Composite Shake Roofing: A Deep Dive for Maine Homeowners
If you own a historic home in Camden, a shingle-style cottage in Rockport, or a classic cape in Belfast, chances are your roof is either cedar shake or something trying to look like it. Cedar shake has been the defining roofing material of coastal New England for generation and for good reason. It’s beautiful.
But living with a real cedar shake roof in Maine? That’s a different story. The moisture, the freeze-thaw cycles, the moss, the maintenance—it adds up. And after 15 to 20 years, most homeowners are looking for something that gives them the look they love without the upkeep that comes with it.
That’s where composite shake roofing comes in—and specifically, Brava Cedar Shake. As a Brava Preferred Contractor, we’ve installed this product on homes across midcoast Maine and seen firsthand how it performs in our climate. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Brava composite shake?
Brava Cedar Shake is a synthetic roofing tile made from recycled polymer materials, engineered to look and feel like hand-split natural cedar. It’s not a painted plastic tile trying to approximate wood from a distance—the texture, thickness variation, and color depth are designed to be virtually indistinguishable from real cedar, even up close.
Here are the specs that matter:
Three widths: 5”, 7”, and 12” tiles can be mixed during installation to create the natural, varied look of hand-split cedar. This isn’t a uniform pattern — it’s designed to look like real wood.
Varied thickness: Each tile varies from ⅝” to ⅞” thick, creating the shadow lines and dimensional texture that make cedar shake so distinctive.
Class 4 impact rating: This is the highest impact rating in the industry. It means the tiles can withstand hail, falling branches, and debris without cracking or breaking — something real cedar absolutely cannot do.
Class A or Class C fire rating: Available in both ratings depending on your needs. Natural cedar is a significant fire risk; composite eliminates that concern.
Wind resistance: Tested and passed for wind-driven rain resistance at 110 mph—critical for coastal Maine homes that take the brunt of nor’easters.
50-year limited warranty: Roughly double the realistic lifespan of natural cedar in Maine’s climate.
Any color or custom color combination: Unlike natural cedar, which weathers to a uniform silver-gray over time, Brava can be manufactured in any color blend you choose and it stays that way.
What makes Brava different from real cedar
The appeal of cedar shake has always been its beauty. But in Maine’s climate, beauty comes with a maintenance burden that most homeowners underestimate. Here’s how the two compare in real-world conditions:
Moisture resistance. Natural cedar absorbs water. In Maine’s wet climate—rain, snow, fog, humidity—that moisture gets into the wood, and when temperatures drop, it freezes and expands. Over years of freeze-thaw cycles, cedar cracks, splits, curls, and cups. Brava’s polymer material doesn’t absorb moisture at all. It handles freeze-thaw without any of the degradation that real wood shows.
Moss and algae. Cedar is an organic material, and in Maine’s shaded, humid environment, moss and algae love to grow on it. Moss roots work their way under shakes and accelerate deterioration. Composite shake doesn’t provide the organic surface that moss needs, so growth is minimal to nonexistent.
Maintenance. A natural cedar roof in Maine requires regular maintenance—cleaning, treatments, replacing individual split or curled shakes, addressing moss growth. Plan on having it inspected and maintained every 2 to 3 years to get the most out of it. Brava requires essentially zero maintenance. No cleaning treatments, no individual shake replacement, no moss removal.
Lifespan. Natural cedar shake typically lasts 20 to 30 years in Maine—often on the shorter end of that range for coastal properties and north-facing slopes that stay shaded and damp. Brava carries a 50-year limited warranty, and the material itself doesn’t rot, crack, or become brittle with age.
Appearance over time. Cedar starts beautiful but changes dramatically—fading to silver-gray, developing dark streaks from tannin runoff, showing patchy color as individual shakes weather at different rates. Some homeowners love that weathered look. Others don’t. Brava maintains its installed appearance throughout its life, in whatever color combination you chose.
Why composite shake roofing makes sense for Maine
Maine is one of the toughest environments in the country for roofing materials. The combination of freeze-thaw cycles, heavy snow, coastal salt air, and high humidity creates conditions that specifically target the weaknesses of natural wood. Composite shake roofing in Maine addresses every one of those challenges:
Freeze-thaw: No moisture absorption means no freeze-thaw damage. Period. This is the single biggest advantage of composite over cedar in our climate.
Snow loads: At roughly 355 lbs per square (100 square feet), Brava’s weight is comparable to premium architectural asphalt shingles. It handles Maine’s snow loads without issue, and snow sheds cleanly from the textured surface.
Salt air: Polymer doesn’t corrode. For homes along the coast from Rockland to Bar Harbor, composite shake eliminates the accelerated degradation that salt air causes on organic materials.
Wind: Tested to 110 mph wind-driven rain resistance. Maine’s coastal homes regularly see 60+ mph gusts during storms. Brava is engineered for exactly this.
Hail and debris: Class 4 impact rating means it stands up to fallen branches, ice, and hail better than any natural material. Natural cedar cracks on impact; composite absorbs it.
For historic homes and architecturally distinctive properties where the cedar shake look is part of the home’s character, composite shake lets you keep the aesthetic without compromising on durability. That’s a combination that didn’t exist a generation ago.
