BCAB #929 - Grade of Shakes and Shingles, Article 9.27.6.2.

Last updated on March 24, 2016

August 20, 1987

BCAB #929

Re: Grade of Shakes and Shingles, Article 9.27.6.2.

With reference to your letter of May 29, 1987, containing questions on the use of wood shakes and shingles.

The decisions of the Board on each of the queries raised are as follows:

  1. The Code permits the use of No. 2 grade shingles for roofing. We see no objection to their use as a starter course under wood shakes, and in fact this is contained in the provincial training programs for apprentices.

  2. The standard referenced in the Code for wood shakes and shingles is CSA 0118. For handsplit-and-resawn shakes this permits up to 10 percent of flat grain in the total running millimetres of any bundle. For tapersplit or straight-split shakes no flat grain is permitted. The Building Code does, therefore, accept 10 percent of flat grain but only in one particular category of shakes.

  3. The standard for No. 2 Grade shingles controls the amount of sapwood, but does not address flat grain, although this is not permitted in No. 1 Grade shingles. Under the circumstances, as the Code allows No. 2 Grade, it must also accept flat grain in these shingles.

  4. Article 9.27.6.2. requires that the top edge of each underlay strip be nailed. While this refers to underlay beneath shingles, we consider it also applicable to shakes. An inspector would therefore be correct in refusing an installation with the top edge of the felt laying between strapping.

J.C. Currie, Chair