When the 30-year cedar shake roof comes off, the decision is more interesting than ‘cedar or asphalt’ — and Euroshield changes the math.
Calgary’s mature inner-city neighbourhoods — Mount Royal, Elbow Park, Britannia, Roxboro, parts of Hillhurst and Sunnyside — still have significant cedar shake roofs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Many are now 25 to 35 years old, well past the realistic service life of cedar in this climate. The homeowners are facing a decision: replace with cedar again, switch to asphalt, or move to a synthetic rubber product like Euroshield that mimics the look of cedar without the maintenance.
This article walks through that decision the way it actually unfolds in a Calgary backyard — a real conversation about cost, lifespan, fire risk, aesthetic impact, and the specific reasons each option makes sense for some homes and not others. The summary is simple: there is no universal right answer, but there is a structured way to think through which option fits a specific home.
Why cedar struggles in Calgary
Cedar shake roofs perform well in temperate, marine, and high-altitude climates with steady humidity and limited freeze-thaw stress. Calgary delivers none of those conditions.
The climate dries cedar out aggressively. Strong UV exposure, low ambient humidity, Chinook wind events, and rapid temperature swings combine to crack, cup, and split cedar shakes faster than they would fail in coastal British Columbia or the Pacific Northwest where most cedar shake know-how originates. A cedar shake roof that would last 40 to 50 years on Vancouver Island commonly fails in Calgary at 20 to 30.
Hail accelerates the timeline. Cedar handles minor hail without dramatic damage, but a major hailstorm splits shakes along the grain and creates immediate water entry points. After June 2020 and 2024, many Calgary cedar shake roofs went from ‘aging gracefully’ to ‘requires immediate replacement’ in a single afternoon.
Fire risk is the other factor. Cedar shake is combustible, and untreated cedar in older installations doesn’t meet current insurance standards in some neighbourhoods. Several Alberta insurers now refuse new policies on untreated cedar shake or quote dramatically higher premiums. Treated cedar (Class B fire-retardant treatment from the factory) is acceptable to most carriers but adds 25 to 40 percent to material cost.
The aesthetic case for cedar
Cedar shake delivers an aesthetic that asphalt shingles cannot replicate. The thickness, the dimensional shadowing, the way cedar weathers from amber-honey to soft silver-grey over years — none of this is reproducible in standard asphalt product.
For homes where the architecture was specifically designed around the cedar aesthetic — many of the heritage homes in Mount Royal and Elbow Park fall into this category — switching to standard architectural asphalt visibly reduces curb appeal and may reduce property value. The roof is too prominent a visual element to compromise on.
That aesthetic case is real but no longer binary. Synthetic rubber roofing — specifically Euroshield’s molded shake profiles — now reproduces cedar’s visual character closely enough that the substitution is acceptable for many heritage applications. Side-by-side comparison reveals differences to a trained eye, but the streetscape impression matches.
Euroshield as the practical alternative
Euroshield manufactures rubber roofing products from recycled tire material, formed into shake and slate profiles that mimic traditional roofing aesthetics. The product has been available in Western Canada for over two decades and has accumulated a substantial Calgary track record.
The performance characteristics suit Calgary’s climate. The rubber substrate is flexible across the full temperature range from minus 40 to plus 50 Celsius without cracking or becoming brittle. Class 4 impact resistance handles hail substantially better than any asphalt shingle. UV stability is good, with limited fading over decades. And the product is fire-resistant — most variants carry Class A fire ratings, the highest available.
The aesthetic specifically targets the cedar-replacement market. The molded profiles have the depth and shadowing of real shakes, with a textured surface that doesn’t read as plastic from a distance. Colour options include weathered cedar tones that pair naturally with the architectural styles where cedar was originally specified.
Cost is higher than asphalt — typically $9 to $13 per square foot installed versus $4 to $7 for asphalt — but lower than fresh cedar shake replacement, which now runs $14 to $20 per square foot installed in Calgary. Lifespan claims are 50 years, which the existing installations in the city support.
