Deck layer
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof to give nails a solid hold.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Springfield, NJ
A Springfield 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. One call to (908) 562-6898 reaches a nearby cedar roof installer.
How a cedar roof is put on matters more than the wood itself. 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.
Choosing the material comes first, and the choices are wider than most owners expect. 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. Top grades use edge-grain heartwood with no knots, the most stable wood for a roof.
Code and climate shape the rest. Shakes need a slope of at least 4 in 12 under most codes, while shingles can go on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Your roofer should check the permit requirements, any fire rating rules and any neighborhood guidelines before ordering.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation is often paired with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair, depending on the cause.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Springfield? Call (908) 562-6898 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
A cedar roof is built in a specific order, from the deck up.
Prepare the deck
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.
Starter course
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.
Course by course
Between every course, a strip of felt sits partly under the shakes to stop wind-driven rain. Side gaps are kept even, joints are staggered from course to course and the exposure follows the length and the slope.
Fastening
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.
Build the valleys
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each 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. 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
The ridge is capped and vented to keep moisture out of the attic.
Underlayment
Each course gets its own strip of felt to stop wind-driven rain.
Wall flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses for a watertight finish.
Choosing the wood
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Springfield, 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. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
Unlike shakes, shingles do not get felt interlay between courses, because their tight, thin layering already gives three layers of wood coverage. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. A Springfield roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Springfield go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. From Springfield to neighboring communities such as Vauxhall, Kenilworth, Union and Short Hills, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, so a site visit comes before any material order.
For cedar shake roof installation in Springfield, NJ or nearby towns like Vauxhall, Kenilworth, Union and Short Hills, call (908) 562-6898 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Springfield
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 Springfield is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local knowledge
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Springfield 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?
Cedar can be made far more fire resistant with pressure-impregnated treatment. Treated shakes over a rated underlayment can meet stricter local codes. Check local rules first, since some areas restrict untreated wood roofs.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
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.
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. Flatter roofs drain too slowly for wood.
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
Shakes are split from the log, while shingles are sawn. 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.
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
That choice depends on where the house is and what grade you buy. 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 Springfield roof.
More questions? Call (908) 562-6898
Often needed together
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Tearing off worn cedar shakes, repairing the deck and putting on a new cedar or look-alike roof, when the old shakes are too thin to repair.
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
Fixing hot, damp or poorly vented attics with the right mix of intake and exhaust, without mixing vent types that work against each other.
Learn more
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Call (908) 562-6898 to talk to a roofer serving Springfield, NJ.