This paper describes the preparation of different types of modified beech shingles used to deck the roof of a hiking hut in Germany. Wood shingles were a traditional roofing material in many parts of Europe before the widespread use of brick. They were made from locally sourced timbers; for example, larch in the Alps, spruce in eastern Germany and beech in parts of central Germany (Asser, 2015). Different types of shingle system also developed, such as wedge nut shingles in Eastern Europe. Traditionally, shingles were made by splitting the wood into wedges around 50 cm long. Nowadays, shingles are more often manufactured by sawing the wood, since this is more cost-effective. However, this method reduces the service life compared to splitting. The service life of wood shingles depends on the wood species, climatic conditions, weathering orientation, roof angle, and chemical treatment. Locally sourced spruce with a sawn surface is said to have a service life of 10–15 years, whereas split larch or cedar shingles can last 30–50 years (Asser, 2015). Today, shingles are used for restoration work on historical buildings or as a decorative form of roofing. Wood preservative impregnation can sometimes be used to extend the service life of shingles further. However, spruce and larch are refractory species, meaning the preservative only penetrates 2–3 mm into the surface and is easily leached from the wood after weathering. Beech wood was used in this study because it is a locally grown timber that is abundant and has good permeability suitable for impregnation. Beech is typically not used for shingles because it is not durable, and beech solid wood is rarely used for wood modification because it cracks or deforms during the process. However, in the case of modified wood shingles, beech might be the right material in the right place, as in these small dimensions, beech can be modified without major defects, and through the modification, it becomes durable enough for use class 3.2.
Keywords: shingles, beech, wood modification
Authors
Carlo Kupfernagel
Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden gGmbH, Germany
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