Choosing the Right Wood for Your Eaves

Written by Heaven Stubblefield
on Apr 01, 2010

To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.

Reviewed by
Charles Ramos, Jr.
on Jan 21, 2020

16-40 hours
•
Intermediate
•
500-4,500

Wooden eaves have been used on roofs for centuries. Throughout the years, a variety of different woods have been used for people's homes. Follow the tips below when deciding what type of wood is right for your home.

Community Rules

One important factor that you must consider is whether the community you live in will allow real wood eaves on roofing. Some communities ban wooden eaves if the area is at a high risk of fire. It is advisable that you find out the community rules before even purchasing the roofing material and hiring someone to install it.

Cedar

Probably the most common wood used for eaves is cedar. There are different kinds of cedar to choose from, including Eastern White Cedar, Red Cedar, and Yellow Cedar. The composition of them of the same, but the style is different. This option is affordable, durable and easy to install.

Composite Materials

You can also use a composite material that is a combination of different types of woods and other materials to help give it a cedar look. How much you want to spend on your eaves will probably also dictate whether you want real cedar or composite eaves. Usually, composites are more affordable than actual wood eaves.

Plywood

Another type of wood that can be used for your eaves and is, of course, a lot less expensive would be the use of plywood. If you are considering the cost of the wood, you might opt for plywood as the least expensive option. The overall look will of course not be as elegant as what cedar would be. A suggestion, however, would be to get a cedar stain that will give you the same effect of cedar. Remember though, plywood will not last as long as cedar. Cedar can last up to 50 years. If you aren't looking for a huge investment at the moment though, plywood is a smart option to consider for installation.

Consider Hiring a Professional

After you have chosen what type of wood you would like for your eaves, it is in your best interest to hire a professional to do the work for you. This is the kind of work that if done improperly not only opens up the chance of roof damage but it will also lower the overall value of your home.

Wood Treatments

Make sure that you find out from the installer if the wood is treated and with what type of material is it treated with. You need to make sure that your wood eaves are highly flammable unless they have been well treated against fire. Failure to do so could cause serious problems if your home ever undergoes a disaster.