Deck layer
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Wyckoff, NJ
A roofer in Wyckoff 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. Call (551) 348-7007 to reach a local roofer.
A cedar roof lasts as long as the installation lets it dry. 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. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
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. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
Code and climate shape the rest. Wood roofs need enough pitch to shed water quickly, generally 4 in 12 for shakes. Areas with wildfire risk may require fire-retardant treated shakes or a rated assembly, and some neighborhoods have their own rules on roofing material.
Depending on what the roofer finds, cedar shake roof installation in Wyckoff, NJ can go hand in hand with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Wyckoff cedar shake roof installation? Call (551) 348-7007 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
Each layer of a cedar roof has a job.
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. In cold areas, the lower edge gets solid sheathing and an ice and water barrier.
Starter course
A strip of felt goes along the eave, then a doubled or tripled starter course of shakes or shingles overhangs the fascia by about an inch and a half. 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. Side gaps are kept even, joints are staggered from course to course and the exposure follows the length and the slope.
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.
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.
Cap the ridge
The ridge and hips get matched cedar caps laid in an alternating pattern. Balanced ventilation under a wood roof keeps both the attic and the shakes drier.
What is included
What goes into a cedar roof
Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes as a second line of defense.
Material selection
You pick between hand-split, resawn, taper-sawn and sawn options with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Ridge caps
Hip and ridge caps go on last with longer nails for wind resistance.
Valley flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Wyckoff, NJ
Cedar shingles are sawn on both faces, so they are thinner, smoother and installed a little differently than shakes. Shingles come in 16, 18 and 24 inch lengths and are laid with shorter exposures, often around 5 to 7 and a half inches depending on length and slope. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
Shingles are usually laid without interlay felt, since the overlap itself provides the coverage. Like shakes, shingles need air under them, so spaced boards or a breather mat are common. A Wyckoff roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Wyckoff go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. From Wyckoff to neighboring communities such as Midland Park, Franklin Lakes, Waldwick and Hawthorne, a roofer will check permit rules and fire requirements before recommending a cedar product, and a good installer adjusts the system to the house.
For cedar shake roof installation in Wyckoff, NJ or nearby towns like Midland Park, Franklin Lakes, Waldwick and Hawthorne, call (551) 348-7007 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
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. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Wyckoff, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Wyckoff know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. 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.
What kind of underlayment does a cedar roof need?
Underneath cedar, the deck must allow airflow. 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. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
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. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Wyckoff home.
More questions? Call (551) 348-7007
Often needed together
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Full replacement of worn-out wood roofs, from tear-off and sheathing to the new ridge, when the old shakes are too thin to repair.
Learn moreCedar Shake Roof Repair
Repairs for split shakes, rot at the butts, moss buildup and leaking valleys on wood roofs, 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
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 servicesGet cedar shake roof installation help in Wyckoff
Call (551) 348-7007 for a local roofer in Wyckoff and nearby towns.