Where Brava composite shake works best in Maine
Not every home needs composite shake—but for the right situations, it’s hard to beat:
Historic homes. In towns like Camden, Belfast, Rockport, and Blue Hill, many homes have architectural character that calls for a cedar-look roof. Replacing an aging cedar roof with composite shake preserves that character for another 50 years without the maintenance cycle that comes with real wood.
Coastal properties. Homes within a few miles of the ocean take the hardest beating from salt, wind, and humidity. Composite shake is one of the most resilient options for these conditions.
Homes replacing an existing cedar roof. If your cedar roof has reached end of life and you loved the look but not the maintenance, Brava is the natural next step. No structural changes are needed—it can go right where the old cedar was.
Homeowners who want a premium look with long-term value. Brava costs more than asphalt shingles upfront, but when you factor in the 50-year warranty, zero maintenance, and the curb appeal it adds, the cost per year of ownership is very competitive with other premium materials like standing seam metal.
Why working with a Brava Preferred Contractor matters
Brava is a specialized product. It’s not installed the same way as asphalt shingles, and a crew that’s never worked with it before will have a learning curve that shows up on your roof. The installation details—the mixed-width pattern, the staggered coursing, the accessory pieces at hips, ridges, gables, and valleys—are what make the final result look like real cedar instead of synthetic tile.
As a Brava Preferred Contractor, Maine Coast Roofing has been vetted by Brava for installation quality and product knowledge. That certification means:
We know the product. We understand the installation specifications, the accessory system (starter tiles, hip and ridge trim, solid tiles for gables and valleys), and the techniques that make the finished roof look authentic.
Enhanced warranty access. Brava’s full 50-year limited warranty is backed by proper installation through a certified contractor. A non-certified installer may void or limit your warranty coverage.
We’ve done this before. With nearly two decades of experience and over 300 roofs completed across midcoast Maine, we know how to handle the nuances of a Brava installation on the specific types of homes in this area—steep pitches, complex rooflines, dormers, chimneys, and all the architectural details that make coastal Maine homes unique.
How composite shake compares on cost
Brava composite shake is a premium product, and the price reflects that. Here’s a realistic comparison for a typical Maine home:
Asphalt shingles: $10,000–$25,000 | Lifespan: 20–25 years in Maine
Natural cedar shake: $20,000–$40,000 | Lifespan: 20–30 years in Maine (plus ongoing maintenance)
Brava composite shake: Comparable to natural cedar | Lifespan: 50-year warranty, zero maintenance
Standing seam metal: $20,000–$40,000 | Lifespan: 40–60 years
When you factor in the maintenance costs that natural cedar requires over 20–30 years—regular cleanings, treatments, individual shake replacements, and moss removal—composite shake often ends up costing less over the life of the roof. And it does it while looking better for longer.
We offer 0% interest financing to help make a premium material like Brava more accessible. A composite shake roof is a long-term investment in your home, and financing lets you spread that investment over time.
Frequently asked questions
Does Brava composite shake really look like real cedar?
Yes, and that’s the point that surprises most people. The multi-width tiles (5”, 7”, and 12”), the varied thickness, and the split-texture surface create the same shadow lines and dimensional look as hand-split cedar. Most people can’t tell the difference from the ground, and many can’t tell from the roof either. Brava can also be manufactured in any custom color combination, so you’re not limited to natural cedar tones.
How long does a Brava composite shake roof last?
Brava carries a 50-year limited warranty. Because the polymer material doesn’t absorb moisture, crack from freeze-thaw, or degrade from UV exposure the way organic materials do, the actual lifespan often exceeds the warranty period. Compare that to natural cedar in Maine, which realistically lasts 20 to 30 years and requires regular maintenance throughout.
Is composite shake more expensive than asphalt shingles?
Yes, upfront. Brava is a premium product that costs more than architectural asphalt shingles. But the cost per year over a 50-year lifespan—with zero maintenance—is often lower than asphalt when you account for the two or three replacements asphalt requires over the same period. It’s a higher upfront investment with a stronger long-term return.
Can Brava be installed on any home?
Brava works for both new construction and re-roofs, on residential and commercial properties. It doesn’t require any additional structural support beyond what a standard roof can handle. If your home currently has cedar shake, asphalt, or another standard roofing material, Brava can typically be installed without modifications. A 15-point roof inspection will confirm whether your home is a good candidate.
Is Brava composite shake environmentally friendly?
Brava tiles are made from recycled polymer materials and are fully recyclable at the end of their life. Because they last roughly twice as long as natural cedar and require no chemical treatments or maintenance products, the overall environmental footprint is significantly lower. And since you’re replacing less often, less material ends up in the landfill over the life of your home.
Composite shake roofing isn’t the right choice for every home. But for Maine homeowners who want the timeless cedar look without the ongoing battle against moisture, moss, and maintenance, Brava is the closest thing to having it both ways. It’s the look you love, built to handle the climate you live in.
If you’re considering composite shake for your home, we’d love to talk you through it. As a Brava Preferred Contractor, we can show you samples, walk you through the color options, and give you a detailed estimate for your specific project. Give us a call at (207) 200-1053 or reach out for a free estimate. No pressure—just honest guidance from a team that knows this product inside and out.
