Felt interlay
Each course gets its own strip of felt hidden from view but doing real work.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Park Ridge, NJ
A Park Ridge 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. Dial (551) 390-0358 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
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. Done right, a cedar roof can serve a home for 30 years or more.
Before installation starts, you choose between shakes and shingles and pick a grade. Shakes are split, with a rough, textured face and thick butts, while cedar shingles are sawn smooth on both sides for a tighter, tailored look. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
Local rules and conditions narrow the options further. Most codes require a minimum pitch for wood roofs, about 4 in 12 for shakes and 3 in 12 for shingles. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Park Ridge roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Park Ridge? Call (551) 390-0358 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The cedar roof installation process
A cedar roof is built in a specific order, from the deck up.
Deck preparation
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.
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. The rake edges overhang slightly too.
Lay the field
Each course of shakes gets a strip of 18 inch felt interlay laid above the butts, so the felt is hidden but blocks rain blown through the gaps. The crew keeps the keyways open, staggers every joint and measures exposure to the slope and shake length.
Fasten correctly
Nails are stainless or heavily galvanized, two per shake, driven flush but not crushing the wood. Plain steel or electro-galvanized nails rust and stain long before cedar wears out.
Build the valleys
Valley metal goes down first, and shakes are trimmed back from the center so leaves and water can run freely. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Ridge caps
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 a cedar installation covers
Deck layer
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Ridge ventilation
The ridge is capped and vented with longer nails for wind resistance.
Choosing the wood
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Wall flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Park Ridge, NJ
Cedar shingles are sawn on both faces, so they are thinner, smoother and installed a little differently than shakes. 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.
Shingles are usually laid without interlay felt, since the overlap itself provides the coverage. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. A Park Ridge roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Park Ridge who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. Across Park Ridge and nearby towns like Woodcliff Lake, Montvale, Hillsdale and Saddle River, the key questions are the pitch of the roof, how much shade it gets and whether local rules call for fire-treated wood, which is why the planning step matters so much.
Searching for cedar shake roof installation near me from Park Ridge or Woodcliff Lake, Montvale, Hillsdale and Saddle River? Call (551) 390-0358 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, which is how ice dams form and back 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 Park Ridge is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Park Ridge and nearby towns.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
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. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Park Ridge home.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Cedar can be made far more fire resistant with pressure-impregnated treatment. Treated shakes, often combined with a special underlayment, can meet higher fire ratings required in some wildfire areas. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
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. 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. The goal is a roof that sheds water but still lets the wood dry.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Cedar shingles can go on roofs as low as 3 in 12 with a shorter exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
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. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
More questions? Call (551) 390-0358
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, matched to what a close look at the roof actually finds.
Learn moreRoof Installation
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, 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, 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 Park Ridge
Call (551) 390-0358 for a local roofer in Park Ridge and nearby towns.