Valley flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing for a watertight finish.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Maplewood, NJ
A Maplewood 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. Call (973) 858-1830 to reach a local roofer.
Most early cedar failures trace back to installation, not to the shakes. 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.
Before installation starts, you choose between shakes and shingles and pick a grade. Heavy hand-split and resawn shakes give a rugged, deep shadow line, taper-sawn shakes look cleaner, and sawn shingles look neatest of all. The best grades are clear heartwood with edge grain, which stays flatter and resists splitting and decay better than flat grain.
Local rules and conditions narrow the options further. 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 Maplewood roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Maplewood? Call (973) 858-1830 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Maplewood.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
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. Solid sheathing is usually required at the eaves where an ice barrier is needed.
Lay the starter course
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. The rake edges overhang slightly too.
Course by course
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. Stainless is common near salt air and with treated shakes.
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. Walls, skylights and vent pipes get their own flashing woven into the courses.
Finish 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
Parts of a new cedar roof
Underlayment
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes hidden from view but doing real work.
Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Deck layer
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof to give nails a solid hold.
Ridge caps
Hip and ridge caps go on last with longer nails for wind resistance.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Maplewood, 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. The keyways between shingles are kept narrow but never closed.
Felt interlay is a shake detail, while shingles rely on overlap for protection. Like shakes, shingles need air under them, so spaced boards or a breather mat are common. For a Maplewood 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 Maplewood go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. For homes in Maplewood and nearby places including Vauxhall, Union, Springfield and Short Hills, 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 Maplewood or Vauxhall, Union, Springfield and Short Hills? Call (973) 858-1830 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
Roofs in this climate
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the 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. That is why roof repair in Maplewood is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Maplewood know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
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. Below those slopes, another material is the better choice.
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.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
Treatment depends on the climate and the grade of wood. Treated shakes last longer in humid or shady spots, and fire-treated ones may be mandatory in wildfire zones. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Maplewood home.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. With treatment and the right underlayment, a cedar roof can reach a higher fire classification. Check local rules first, since some areas restrict untreated wood roofs.
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. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
More questions? Call (973) 858-1830
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, planned around the material you choose next.
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
Installing a new roof layer by layer, from drip edge and underlayment to flashing, vents and the finished roofing, 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, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Maplewood roofer about cedar shake roof installation
Call (973) 858-1830 for a local roofer in Maplewood and nearby towns.