Choosing the wood
You pick between hand-split, resawn, taper-sawn and sawn options with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Summit, NJ
Installing a cedar shake roof in Summit means getting the slope, sheathing, interlay, spacing and fasteners right before the look of the wood even matters, which is what lets cedar last for decades instead of years. Dial (908) 679-5768 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
Most early cedar failures trace back to installation, not to the shakes. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. Done right, a cedar roof can serve a home for 30 years or more.
Before installation starts, you choose between shakes and shingles and pick a grade. 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.
Local rules and conditions narrow the options further. Shakes need a slope of at least 4 in 12 under most codes, while shingles can go on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Areas with wildfire risk may require fire-retardant treated shakes or a rated assembly, and some neighborhoods have their own rules on roofing material.
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 Summit, NJ right now? Call (908) 679-5768 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Summit.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Set up the sheathing
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.
Starter course
The starter course is laid double, projecting past the fascia so water drips clear of the trim. Drip edge metal is usually installed here as well.
Course by course
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.
Fasten correctly
Nails are stainless or heavily galvanized, two per shake, driven flush but not crushing the wood. 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
The ridge and hips get matched cedar caps laid in an alternating pattern. 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
The ridge is capped and vented for balanced attic airflow.
Sheathing
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first with solid decking at the eaves where needed.
Felt interlay
An interlay of felt sits under each course to stop wind-driven rain.
Wall flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Summit, 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. The keyways between shingles are kept narrow but never closed.
Unlike shakes, shingles do not get felt interlay between courses, because their tight, thin layering already gives three layers of wood coverage. Shingles can be installed on spaced boards or on solid decking with a ventilated layer beneath. A Summit roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
New cedar roofs in Summit go on everything from custom homes to additions that need to match an existing wood roof. Across Summit and nearby towns like Chatham, Mountainside, New Providence and Short Hills, 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.
For cedar shake roof installation in Summit, NJ or nearby towns like Chatham, Mountainside, New Providence and Short Hills, call (908) 679-5768 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. 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 Summit, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Drier ceilings
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Summit
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Summit and nearby towns.
Straight answers
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
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. Split shakes are thicker and more irregular, and sawn shingles are thinner, smoother and more uniform. They also install differently: shakes use felt interlay between courses and longer exposures, and shingles do not.
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. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Summit roof.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. Treated shakes over a rated underlayment can meet stricter local codes. Check local rules first, since some areas restrict untreated wood roofs.
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 goes under a cedar shake roof?
A cedar roof is built over either spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
More questions? Call (908) 679-5768
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, matched to what a close look at the roof actually finds.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Installing a new roof layer by layer, from drip edge and underlayment to flashing, vents and the finished roofing, 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, based on what the attic actually needs.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesNeed cedar shake roof installation in Summit, NJ?
Call (908) 679-5768 to talk to a roofer serving Summit, NJ.