Sheathing
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Harrison, NJ
A Harrison 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 (551) 348-3304 reaches a nearby cedar roof installer.
Most early cedar failures trace back to installation, not to the shakes. 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. Skip one of those details and the roof can start cupping, rotting or staining within a few seasons.
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. Top grades use edge-grain heartwood with no knots, the most stable wood for a roof.
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.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Harrison roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Harrison cedar shake roof installation? Call (551) 348-3304 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Harrison.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Each layer of a cedar roof has a job.
Set up the sheathing
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. 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. Edge metal along the eave and rakes protects the wood trim.
Lay the field
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.
Fastening
Two corrosion-resistant nails per shake are placed just above the line where the next course will lap, keeping them out of the weather. Low-grade fasteners can fail decades before the wood, so the nail choice matters.
Build the valleys
Cedar roofs use open valleys lined with wide metal, often with a center crimp to keep water from running across to the other side. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Cap the ridge
Hips and ridges are covered with cedar caps that alternate their overlap, nailed with longer fasteners into solid wood. Pairing a ridge vent with soffit intake keeps the attic dry and helps the shakes last.
What is included
What a cedar installation covers
Choosing the wood
You pick between hand-split, resawn, taper-sawn and sawn options so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last to keep moisture out of the attic.
Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes hidden from view but doing real work.
Wall flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Harrison, NJ
Cedar shingle roof installation follows the same principles as shakes, with a few important differences. Because shingles are thinner, they use shorter exposures, so more layers overlap at any point on the roof. Side gaps are tighter too, about a quarter to three eighths of an inch.
Unlike shakes, shingles do not get felt interlay between courses, because their tight, thin layering already gives three layers of wood coverage. They can go over spaced sheathing or over solid sheathing with a breathable mat, and they work on slightly lower pitches than shakes. In Harrison, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Harrison who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. From Harrison to neighboring communities such as Newark, Kearny, North Arlington and East Orange, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, and a good installer adjusts the system to the house.
Searching for cedar shake roof installation near me from Harrison or Newark, Kearny, North Arlington and East Orange? Call (551) 348-3304 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a roof
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. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Harrison, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Familiar with local homes
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Harrison and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. Treated shakes over a rated underlayment can meet stricter local codes. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
Are cedar shakes and cedar shingles the same thing?
They are related but not the same product. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Most codes call for at least 4 in 12 for cedar shakes. Sawn shingles allow a bit less pitch if the exposure is shortened. Below those slopes, another material is the better choice.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
That choice depends on where the house is and what grade you buy. In damp, shaded areas, preservative-treated shakes resist moss and decay better, and in fire-prone areas, fire-retardant treatment may be required. A Harrison roofer can recommend the right combination.
What kind of underlayment does a cedar roof need?
A cedar roof is built over either spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat. Shakes also get strips of felt interlay woven between each course, and an ice barrier goes along the eaves in cold climates. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
More questions? Call (551) 348-3304
Related services
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Replacing an old cedar shake roof down to the boards, then rebuilding it right, 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
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Fixing hot, damp or poorly vented attics with the right mix of intake and exhaust, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
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