Underlayment
An interlay of felt sits under each course to stop wind-driven rain.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Elmwood Park, NJ
A Elmwood Park 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) 367-0165 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. 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.
Local rules and conditions narrow the options further. Wood roofs need enough pitch to shed water quickly, generally 4 in 12 for shakes. Areas with wildfire risk may require fire-retardant treated shakes or a rated assembly, and some neighborhoods have their own rules on roofing material.
Depending on what the roofer finds, cedar shake roof installation in Elmwood Park, NJ can go hand in hand with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair.
Dealing with this in Elmwood Park, NJ right now? Call (551) 367-0165 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
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. Where ice can build up, the eaves get a waterproof membrane over solid decking.
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.
Lay the field
Shakes go on in courses with felt interlay woven between them, positioned so it never shows below the next course. The crew keeps the keyways open, staggers every joint and measures exposure to the slope and shake length.
Fasten correctly
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.
Flash the valleys
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each side. Every penetration and wall line is flashed as the shakes go up.
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 a cedar installation covers
Ridge caps
Hip and ridge caps go on last to keep moisture out of the attic.
Valley flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses rather than relying on sealant.
Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you before any wood is ordered.
Deck layer
The deck is built to let air reach the back of the shakes to give nails a solid hold.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Elmwood Park, NJ
Shingles give a cedar roof a cleaner, more uniform look, and their installation reflects that. Shingles come in 16, 18 and 24 inch lengths and are laid with shorter exposures, often around 5 to 7 and a half inches depending on length and slope. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
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. In Elmwood Park, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Elmwood Park go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. From Elmwood Park to neighboring communities such as Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, which is why the planning step matters so much.
For cedar shake roof installation in Elmwood Park, NJ or nearby towns like Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, call (551) 367-0165 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, building ice dams that push 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 Elmwood Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Elmwood Park
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Elmwood Park and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
They are related but not the same product. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. They also install differently: shakes use felt interlay between courses and longer exposures, and shingles do not.
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
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 Elmwood Park home.
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Cedar can be made far more fire resistant with pressure-impregnated treatment. 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. Shakes also get strips of felt interlay woven between each course, and an ice barrier goes along the eaves in cold climates. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
More questions? Call (551) 367-0165
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, when the old shakes are too thin to repair.
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, 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
Looking for something else?
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