The terms shake and shingle are used interchangeably in casual conversation and almost never in correct specification. They are different products made by different methods that produce different appearances and are appropriate in different contexts. A cedar shake on a Cape Cod cottage reads wrong. A cedar shingle on a rustic Vermont mountain house reads wrong in the other direction. The distinction matters.
A shingle is sawn on both faces — the taper is produced by sawing, and the face is smooth. A shake is split on at least one face — the taper is produced by splitting along the grain, and the face is rough and striated. Shingles produce a smooth, even surface with consistent shadow lines. Shakes produce a rough, dimensional surface with deeper shadow and more textural variation.
Shingles: sawn on both faces, 3/8" butt, tapered to feather edge, 16" or 18" length. Grades: #1 Blue Label (all-clear, edge-grain) for roofing and siding. Shakes: handsplit and resawn (split on the face, sawn on the back), or taper split (both faces split). Heavy shakes have a 3/4" to 1-1/4" butt thickness. Standard roofing exposure: shingles 5" to 7-1/2" depending on length; shakes 7-1/2" to 10" for heavier material.
Shingles, being sawn smooth, dry more quickly after rain and are less susceptible to moss and mold growth than shakes. Shakes, with their rough split face, hold moisture longer and require more ventilation below the material to perform correctly. Both require skip sheathing for correct performance in New England conditions.
Shingles are the correct roofing material for traditional New England residential buildings in the vernacular tradition — the Cape, the Colonial, the saltbox. Shakes are appropriate for mountain lodges, rustic camp buildings, and structures where a heavier, more primitive character is the specification. On most traditional New England houses, the shingle is correct.
Both are available from roofing suppliers. Specify by product type (shingle or shake), grade (#1 Blue Label for shingles, #1 Handsplit and Resawn for shakes), species (western red cedar or eastern white cedar), and length.
Number 1 Blue Label cedar shingles for traditional New England residential roofing. Number 1 Handsplit and Resawn shakes for rustic, mountain, and camp building applications. The distinction is not aesthetic preference — it is determined by the building type and the character it should have.
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