When asphalt is the right answer
For some Calgary homes, the cleanest decision is to switch from cedar to asphalt. The cases:
Homes where the cedar aesthetic was never central to the architecture — the cedar was specified as a builder default rather than a design choice. Many 80s and 90s suburban Calgary homes fall into this category. Architectural asphalt in a coordinated colour delivers comparable curb appeal at half the cost.
Homes where the owner is preparing to sell within 5 to 10 years and won’t realize the long-term cost advantage of Euroshield. Standard asphalt completes the project at the lowest cost and resolves any insurance complications around aging cedar.
Homes where the structural framing was not engineered for high-weight roofing materials. Euroshield is heavier than asphalt and lighter than tile, but installations on older framing should be confirmed by a structural assessment. Where the framing won’t support heavy product, asphalt is the only practical option without significant structural reinforcement.
The decision tree
Walking through a typical Calgary backyard with a homeowner facing this decision, the conversation usually narrows along the following lines:
- If the home is in a heritage neighbourhood with strong aesthetic continuity and the owner plans to stay 15+ years: Euroshield is usually the right call.
- If the home prioritizes the cedar aesthetic and the owner is willing to pay premium pricing for the authentic material plus accept the maintenance burden: treated cedar shake remains an option, though a diminishing one.
- If cost is a primary constraint or sale is within 5 years: asphalt architectural shingle in a coordinated colour, possibly upgraded to Class 4 for insurance benefits.
- If insurance has flagged the existing cedar as uninsurable and the renewal date is approaching: any of the three replacement options resolves the insurance issue, but Euroshield is usually preferred by underwriters for the combination of fire and impact ratings.
The Calgary roofing company you choose should walk through all three options with pricing, lifespan estimates, and warranty terms in writing rather than steering directly to one product. A contractor only certified to install asphalt will steer to asphalt regardless of which option fits best.
Installation considerations specific to each material
Each option has installation requirements that affect quote comparison.
Asphalt requires standard underlayment, ice and water shield at code-specified locations, drip edge, and proper ventilation. Most Calgary roofers can install asphalt to manufacturer specifications without specialized training, though manufacturer certification programs add accountability.
Cedar shake requires breathable underlayment that allows the shakes to dry from both sides, proper ventilation specifically sized for cedar’s moisture cycling, and installer experience in shake-specific nailing patterns and exposure dimensions. Fewer contractors do this work well now than 20 years ago because the market has shrunk.
Euroshield requires manufacturer-certified installation. The product behaves differently from both asphalt and cedar — heavier, more flexible, requiring specific nail placement and adhesion strips at the eaves. Euroshield-certified installers complete the manufacturer’s training program before being authorized, and the certification is checkable through Euroshield’s website.
Long-term cost comparison
Over a 40-year ownership horizon — long enough to see at least one complete cycle on most materials — the cost comparison shapes up roughly as follows for a typical 25-square Calgary home.
Asphalt at $4-7 per square foot lasts 20-25 years, requiring one full replacement during the period. Total cost over 40 years runs $25,000 to $40,000 depending on inflation and product upgrades at the second replacement.
Cedar shake at $14-20 per square foot lasts 20-30 years, with required intermediate maintenance (replacement of split shakes, possibly a treatment cycle), and one full replacement during the period. Total cost runs $50,000 to $80,000.
Euroshield at $9-13 per square foot lasts 40-50 years with no full replacement required during the period and minimal maintenance. Total cost runs $20,000 to $33,000 — actually the lowest 40-year cost despite the highest upfront cost.
The long-term math favours Euroshield for homeowners staying. Asphalt favours those selling soon. Cedar is highest-cost except where heritage authenticity is the priority.
Choose for the timeline you’ll own the home
There is no universal best roof material for a Calgary home with an aging cedar shake roof. There are three legitimate options, and the right one depends on aesthetic priorities, ownership horizon, insurance situation, and budget posture.
What’s not legitimate is the contractor who recommends the same material to every home. Ask your roofer to quote all three options if all three could fit the project. The conversation about why they recommend one over another tells you whether you’re working with a generalist or someone who understands the trade-offs.
About the author — this article was contributed by Angel’s Roofing, a Calgary roofer certified to install Euroshield and multiple asphalt shingle lines. The company quotes cedar replacement projects with all material options on the table and walks homeowners through the long-term cost and performance implications before any work is committed.