Material selection
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Caldwell, NJ
Installing a cedar shake roof in Caldwell means getting the slope, sheathing, interlay, spacing and fasteners right before the look of the wood even matters, and walk you through the choices before any wood is ordered. Dial (862) 399-1003 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
A cedar roof lasts as long as the installation lets it dry. Shakes need air on both faces, gaps at the sides to swell, felt between each course to stop wind-driven rain and fasteners that will not rust before the wood wears out. Done right, a cedar roof can serve a home for 30 years or more.
Before installation starts, you choose between shakes and shingles and pick a grade. Split shakes look rustic and heavy, sawn shingles look trim and even, and taper-sawn shakes sit in between. The best grades are clear heartwood with edge grain, which stays flatter and resists splitting and decay better than flat grain.
Several outside factors decide how the system is built. Shakes need a slope of at least 4 in 12 under most codes, while shingles can go on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Areas with wildfire risk may require fire-retardant treated shakes or a rated assembly, and some neighborhoods have their own rules on roofing material.
Many cedar shake roof installation calls in Caldwell also turn up a need for cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Caldwell cedar shake roof installation? Call (862) 399-1003 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
A cedar roof is built in a specific order, from the deck up.
Prepare the deck
Shakes can go over spaced sheathing, boards with gaps that let air reach the back of the shakes, or over solid plywood with a breathable mat that creates the same airspace. Where ice can build up, the eaves get a waterproof membrane over solid decking.
Starter course
The first course is doubled so the gaps in the top layer never line up with gaps in the layer below. The rake edges overhang slightly too.
Install the shakes
Between every course, a strip of felt sits partly under the shakes to stop wind-driven rain. Shakes are spaced about three eighths to five eighths of an inch apart, side joints are offset at least an inch and a half from the course below and the exposure stays even, often 10 inches for 24 inch shakes.
Fasten correctly
Each shake gets two stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized nails, about an inch in from each side and placed so the next course covers them. Low-grade fasteners can fail decades before the wood, so the nail choice matters.
Valley work
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each side. Walls, skylights and vent pipes get their own flashing woven into the courses.
Ridge caps
Pre-formed or site-cut caps run along the hips and ridge, lapping in alternating directions. Balanced ventilation under a wood roof keeps both the attic and the shakes drier.
What is included
What a cedar installation covers
Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last to keep moisture out of the attic.
Felt interlay
An interlay of felt sits under each course to stop wind-driven rain.
Sheathing
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Valley flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Caldwell, NJ
Shingles give a cedar roof a cleaner, more uniform look, and their installation reflects that. Exposure depends on the shingle length and pitch, and it is shorter than for shakes. Side gaps are tighter too, about a quarter to three eighths of an inch.
Felt interlay is a shake detail, while shingles rely on overlap for protection. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. A Caldwell roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Caldwell, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. From Caldwell to neighboring communities such as Roseland, Pine Brook, Glen Ridge and Totowa, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, so a site visit comes before any material order.
For cedar shake roof installation in Caldwell, NJ or nearby towns like Roseland, Pine Brook, Glen Ridge and Totowa, call (862) 399-1003 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
Roofs in this climate
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. Most homeowners in Caldwell, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Caldwell
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Caldwell and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation FAQ
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
Treatment depends on the climate and the grade of wood. Preservative treatment helps in wet climates, and fire treatment may be required by local code. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Caldwell roof.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Cedar shingles can go on roofs as low as 3 in 12 with a shorter exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
Underneath cedar, the deck must allow airflow. Shakes also get strips of felt interlay woven between each course, and an ice barrier goes along the eaves in cold climates. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
Are cedar shakes and cedar shingles the same thing?
Shakes are split from the log, while shingles are sawn. Split shakes are thicker and more irregular, and sawn shingles are thinner, smoother and more uniform. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. Treated shakes over a rated underlayment can meet stricter local codes. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
More questions? Call (862) 399-1003
Other services that may help
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Full replacement of worn-out wood roofs, from tear-off and sheathing to the new ridge, when the old shakes are too thin to repair.
Learn moreCedar Shake Roof Repair
Cedar roof repairs from single cracked shakes up to worn ridge caps and open valleys, matched to what a close look at the roof actually finds.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Roof ventilation work that keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Caldwell roofer about cedar shake roof installation
Call (862) 399-1003 to talk to a roofer serving Caldwell, NJ.