CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL
Triple-laminate luxury shingle that replicates hand-split cedar shake without the maintenance, the insurance issues, or the fire risk. Class A fire rating, StreakFighter algae resistance, IHC’s SureStart PLUS 50-year non-prorated warranty.
Triple-Laminate Construction • Cedar Shake Look Without the Cedar • Family-Owned Since 2005
Cedar Shake Aesthetic Without the Cedar Shake Problems
Your home was built for cedar shake — Craftsman, Queen Anne, Victorian, or a high-end custom where the architect specified the shake look for the roof. But cedar shake roofing in McHenry County has aged into a maintenance nightmare: moss and algae that strip shingles of their lifespan, woodpecker damage that opens the deck to water, insurance carriers that won’t renew coverage on wood roofs, and replacement costs that have tripled in the last decade.
CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL is the luxury asphalt shingle built to replicate hand-split cedar shake. Triple-laminate construction — three layers of laminated shingle bonded together — creates the deep shadow lines and dimensional appearance of real shake. Class A fire rating (unlike cedar). StreakFighter algae resistance. 110 mph wind rating (upgradable). And through IHC’s SELECT ShingleMaster certification, SureStart PLUS 50-year non-prorated coverage plus 25-year workmanship warranty — protection that cedar shake has never been able to offer.
Why Presidential Shake TL vs. Real Cedar Shake
Real cedar shake is gorgeous. It’s also high-maintenance, fire-vulnerable, and increasingly uninsurable. Presidential Shake TL was designed for homeowners who want the cedar-shake aesthetic as a permanent architectural element. Here’s how the comparison plays out on a McHenry County roof.
Triple-Laminate Construction — Three Layers, Deep Shadow Lines
Standard architectural shingles (like Landmark) are dual-layer. Presidential Shake TL is triple-laminate — three layers of shingle bonded together to create the thick, deep shadow profile that hand-split cedar shake gives. That third layer is what separates this product from standard Presidential Shake (which is also multi-layer but not triple). The visual difference is real: from the street, Presidential Shake TL reads as cedar shake. Homeowners walking by stop to look.
I’ve installed Presidential Shake TL on Queen Anne Victorians in Woodstock and Craftsman bungalows in Crystal Lake. The triple-laminate depth gives you the hand-split cedar appearance on the period architecture it was built for, without committing the homeowner to 15-year re-staining cycles and woodpecker-damage replacement work.
Class A Fire Rating — Cedar Isn’t Fire-Rated
Real cedar shake is combustible. It carries at best a Class C fire rating with heavy chemical treatment, or no rating without. McHenry County has had serious residential fire loss events where wood shake roofs contributed to spread. Some insurance carriers now restrict coverage on homes with wood shake roofs. Others charge premium surcharges. Presidential Shake TL is Class A non-combustible — same rating as standard architectural asphalt. The luxury aesthetic without the fire vulnerability.
Insurance reality: I’ve seen McHenry County homeowners get non-renewal letters on wood shake roofs. The conversation with their agent goes: replace the roof with a Class A shingle and we keep the policy. Presidential Shake TL gives them the cedar look back without the policy issue.
Zero Rot, Zero Woodpeckers, Zero Re-Staining
Cedar shake has three chronic failure modes: moss and algae growth in the shade (kills lifespan, voids warranties), woodpecker damage drilling for insects the wood attracts, and the 15-year re-stain cycle to prevent UV degradation and maintain the aesthetic. Presidential Shake TL is immune to all three. StreakFighter algae resistance is built into the ceramic-fired granules. Asphalt doesn’t rot. Woodpeckers don’t drill it. And there’s no stain cycle — the shingle holds its color for its lifespan.
That’s usually the closing argument when a homeowner is weighing cedar vs Presidential Shake. The maintenance savings alone pay for the upgrade to asphalt over 15 years, and the aesthetic still reads as cedar shake from the street.
SureStart PLUS 50-Year Non-Prorated Warranty (IHC Only)
Presidential Shake TL carries CertainTeed’s Limited Lifetime material warranty. Through IHC’s SELECT ShingleMaster certification (fewer than 1 percent of U.S. roofers), the product qualifies for SureStart PLUS: 50-year non-prorated material coverage plus 25-year workmanship coverage. Non-prorated means the warranty value doesn’t decrease over 50 years. Workmanship coverage means install errors are covered for 25 years, not just product defects.
Cedar shake has never offered this kind of warranty coverage. Most cedar roofs are covered by a 1-year installer warranty only — nothing from the manufacturer beyond the raw shingle being sound at delivery. Presidential Shake TL through IHC gives the homeowner 50 years of non-prorated protection on the material and 25 years on the install. That’s the kind of coverage that shows up on an appraisal.
See CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Installed by IHC
Real projects across McHenry County. No stock photos.
