Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you before any wood is ordered.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Rutherford, NJ
Installing a cedar shake roof in Rutherford means getting the slope, sheathing, interlay, spacing and fasteners right before the look of the wood even matters, and walk you through the choices before any wood is ordered. One call to (551) 380-1579 reaches a nearby cedar roof installer.
How a cedar roof is put on matters more than the wood itself. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. Get them wrong and even premium cedar can rot early.
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. Top grades use edge-grain heartwood with no knots, the most stable wood for a roof.
Code and climate shape the rest. Shakes need a slope of at least 4 in 12 under most codes, while shingles can go on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
Many cedar shake roof installation calls in Rutherford also turn up a need for cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Rutherford? Call (551) 380-1579 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
How cedar shake roof installation works
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Set up the sheathing
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. In cold areas, the lower edge gets solid sheathing and an ice and water barrier.
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
Each course of shakes gets a strip of 18 inch felt interlay laid above the butts, so the felt is hidden but blocks rain blown through the gaps. Side gaps are kept even, joints are staggered from course to course and the exposure follows the length and the slope.
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. Low-grade fasteners can fail decades before the wood, so the nail choice matters.
Build the valleys
A wide open metal valley is installed, with shakes cut to a clean line on each side. Walls, skylights and vent pipes get their own flashing woven into the courses.
Finish the ridge
Hips and ridges are covered with cedar caps that alternate their overlap, nailed with longer fasteners into solid wood. A ridge vent can go under the caps, paired with soffit vents for balanced attic airflow.
What is included
Parts of a new cedar roof
Felt interlay
Each course gets its own strip of felt to stop wind-driven rain.
Valley flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up so the busiest water paths are protected.
Ridge ventilation
The ridge is capped and vented to keep moisture out of the attic.
Sheathing
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first to give nails a solid hold.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Rutherford, NJ
Cedar shingles are sawn on both faces, so they are thinner, smoother and installed a little differently than shakes. Exposure depends on the shingle length and pitch, and it is shorter than for shakes. Side gaps are tighter too, about a quarter to three eighths of an inch.
Felt interlay is a shake detail, while shingles rely on overlap for protection. They can go over spaced sheathing or over solid sheathing with a breathable mat, and they work on slightly lower pitches than shakes. For a Rutherford 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
Homeowners in Rutherford who choose cedar usually want a natural look that newer materials only imitate. For homes in Rutherford and nearby places including East Rutherford, Wallington, Carlstadt and North Arlington, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, which is why the planning step matters so much.
For cedar shake roof installation in Rutherford, NJ or nearby towns like East Rutherford, Wallington, Carlstadt and North Arlington, call (551) 380-1579 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Rutherford
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 Rutherford, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why act early
Drier ceilings
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Rutherford know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Cedar Shake Roof Installation questions
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Fire-treated cedar is available for areas where fire is a concern. With treatment and the right underlayment, a cedar roof can reach a higher fire classification. Check local rules first, since some areas restrict untreated wood roofs.
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. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
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.
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. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Rutherford roof.
How steep does a roof have to be for cedar shakes?
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.
More questions? Call (551) 380-1579
Often needed together
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
Repairs for split shakes, rot at the butts, moss buildup and leaking valleys on wood roofs, without tearing off the shakes that still have years left.
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
Balancing attic intake and exhaust with soffit vents, ridge vents and attic fans, without mixing vent types that work against each other.
Learn more
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