Valley flashing
Metal valleys and wall flashing are woven into the courses so the busiest water paths are protected.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Whippany, NJ
A Whippany 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. Call (862) 693-4362 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. 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. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
Depending on what the roofer finds, cedar shake roof installation in Whippany, NJ can go hand in hand with cedar shake roof replacement and cedar shake roof repair.
Looking for Whippany cedar shake roof installation? Call (862) 693-4362 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
The cedar roof installation process
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Deck preparation
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. Solid sheathing is usually required at the eaves where an ice barrier is needed.
Lay the starter course
The starter course is laid double, projecting past the fascia so water drips clear of the trim. 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. 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
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.
Flash the valleys
Cedar roofs use open valleys lined with wide metal, often with a center crimp to keep water from running across to the other side. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Cap 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
Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes to stop wind-driven rain.
Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you before any wood is ordered.
Deck layer
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first to give nails a solid hold.
Ridge ventilation
Cedar caps finish the hips and ridge, often over a ridge vent to keep moisture out of the attic.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Whippany, 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.
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 Whippany, ask the roofer to explain which product suits your slope and style.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Whippany go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. Across Whippany and nearby towns like Cedar Knolls, Parsippany, Morris Plains and Florham Park, the key questions are the pitch of the roof, how much shade it gets and whether local rules call for fire-treated wood, and a good installer adjusts the system to the house.
Need cedar shake roof installation around Whippany? Call (862) 693-4362 for a Whippany roofer who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects roofs around Whippany
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. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Whippany, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Whippany
Roofers in Whippany know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
Most codes call for at least 4 in 12 for cedar shakes. Cedar shingles can go on roofs as low as 3 in 12 with a shorter exposure. Flatter roofs drain too slowly for wood.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
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. The goal is a roof that sheds water but still lets the wood dry.
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
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. A Whippany roofer can recommend the right combination.
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
They are related but not the same product. 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.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. With treatment and the right underlayment, a cedar roof can reach a higher fire classification. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
More questions? Call (862) 693-4362
Related services
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
Replacing split, cupped or missing shakes, clearing moss and fixing valleys and ridge caps, so a sound cedar roof keeps shedding water.
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
Balancing attic intake and exhaust with soffit vents, ridge vents and attic fans, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
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Call (862) 693-4362 to talk to a roofer serving Whippany, NJ.