Cedar-look luxury roof — McHenry County, IL
Completed luxury elevation — McHenry County, IL
Premium install in progress
Showcase project — McHenry, IL
After photo — McHenry County, IL
IHC crew delivery
Presidential Shake Family — Three Configurations
CertainTeed makes Presidential Shake in three distinct configurations. IHC installs all three. TL (triple laminate) is the luxury flagship.
Presidential Shake (Standard)
Multi-layer laminate design replicating hand-split cedar shake. Class 3 impact rating, 110 mph wind, Class A fire. Deep shadow lines without the full triple-laminate weight.
Presidential Shake TL — This Page
Triple-laminate construction for maximum depth and dimension. The luxury flagship. Deeper shadow lines, longer lifespan, and the most substantial cedar-shake aesthetic in the lineup.
Presidential Shake IR
Impact-resistant version. SBS-modified asphalt for enhanced impact performance. Class 3 impact rating per UL 2218. Same luxury shake look. Right for McHenry County hail exposures.
Our recommendation: Standard Presidential for most luxury projects. Presidential Shake TL for projects where deep shadow and longer lifespan justify the premium. Presidential Shake IR for luxury homes in high hail exposure (insurance discount eligibility). See triple-laminate samples at our Crystal Lake showroom.
Presidential Shake TL vs. Real Cedar Shake vs. Synthetic Composites
If you want a cedar shake aesthetic on your McHenry County roof in 2026, there are three real options: real cedar shake, Presidential Shake TL (asphalt luxury), or synthetic composite shake (F-Wave, Brava, DaVinci polymer). Each has tradeoffs.
| Feature | Presidential Shake TL This Page | Real Cedar Shake | Synthetic Composite (F-Wave / Brava) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Triple-laminate asphalt shingle | Western red cedar wood | Polymer composite |
| Lifespan | 30-40 years | 20-30 years (well-maintained) | 50+ years |
| Fire Rating | Class A non-combustible | Class C or lower | Class A (most products) |
| Insurance Standing | No issues | Increasingly restricted | No issues (Class A) |
| Maintenance | StreakFighter + no repaint | Re-stain every 15 years, treat for moss | Low — but less track record |
| Pest/Rot | Immune | Vulnerable to woodpeckers, carpenter bees, rot | Immune |
| Warranty (IHC) | SureStart PLUS 50-yr non-prorated + 25-yr workmanship | 1-year installer typical, no product warranty | Varies — brand-dependent |
| Appearance (street view) | Reads cedar shake | Actual cedar | Reads cedar shake |
| Investment Level | Luxury (below synthetic) | Premium (varies) | Top-of-luxury |
| IHC Installation | SELECT ShingleMaster certified | Same crew, different trade skill | Brand-specific training |
Why Buy CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Through IHC
Triple-Laminate Install Requires Triple-Laminate Expertise
Installing triple-laminate Presidential Shake TL isn’t the same work as installing standard architectural Landmark. The shingles are heavier, the exposure profile is different, the nailing pattern is specific to the three-layer construction, and the course lines have to stagger properly to avoid the visible pattern repeat that screams “cheap cedar replacement” from the street. Our crews train on Presidential Shake specifically because it’s not a product you can substitute in and expect the same install quality.
IHC is CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster. We install the full Integrity Roof System on every Presidential Shake TL project: matching starter strip, CertainTeed ridge caps, synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water shield at eaves and valleys, ventilation sized to the attic. That’s what unlocks the 50-year non-prorated SureStart PLUS warranty. For a luxury product on a luxury home, the install details are where the warranty lives.
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Notes From the Field — What We Actually Install
I’ve installed Presidential Shake TL on Queen Anne Victorians in Woodstock, Craftsman bungalows in Crystal Lake, and custom builds along the Fox River. The triple-laminate construction reads as hand-split cedar shake from the street, which is what the architectural period calls for on those homes. Our most common Presidential Shake TL color orders are Weathered Wood (grays and browns blended), Autumn Blend (warmer earth tones), and Charcoal Black for modern takes on Victorian or Craftsman.
Installation spec is detailed. The triple-laminate shingles weigh significantly more than standard architectural, so we stage material differently on the deck. Exposure is 5 inches (tighter than standard Landmark’s 5-5/8 inches), which means more shingles per course and more layout work. Every course has to stagger 6 inches minimum to prevent visible pattern repeat. Our crews work with CertainTeed’s Presidential-specific installation guidance, not generic shingle rules. We run the 6-nail pattern on every Presidential install for upgraded wind warranty. Ridge caps are CertainTeed Shangle or hip-and-ridge specifically made to match the Presidential profile.
When a homeowner is deciding between Presidential Shake TL and synthetic composite (F-Wave, Brava), the honest answer is: synthetic composite has a longer lifespan (50+ years) and is more expensive. Presidential Shake TL has a 30-40 year field lifespan at a more accessible luxury price point. For homeowners who want the aesthetic for 20-30 years on a house they’ll live in through retirement, Presidential Shake TL is the right call. For homeowners building a custom home they intend to pass to children, synthetic composite wins on permanence. We’ll walk through both in the showroom.
