Felt interlay
An interlay of felt sits under each course hidden from view but doing real work.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Hawthorne, NJ
A roofer in Hawthorne 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. Call (862) 434-1182 to reach a local roofer.
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. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
The first decisions are the wood and the style. 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.
Code and climate shape the rest. Wood roofs need enough pitch to shed water quickly, generally 4 in 12 for shakes. 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.
Dealing with this in Hawthorne, NJ right now? Call (862) 434-1182 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Each layer of a cedar roof has a job.
Deck preparation
The deck is either open, spaced boards or solid sheathing with a drainage and airflow layer on top. Where ice can build up, the eaves get a waterproof membrane over solid decking.
Lay the 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. The crew keeps the keyways open, staggers every joint and measures exposure to the slope and shake length.
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. Stainless is common near salt air and with treated shakes.
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. Every penetration and wall line is flashed as the shakes go up.
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
Material selection
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you so the look and lifespan match your goals.
Wall flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing so the busiest water paths are protected.
Ridge caps
Cedar caps finish the hips and ridge, often over a ridge vent to keep moisture out of the attic.
Deck layer
The deck is built to let air reach the back of the shakes to give nails a solid hold.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Hawthorne, 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.
Shingles are usually laid without interlay felt, since the overlap itself provides the coverage. They can go over spaced sheathing or over solid sheathing with a breathable mat, and they work on slightly lower pitches than shakes. A Hawthorne roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Hawthorne, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. For homes in Hawthorne and nearby places including Glen Rock, Haledon, Fair Lawn and Midland Park, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, so a site visit comes before any material order.
For cedar shake roof installation in Hawthorne, NJ or nearby towns like Glen Rock, Haledon, Fair Lawn and Midland Park, call (862) 434-1182 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. 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. That is why roof repair in Hawthorne is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why not wait
Smaller repairs
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Hawthorne
Roofers in Hawthorne 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 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.
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
A minimum of 4 in 12 is the common rule for shakes. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Below those slopes, another material is the better choice.
Are cedar shake roofs a fire risk?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. 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?
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. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Hawthorne home.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. Airflow and drainage are the priorities.
More questions? Call (862) 434-1182
Often needed together
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Full replacement of worn-out wood roofs, from tear-off and sheathing to the new ridge, 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
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, 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
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesTalk to a Hawthorne roofer about cedar shake roof installation
Call (862) 434-1182 to talk to a roofer serving Hawthorne, NJ.