Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes as a second line of defense.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Pequannock, NJ
A Pequannock roofer who installs wood roofs can lay new cedar shakes or shingles over solid or spaced sheathing, with open metal valleys and vented ridge caps, and walk you through the choices before any wood is ordered. One call to (862) 458-0110 reaches a nearby cedar roof installer.
How a cedar roof is put on matters more than the wood itself. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
Before installation starts, you choose between shakes and shingles and pick a grade. Shakes are split, with a rough, textured face and thick butts, while cedar shingles are sawn smooth on both sides for a tighter, tailored look. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
Code and climate shape the rest. Shakes need a slope of at least 4 in 12 under most codes, while shingles can go on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Your roofer should check the permit requirements, any fire rating rules and any neighborhood guidelines before ordering.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation is often paired with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair, depending on the cause.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Pequannock? Call (862) 458-0110 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The cedar roof installation process
Each layer of a cedar roof has a job.
Set up the sheathing
The deck is either open, spaced boards or solid sheathing with a drainage and airflow layer on top. In cold areas, the lower edge gets solid sheathing and an ice and water barrier.
Start at the eaves
A strip of felt goes along the eave, then a doubled or tripled starter course of shakes or shingles overhangs the fascia by about an inch and a half. Drip edge metal is usually installed here as well.
Install the shakes
Each course of shakes gets a strip of 18 inch felt interlay laid above the butts, so the felt is hidden but blocks rain blown through the gaps. 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.
Fastening
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. Plain steel or electro-galvanized nails rust and stain long before cedar wears out.
Flash the valleys
Valley metal goes down first, and shakes are trimmed back from the center so leaves and water can run freely. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Ridge caps
Pre-formed or site-cut caps run along the hips and ridge, lapping in alternating directions. Pairing a ridge vent with soffit intake keeps the attic dry and helps the shakes last.
What is included
What goes into a cedar roof
Ridge ventilation
Cedar caps finish the hips and ridge, often over a ridge vent with longer nails for wind resistance.
Deck layer
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Wall flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up for a watertight finish.
Material selection
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Pequannock, NJ
Cedar shingle roof installation follows the same principles as shakes, with a few important differences. 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.
Shingles are usually laid without interlay felt, since the overlap itself provides the coverage. They can go over spaced sheathing or over solid sheathing with a breathable mat, and they work on slightly lower pitches than shakes. For a Pequannock home, the right choice between shakes and shingles comes down to the look you want and the pitch you have.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Pequannock go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. Across Pequannock and nearby towns like Pompton Plains, Lincoln Park, Towaco and Riverdale, the key questions are the pitch of the roof, how much shade it gets and whether local rules call for fire-treated wood, and a good installer adjusts the system to the house.
Need cedar shake roof installation around Pequannock? Call (862) 458-0110 for a Pequannock roofer who serves the towns around it too.
Roofs in this climate
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. That is why roof repair in Pequannock is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Pequannock
Roofers in Pequannock know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
Whether to treat depends on moisture, shade and fire rules. Preservative treatment helps in wet climates, and fire treatment may be required by local code. A Pequannock roofer can recommend the right combination.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Sawn shingles allow a bit less pitch if the exposure is shortened. Below those slopes, another material is the better choice.
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.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. Treated shakes, often combined with a special underlayment, can meet higher fire ratings required in some wildfire areas. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
More questions? Call (862) 458-0110
Often needed together
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Full replacement of worn-out wood roofs, from tear-off and sheathing to the new ridge, with the deck brought up to what the new roof needs.
Learn moreCedar Shake Roof Repair
Replacing split, cupped or missing shakes, clearing moss and fixing valleys and ridge caps, so a sound cedar roof keeps shedding water.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, so it sheds water at every edge and seam.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Balancing attic intake and exhaust with soffit vents, ridge vents and attic fans, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
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