A few more Presidential Shake TL install specifics I’ll share from field experience. The triple-laminate shingles weigh ~400 pounds per square, which is 75 percent more than standard Landmark’s 228 pounds and 45 percent more than Landmark Pro’s 275 pounds. That weight affects how we stage material on the deck — I’ll limit pallet stacks to 8 bundles max to avoid deck point-loading on older 1×6 plank decks. Exposure is 5 inches per CertainTeed’s spec. Course staggering has to be a minimum of 6 inches to prevent the visible pattern repeat that gives away a low-end cedar-shake imitation from the street.
I’ve installed Presidential Shake TL on Queen Anne Victorians in Woodstock, Craftsman bungalows in Crystal Lake, custom new construction in Barrington, and lake-front homes on Pistakee Bay. Typical project duration is 3 to 5 days for a 30-square roof; complex architecture (hip roofs, dormers, turrets on Victorians) can push to 7 to 10 days. We’re running CertainTeed Shangle hip-and-ridge specifically designed to match the Presidential profile — standard 12-inch ridge caps look undersized against the triple-laminate exposure. For McHenry County customers weighing Presidential Shake TL vs real cedar shake, I’ve got 25-plus projects in my portfolio where we’ve done the replacement, and zero callbacks on the product.
Other CertainTeed Products We Install
Every CertainTeed shingle line we install. IHC is SELECT ShingleMaster certified — fewer than 1% of U.S. roofers. SureStart PLUS warranty coverage available on every product.
CertainTeed
Landmark
Standard architectural / workhorse
Explore →
CertainTeed
Landmark Pro
Premium / Max Def / 20% heavier
Explore →
CertainTeed
Landmark Premium
Max asphalt content / heaviest
Explore →
CertainTeed
Landmark ClimateFlex
Class 4 impact / insurance discount
Explore →
CertainTeed
NorthGate ClimateFlex
Premium Class 4 / 160 mph WindProven
Explore →
CertainTeed
Presidential Shake IR
Luxury shake + Class 3 impact
Explore →
CertainTeed
Grand Manor
Ultra-premium / 320 lbs / square
Explore →
Ready to See the Cedar-Shake Look in Asphalt?
We come to your home, inspect the existing roof, discuss your architectural vision, and walk you through Presidential Shake TL colors with physical sample boards showing the triple-laminate depth. No pressure, no obligation.
Visit Our Crystal Lake Showroom
4410 IL-176, Suite 1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Mon–Fri 9AM–4PM | Appointments available 24/7 via AI receptionist
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Presidential Shake TL really look like real cedar shake from the street?
Yes, from typical viewing distance (20-40 feet from the house), most observers can’t tell the difference. The triple-laminate construction creates deep shadow lines and dimensional profile that replicate the hand-split cedar appearance. Up close, an expert can tell. From the sidewalk or driveway, it reads as cedar. We’ve had homeowners call years later saying neighbors still think the roof is real cedar.
What’s the difference between Presidential Shake and Presidential Shake TL?
Standard Presidential Shake is a multi-layer laminate design replicating cedar shake — great shingle, deep shadow lines, Class A fire rating. Presidential Shake TL adds a third laminate layer (triple laminate) for even deeper shadow lines, longer lifespan, and a more substantial cedar-shake aesthetic. TL is the luxury flagship of the Presidential family. IHC installs both — we’ll recommend based on the home, the budget, and the aesthetic goal.
Will insurance cover a Presidential Shake TL replacement if I had cedar before?
Usually, yes. Insurance carriers typically cover replacement cost for a like-kind, like-quality roof. Cedar shake and Presidential Shake TL are both premium/luxury-tier roofs, and most adjusters approve Presidential Shake TL as a legitimate replacement for cedar — especially if the homeowner is required to move off wood shake for insurance reasons. We handle the adjuster conversations during the consultation.
What warranty comes with Presidential Shake TL?
CertainTeed’s Limited Lifetime material warranty. Through IHC’s SELECT ShingleMaster certification (fewer than 1% of U.S. roofers), the product qualifies for SureStart PLUS: 50-year non-prorated material coverage plus 25-year workmanship coverage. Non-prorated means the warranty doesn’t decrease in value over 50 years. Workmanship coverage means install errors are covered for 25 years.
Is Presidential Shake TL fire-rated?
Yes, Class A (UL 790) — same rating as standard architectural asphalt. That’s a major advantage over real cedar shake, which is combustible and classified at most as Class C with heavy chemical treatment. Insurance carriers that restrict wood shake coverage treat Presidential Shake TL as a Class A product with no restrictions.
What’s the wind rating?
110 mph standard, upgradable with 6-nail installation (which IHC uses by default on all Presidential installs). For homes in high-wind exposures — lake-front, open farmland, corner lots — we’d recommend stepping up to Grand Manor (130 mph standard, 160 mph with WindProven installation). Grand Manor is the ultra-premium tier above Presidential Shake TL.
