Fiber-cement roofing shakes were
widely marketed during the 1990s,
especially in the West, as a fire-resistant
substitute for wood shakes. Some
manufacturers, including American
Cemwood of Albany, Ore., were so
confident of the durability of their
fiber-cement shakes that they offered
a 50-year warranty.
Within three to five years of installation
though, many fiber-cement
roofs — which are made from a mixture
of Portland cement and wood
fiber — began to deteriorate. "As time
went on, they would turn to the consistency
of oatmeal," says Michael
Satran, a Portland, Ore., roofer. His
contracting company, Interstate
Roofing, installed fiber-cement shakes
made by both American Cemwood
and Re-Con, a Canadian manufacturer.
"The shakes would crumble in
your hand," says Satran. "The freezethaw
cycles would tear