Schindel (Alpine and Central European Wood Shingles)

Schindel is the German word for a wooden shingle. In the Alps and across Central Europe, split wooden shingles have roofed farmhouses, mountain huts, chapels and churches for centuries, and in many villages they also clad the walls. Similar traditions exist across Poland, Slovakia, the Carpathians, Scandinavia and the Baltic states.

Split, not sawn

The traditional shingle is split along the grain from a block of timber rather than sawn. Splitting keeps the wood fibres continuous and the surface smooth, so water runs off and the shingle dries quickly. For that reason split shakes are generally more durable than sawn shingles, particularly in wet climates.

Timber

In Central Europe and Scandinavia, shingles were most commonly made from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and local spruce (Picea). Larch is also used in Alpine areas for its resin content and durability. In Latvia, aspen is the most popular shingle wood; aspen shingles also cover the domes of the wooden churches at Kizhi in Russia. Polish and Slovak split shakes are typically about 36 in (90 cm) long, 4-6 in (10-15 cm) wide and 1-1.25 in (2.5-3 cm) thick, considerably longer than North American products.

Laying

Shingles are nailed to battens in overlapping courses, usually with two or three layers at any point, so that every joint is covered by the shingle above. On steep Alpine roofs and walls they may be laid in decorative patterns, and some roofs use long split boards held down with poles and stones rather than nails.

Examples

Shingle facades and roofs are typical of villages such as Lech in Austria. In Poland, All Saints Church in Łaziska is documented as roofed with 1,467 fir shingles, and the UNESCO-listed Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska carry tall shingled roofs over horizontal log structures.

Fire and maintenance

Wooden shingles burn, and many towns historically restricted them in favour of slate, sheet metal or clay tile. Shingle roofs also need more maintenance than many modern coverings. Today they are used mainly on heritage buildings, mountain architecture and in places where local rules protect traditional roofscapes, often with fire-retardant treatment.

Related traditions

North American wood roofing distinguishes split shakes from sawn shingles, made from western red cedar, redwood or Atlantic white cedar. Japan uses very thin split shingles fixed with bamboo nails on temples such as Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji.