Choosing the wood
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Chester, NJ
A roofer in Chester can install a cedar shake roof by choosing the right grade and thickness, laying felt interlay between courses and fastening each shake with stainless or galvanized nails, and walk you through the choices before any wood is ordered. Dial (908) 955-2098 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
A cedar roof lasts as long as the installation lets it dry. Every detail, from the side gaps to the nail type, exists so the shakes can get wet, dry out and move without leaking. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
The first decisions are the wood and the style. Heavy hand-split and resawn shakes give a rugged, deep shadow line, taper-sawn shakes look cleaner, and sawn shingles look neatest of all. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
Code and climate shape the rest. Most codes require a minimum pitch for wood roofs, about 4 in 12 for shakes and 3 in 12 for shingles. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
Many cedar shake roof installation calls in Chester also turn up a need for cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Chester? Call (908) 955-2098 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Chester.
Call nowThe process
The cedar roof installation process
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Prepare the deck
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
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.
Course by course
Shakes go on in courses with felt interlay woven between them, positioned so it never shows below the next course. 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.
Nail each shake
Two corrosion-resistant nails per shake are placed just above the line where the next course will lap, keeping them out of the weather. Plain steel or electro-galvanized nails rust and stain long before cedar wears out.
Build the valleys
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each 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. A ridge vent can go under the caps, paired with soffit vents for balanced attic airflow.
What is included
What a cedar installation covers
Wall flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up rather than relying on sealant.
Ridge ventilation
The ridge is capped and vented for balanced attic airflow.
Deck layer
The deck is built to let air reach the back of the shakes so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes to stop wind-driven rain.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Chester, NJ
Shingles give a cedar roof a cleaner, more uniform look, and their installation reflects that. Because shingles are thinner, they use shorter exposures, so more layers overlap at any point on the roof. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
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 Chester, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Chester, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. For homes in Chester and nearby places including Flanders, Succasunna, Mendham and Budd Lake, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, so a site visit comes before any material order.
Searching for cedar shake roof installation near me from Chester or Flanders, Succasunna, Mendham and Budd Lake? Call (908) 955-2098 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. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Chester, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Chester
Roofers in Chester 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
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. On top of the deck, felt is woven between the courses of shakes, and the eaves get an ice and water membrane where ice is a risk. The goal is a roof that sheds water but still lets the wood dry.
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
A minimum of 4 in 12 is the common rule for shakes. Cedar shingles can go on roofs as low as 3 in 12 with a shorter exposure. Flatter roofs drain too slowly for wood.
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Cedar can be made far more fire resistant with pressure-impregnated treatment. Treated shakes, often combined with a special underlayment, can meet higher fire ratings required in some wildfire areas. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
Shakes are split from the log, while shingles are sawn. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
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. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Chester home.
More questions? Call (908) 955-2098
Other services that may help
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Tearing off worn cedar shakes, repairing the deck and putting on a new cedar or look-alike roof, 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, so it sheds water at every edge and seam.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Roof ventilation work that keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, without mixing vent types that work against each other.
Learn more
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