for a flat installation surface.

Cedar shingle: sawn, smooth-faced.

Shingles are sawn from the cedar log on both faces. The face you see is smooth, with a uniform thickness and a more refined appearance than shake. Shingles are typically thinner and more uniform, which makes for a tighter, cleaner-looking installation. Cedar Mill Premium and Cedar Breather underlayments are common with shingles to allow the back face to dry.

How to tell which you have.

Walk up to your siding and look closely:

• Rough, ridged face with shadow lines = shake.
• Smooth, uniform face that lays flatter = shingle.
• Thicker bottom edge (¾" or more) = shake.
• Thin, uniform thickness (½" or less) = shingle.

Maintenance and finish differences.

Both shake and shingle take stain and paint similarly — the same Sikkens products work on both. The differences are subtle:

• Shake holds stain in the rough texture, giving a more weathered, country aesthetic.
• Shingle takes a cleaner, more refined finish — works better with solid-color systems where you want crisp lines.
• Shake tends to weather faster on the rough face (more surface area exposed to UV).
• Shingle tends to need shake replacement less often (more uniform thickness = more uniform aging).

Which is right for your home?

Most Connecticut shoreline homes — Greenwich shoreline, Westport, Madison, Stony Creek in Branford — historically use shake. Most inland CT premium homes — Avon, Farmington, West Hartford — historically use shingle. Both are correct for their context. If you're replacing existing siding, replace with the same type unless you have a specific aesthetic reason to switch.

Costs to repaint or restain.

Per square foot, cedar shake and cedar shingle restain at very similar prices in Connecticut. The bigger cost driver is whether selective replacement is needed before the topcoat goes on, and how badly weathered the existing finish is.

Frequently Asked Questions.