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claddIng
What are shIngles?
Wood shingles are thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used
to cover roofs and walls of buildings to protect them from
weather. this method has been used in norway for centuries,
but was often reserved for more costly buildings such as stave
churches. there are many kinds of shingles, but we were look-
ing closer into two kinds.
shakes & shag shIngles
historically in norway these shingles were axe-split from the
lowest part of wood tree trunks, preferably of Pine, so the
shingles would consist mostly of heartwood which is naturally
impregnated. on the picture to your left you can see the color
difference of sapwood (darker) and the heartwood (lighter).
these shingles are traditionally thinner than the sawn shingles.
Because they are axed, therefore, split in the woods natural
fibre direction, the fibres aren’t damaged and are stronger
than sawn material. they might be considered to have a more
organic look. Because of the roughness of the axe as a tool
they seldom have 90 degree angles and their surface looks and
feels more uneven or rough. these shingles are both time and
material consuming, therefore they are also more expensive.
modern shIngles
the shingles most common today are sawn and are thicker. the
material used is also not as restricted to tree trunks, though
it is considered only positive to use heartwood of Pine. the
most important issue is to detail so that the shingles are able
to dry out quickly, as to avoid rot and fungus. the fact that they
are sawn gives them a more precise look: straight angles with
a flat, softer surface. these shingles are more flexible when
it comes to dimensions as a direct consequense of not being
restricted to only using the lower part of the tree trunk.
our consIderatIons
Because of our budget on both time and money, we decided to
go for sawn shingles of spruce. We believed our pavilion was
ideal for airing out shingles and decided to put a lot of effort
into detailing and shingle-treatment. Because this was a public
pavilion we also needed the facade to be sturdy to deal with
children playing. With that in mind the thicker, sawn shingles
would be the more robust alternative.
axed shIngles (shakes), treated WIth lInseed oIl (sIte: havdal)
untreated modern shIngle (sIte: røros)