Sheathing
The deck is built to let air reach the back of the shakes to give nails a solid hold.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Boonton, NJ
A roofer in Boonton 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, which is what lets cedar last for decades instead of years. Dial (862) 420-3040 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.
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. The best grades are clear heartwood with edge grain, which stays flatter and resists splitting and decay better than flat grain.
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. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
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 Boonton? Call (862) 420-3040 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Prepare the deck
The roofer installs either spaced 1x boards or solid sheathing covered with a ventilated underlayment mat. In cold areas, the lower edge gets solid sheathing and an ice and water barrier.
Start at the eaves
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.
Install the shakes
Shakes go on in courses with felt interlay woven between them, positioned so it never shows below the next course. The crew keeps the keyways open, staggers every joint and measures exposure to the slope and shake length.
Fastening
Nails are stainless or heavily galvanized, two per shake, driven flush but not crushing the wood. Stainless is common near salt air and with treated shakes.
Build the valleys
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each side. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Finish the ridge
Pre-formed or site-cut caps run along the hips and ridge, lapping in alternating directions. A ridge vent can go under the caps, paired with soffit vents for balanced attic airflow.
What is included
What goes into a cedar roof
Valley flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing for a watertight finish.
Ridge caps
Cedar caps finish the hips and ridge, often over a ridge vent to keep moisture out of the attic.
Underlayment
An interlay of felt sits under each course to stop wind-driven rain.
Choosing the wood
You pick between hand-split, resawn, taper-sawn and sawn options before any wood is ordered.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Boonton, NJ
Cedar shingle roof installation follows the same principles as shakes, with a few important differences. 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. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. For a Boonton home, the right choice between shakes and shingles comes down to the look you want and the pitch you have.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Boonton, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. For homes in Boonton and nearby places including Lake Hiawatha, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany and Towaco, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, so a site visit comes before any material order.
Searching for cedar shake roof installation near me from Boonton or Lake Hiawatha, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany and Towaco? Call (862) 420-3040 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. 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 Boonton, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Boonton
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Boonton and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
Are cedar shakes and cedar shingles the same thing?
Shakes are split from the log, while shingles are sawn. Shakes have at least one rough, split face and thicker butts, giving a rustic, textured roof, while shingles are sawn smooth on both faces for a neater look. Installation differs as well, with interlay felt used under shakes and tighter exposures used for shingles.
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. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
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. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
Whether to treat depends on moisture, shade and fire rules. Treated shakes last longer in humid or shady spots, and fire-treated ones may be mandatory in wildfire zones. A Boonton roofer can recommend the right combination.
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. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
More questions? Call (862) 420-3040
Other services that may help
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Replacing an old cedar shake roof down to the boards, then rebuilding it right, planned around the material you choose next.
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
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, with ventilation and flashing planned in from the start.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Balancing attic intake and exhaust with soffit vents, ridge vents and attic fans, 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 Boonton
Call (862) 420-3040 to talk to a roofer serving Boonton, NJ.