Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last for balanced attic airflow.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Vernon, NJ
A Vernon 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, which is what lets cedar last for decades instead of years. Dial (973) 858-1840 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
How a cedar roof is put on matters more than the wood itself. Every detail, from the side gaps to the nail type, exists so the shakes can get wet, dry out and move without leaking. 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. Top grades use edge-grain heartwood with no knots, the most stable wood for a roof.
Code and climate shape the rest. 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.
Depending on what the roofer finds, cedar shake roof installation in Vernon, NJ can go hand in hand with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Vernon? Call (973) 858-1840 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Vernon.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
Each layer of a cedar roof has a job.
Deck preparation
The deck is either open, spaced boards or solid sheathing with a drainage and airflow layer on top. In cold areas, the lower edge gets solid sheathing and an ice and water barrier.
Start at the eaves
The starter course is laid double, projecting past the fascia so water drips clear of the trim. Edge metal along the eave and rakes protects the wood trim.
Install the shakes
Between every course, a strip of felt sits partly under the shakes to stop wind-driven rain. 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. 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.
Finish the ridge
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
Parts of a new cedar roof
Valley 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.
Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Sheathing
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof with solid decking at the eaves where needed.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Vernon, 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. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
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. A Vernon roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Vernon who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. From Vernon to neighboring communities such as Hamburg, Highland Lakes, Franklin and Oak Ridge, 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 Vernon? Call (973) 858-1840 for a Vernon 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, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Vernon, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Vernon
Roofers in Vernon know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Sawn shingles allow a bit less pitch if the exposure is shortened. Flatter roofs drain too slowly for wood.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. The goal is a roof that sheds water but still lets the wood dry.
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
Whether to treat depends on moisture, shade and fire rules. In damp, shaded areas, preservative-treated shakes resist moss and decay better, and in fire-prone areas, fire-retardant treatment may be required. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Vernon roof.
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. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. Treated shakes, often combined with a special underlayment, can meet higher fire ratings required in some wildfire areas. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
More questions? Call (973) 858-1840
Often needed together
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
Repairs for split shakes, rot at the butts, moss buildup and leaking valleys on wood roofs, so a sound cedar roof keeps shedding water.
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, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet cedar shake roof installation help in Vernon
Call (973) 858-1840 to talk to a roofer serving Vernon, NJ.