Also known as shingles, chestnut is an excellent material for making this highly effective means of covering roofs or walls due to the natural durability of the timber and the readiness with which it can be split.

I split my shakes by hand using a froe. They are split according to a French method known as the ‘debit Moreau’ alternately along the true quarter of the log as though it were being quarter sawn (see image below.) This process ensures the strongest and most stable shake which will not split or deform with changes in humidity. The bottom third of the shake which is exposed retains the split surface of the wood, which unlike an absorbent sawn surface, actually repels water. On a roof with a sufficiently steep pitch, shakes made in this way can last over 50 years.

Shakes are priced at £130 per square metre for supply only (approximately 100 shakes to a square metre).

A round of chestnut split according to the ‘débit Moreau’ method. This method comes from the Dordogne region of France and has a clear advantage over methods like the radial ‘spokes of a wheel’ method often practiced in the UK. With the ‘débit Moreau ’method the growth rings run perpendicularly to the face of each shake as they would do in a quarter sawn board. This ensures the most stable and durable shake for a long life outside.