Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last with longer nails for wind resistance.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Bloomingdale, NJ
A Bloomingdale 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 (862) 356-0010 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. 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. Split shakes look rustic and heavy, sawn shingles look trim and even, and taper-sawn shakes sit in between. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
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. Your roofer should check the permit requirements, any fire rating rules and any neighborhood guidelines before ordering.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Bloomingdale roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Dealing with this in Bloomingdale, NJ right now? Call (862) 356-0010 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
The deck is either open, spaced boards or solid sheathing with a drainage and airflow layer on top. Where ice can build up, the eaves get a waterproof membrane over solid decking.
Starter course
The first course is doubled so the gaps in the top layer never line up with gaps in the layer below. Edge metal along the eave and rakes protects the wood trim.
Install the shakes
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
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.
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.
Cap 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
What a cedar installation covers
Wall flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing for a watertight finish.
Felt interlay
Each course gets its own strip of felt to stop wind-driven rain.
Deck layer
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof with solid decking at the eaves where needed.
Material selection
You pick between hand-split, resawn, taper-sawn and sawn options with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Bloomingdale, NJ
Cedar shingle roof installation follows the same principles as shakes, with a few important differences. Exposure depends on the shingle length and pitch, and it is shorter than for shakes. Side gaps are tighter too, about a quarter to three eighths of an inch.
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 Bloomingdale, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Bloomingdale, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. From Bloomingdale to neighboring communities such as Wanaque, Butler, Riverdale and Pompton Lakes, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, and a good installer adjusts the system to the house.
Need cedar shake roof installation around Bloomingdale? Call (862) 356-0010 for a Bloomingdale roofer who serves the towns around it too.
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, 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 Bloomingdale is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Bloomingdale
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Bloomingdale and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
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. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
A minimum of 4 in 12 is the common rule for shakes. 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?
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. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
Are cedar shakes and cedar shingles the same thing?
The difference comes down to how they are cut. Split shakes are thicker and more irregular, and sawn shingles are thinner, smoother and more uniform. Installation differs as well, with interlay felt used under shakes and tighter exposures used for shingles.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
That choice depends on where the house is and what grade you buy. In damp, shaded areas, preservative-treated shakes resist moss and decay better, and in fire-prone areas, fire-retardant treatment may be required. A Bloomingdale roofer can recommend the right combination.
More questions? Call (862) 356-0010
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, 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, without tearing off the shakes that still have years left.
Learn moreRoof Installation
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, 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
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Bloomingdale roofer about cedar shake roof installation
Call (862) 356-0010 to talk to a roofer serving Bloomingdale, NJ.