In a message dated Tue, 27 Aug 2002 12:34:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

> Hey, those oil-dipped cedar shingles (on cape-type houses) always look so cool. Is that all they do, that is, look cool?  Or does the oil really increase (or even decrease?) the
> life of the shingle?

Da earl pretects da wood frum da sun an water an stuff.  It also allows you to have a consistent color.  At the fabulous Reeves-Reed Aboretum, we decided on the basis of sample shingles not to have the roof or sidewall shingles stained.  When they finally removed all the old ones, we found that a few had been stained before they were installed in 1889. We now have shingled walls and roofs in varying states of discoloration due to fading, water runoff, mold/mildew.  At the stained shingle Walter Residence a mile or 2 away, we have nice, uniform-looking gray-stained cedar shingles.

It's also possible that seaside shingles are somehow dicolored more uniformly by salt air, but I somehow doubt it. I bet the bastards stain them.

Ralph

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