Deck layer
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first with solid decking at the eaves where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Midland Park, NJ
A roofer in Midland Park 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 (551) 370-0731 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
How a cedar roof is put on matters more than the wood itself. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. 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.
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. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
Depending on what the roofer finds, cedar shake roof installation in Midland Park, NJ can go hand in hand with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair.
Dealing with this in Midland Park, NJ right now? Call (551) 370-0731 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Midland Park.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
A cedar roof is built in a specific order, from the deck up.
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. Solid sheathing is usually required at the eaves where an ice barrier is needed.
Lay the starter course
The first course is doubled so the gaps in the top layer never line up with gaps in the layer below. Drip edge metal is usually installed here as well.
Course by course
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.
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. Stainless is common near salt air and with treated shakes.
Flash 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.
Cap the ridge
Hips and ridges are covered with cedar caps that alternate their overlap, nailed with longer fasteners into solid wood. Balanced ventilation under a wood roof keeps both the attic and the shakes drier.
What is included
What goes into a cedar roof
Ridge caps
Hip and ridge caps go on last with longer nails for wind resistance.
Wall flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing rather than relying on sealant.
Choosing the wood
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Underlayment
Each course gets its own strip of felt to stop wind-driven rain.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Midland Park, NJ
Shingles give a cedar roof a cleaner, more uniform look, and their installation reflects that. Exposure depends on the shingle length and pitch, and it is shorter than for shakes. The keyways between shingles are kept narrow but never closed.
Felt interlay is a shake detail, while shingles rely on overlap for protection. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. In Midland Park, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Midland Park who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. For homes in Midland Park and nearby places including Waldwick, Ridgewood, Allendale and Glen Rock, 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 Midland Park or Waldwick, Ridgewood, Allendale and Glen Rock? Call (551) 370-0731 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, 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 Midland Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Midland Park know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Flatter roofs drain too slowly for wood.
What kind of underlayment does a cedar roof need?
Underneath cedar, the deck must allow airflow. Shakes also get strips of felt interlay woven between each course, and an ice barrier goes along the eaves in cold climates. The goal is a roof that sheds water but still lets the wood dry.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
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. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
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. Installation differs as well, with interlay felt used under shakes and tighter exposures used for shingles.
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. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Midland Park roof.
More questions? Call (551) 370-0731
Often needed together
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Full replacement of worn-out wood roofs, from tear-off and sheathing to the new ridge, with the deck brought up to what the new roof needs.
Learn moreCedar Shake Roof Repair
Cedar roof repairs from single cracked shakes up to worn ridge caps and open valleys, without tearing off the shakes that still have years left.
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
Roof ventilation work that keeps the attic dry in winter and cooler in summer, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesNeed cedar shake roof installation in Midland Park, NJ?
Call (551) 370-0731 to talk to a roofer serving Midland Park, NJ.