Material selection
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house before any wood is ordered.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Morristown, NJ
A Morristown 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. One call to (862) 363-5004 reaches a nearby cedar roof installer.
A cedar roof lasts as long as the installation lets it dry. Every detail, from the side gaps to the nail type, exists so the shakes can get wet, dry out and move without leaking. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
Choosing the material comes first, and the choices are wider than most owners expect. Split shakes look rustic and heavy, sawn shingles look trim and even, and taper-sawn shakes sit in between. 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. 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.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Morristown roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Morristown cedar shake roof installation? Call (862) 363-5004 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Morristown.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
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.
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. 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.
Fastening
Two corrosion-resistant nails per shake are placed just above the line where the next course will lap, keeping them out of the weather. Plain steel or electro-galvanized nails rust and stain long before cedar wears out.
Flash the valleys
Valley metal goes down first, and shakes are trimmed back from the center so leaves and water can run freely. 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
What a cedar installation covers
Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last for balanced attic airflow.
Valley flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing so the busiest water paths are protected.
Underlayment
Each course gets its own strip of felt as a second line of defense.
Sheathing
Sheathing is installed or repaired to suit a wood roof to give nails a solid hold.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Morristown, 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.
Felt interlay is a shake detail, while shingles rely on overlap for protection. Like shakes, shingles need air under them, so spaced boards or a breather mat are common. In Morristown, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
Homeowners in Morristown who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. Across Morristown and nearby towns like Cedar Knolls, Morris Plains, Whippany and Madison, 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 Morristown or Cedar Knolls, Morris Plains, Whippany and Madison? Call (862) 363-5004 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
How the weather here affects roofs around Morristown
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, 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. Most homeowners in Morristown, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Familiar with local homes
Roofers in Morristown know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. Treated shakes over a rated underlayment can meet stricter local codes. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
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. A Morristown roofer can recommend the right combination.
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. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
Most codes call for at least 4 in 12 for cedar shakes. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
What kind of underlayment does a cedar roof need?
Underneath cedar, the deck must allow airflow. Shakes also get strips of felt interlay woven between each course, and an ice barrier goes along the eaves in cold climates. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
More questions? Call (862) 363-5004
Other services that may help
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
Cedar roof repairs from single cracked shakes up to worn ridge caps and open valleys, so a sound cedar roof keeps shedding water.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, 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, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesNeed cedar shake roof installation in Morristown, NJ?
Call (862) 363-5004 for a local roofer in Morristown and nearby towns.