Material selection
Shakes or shingles, grade, length and thickness are picked for the house with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Secaucus, NJ
A roofer in Secaucus 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. Dial (551) 373-3020 to talk with a local roofer about a new cedar roof.
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. Heavy hand-split and resawn shakes give a rugged, deep shadow line, taper-sawn shakes look cleaner, and sawn shingles look neatest of all. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
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. 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.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Secaucus? Call (551) 373-3020 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. 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. Drip edge metal is usually installed here as well.
Lay the field
Shakes go on in courses with felt interlay woven between them, positioned so it never shows below the next course. Side gaps are kept even, joints are staggered from course to course and the exposure follows the length and the slope.
Fasten correctly
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.
Valley work
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
The ridge and hips get matched cedar caps laid in an alternating pattern. Balanced ventilation under a wood roof keeps both the attic and the shakes drier.
What is included
What goes into a cedar roof
Sheathing
Spaced boards or solid sheathing with a breathable mat go down first so the cedar can dry from both sides.
Ridge ventilation
Hip and ridge caps go on last for balanced attic airflow.
Felt interlay
Felt strips are woven between every course of shakes hidden from view but doing real work.
Wall flashing
Open metal valleys and step flashing are installed as the roof goes up for a watertight finish.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Secaucus, 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. Spacing between shingles is narrower than between shakes.
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. A Secaucus roofer can lay out samples of each so you can compare.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Secaucus, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. Across Secaucus and nearby towns like Union City, East Rutherford, West New York and North Arlington, 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.
For cedar shake roof installation in Secaucus, NJ or nearby towns like Union City, East Rutherford, West New York and North Arlington, call (551) 373-3020 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Secaucus
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder 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 Secaucus, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Secaucus
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Secaucus 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
Do cedar shakes need a preservative treatment?
Treatment depends on the climate and the grade of wood. Preservative treatment helps in wet climates, and fire treatment may be required by local code. Your roofer can explain which options fit your Secaucus home.
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
Cedar shakes need a slope of about 4 in 12 or more. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
The deck under cedar is designed to let air reach the back of the wood. On top of the deck, felt is woven between the courses of shakes, and the eaves get an ice and water membrane where ice is a risk. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
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. Local codes decide what is allowed, so ask before ordering.
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
The difference comes down to how they are cut. Shakes are rugged and heavy with deep shadow lines, and shingles are trim and even. They also install differently: shakes use felt interlay between courses and longer exposures, and shingles do not.
More questions? Call (551) 373-3020
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
Repairs for split shakes, rot at the butts, moss buildup and leaking valleys on wood roofs, 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, without mixing vent types that work against each other.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesNeed cedar shake roof installation in Secaucus, NJ?
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