Ridge ventilation
The ridge is capped and vented to keep moisture out of the attic.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Nutley, NJ
A Nutley 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) 858-1824 to reach a local roofer.
Most early cedar failures trace back to installation, not to the shakes. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. Done right, a cedar roof can serve a home for 30 years or more.
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. 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. Most codes require a minimum pitch for wood roofs, about 4 in 12 for shakes and 3 in 12 for shingles. 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 Nutley roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Nutley cedar shake roof installation? Call (973) 858-1824 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Nutley.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
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. Solid sheathing is usually required at the eaves where an ice barrier is needed.
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. The crew keeps the keyways open, staggers every joint and measures exposure to the slope and shake length.
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.
Build the valleys
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.
Cap the ridge
The ridge and hips get matched cedar caps laid in an alternating pattern. 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
Choosing the wood
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Deck layer
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof to give nails a solid hold.
Wall flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up so the busiest water paths are protected.
Underlayment
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes to stop wind-driven rain.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Nutley, 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. In Nutley, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Nutley who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. For homes in Nutley and nearby places including Glen Ridge, Rutherford, North Arlington and Clifton, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, which is why the planning step matters so much.
For cedar shake roof installation in Nutley, NJ or nearby towns like Glen Ridge, Rutherford, North Arlington and Clifton, call (973) 858-1824 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
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. 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 Nutley is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Familiar with local homes
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Nutley and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
Most codes call for at least 4 in 12 for cedar shakes. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Below those slopes, another material is the better choice.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
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. Check local rules first, since some areas restrict untreated wood roofs.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
Whether to treat depends on moisture, shade and fire rules. Treated shakes last longer in humid or shady spots, and fire-treated ones may be mandatory in wildfire zones. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Nutley roof.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. 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.
Are cedar shakes and cedar shingles the same thing?
The difference comes down to how they are cut. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. Installation differs as well, with interlay felt used under shakes and tighter exposures used for shingles.
More questions? Call (973) 858-1824
Related services
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Tearing off worn cedar shakes, repairing the deck and putting on a new cedar or look-alike roof, planned around the material you choose next.
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
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?
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