How To Install Cedar Roof Shingles

Cedar Needs Room To Breathe

As with any wood, even sturdy cedar, air flow and breathability prolong the woods life. Exposure to excess moisture for a long period of time will rot and eventually ruin even the toughest of wood species. Here are the appropriate steps your roofing professional must take to ensure the longevity of your cedar roof.

These 3 vital parts are known as a cold roof system because it allows proper ventilation underneath the roof. Plus, its designed to handle lots of snow while also providing excellent insulation in the winter months resulting in less heat loss through the roof.

A Guide To Installing Cedar Shingles

The JB Western Red Cedar Shingles from Marley are a lightweight roofing and cladding solution with a high degree of natural thermal insulation. Treated with MicroPro® clear preservative to retain the natural look of Cedar, they weather beautifully to blend into the natural environment.

Cedar shingles are becoming an increasingly popular roofing material due to their sustainability advantages and natural timber look.

Burton Roofing Merchants have put together a step-by-step guide on how to make a shingle roof.

Note: Cedar shingles are thought of as specialist material, but they are easy to fit and can be done by any roofer… if you have the right tools!

How To Install Cedar Shingles On A Roof

How to install cedar shingles on a roof will depend a lot on the size and shape of your roof. It is true that the size and quality of the roof will affect the ease of installing shingles. If youre building a new house, it would be best to install cedar roof shingles on top of a metal frame. Also, ensure that the roof is flat. To install cedar shingles on flat roofs, you will first need to prepare them by covering them with tar paper and other tar-like substances. This preparation should be done in order to prepare the roof for cedar shingles.

After the preparation has been made, it is time to start installing the shingles. Installing cedar shingles on a roof can be done in a few simple steps. Simply place the shingle on the roof and then nail them in the correct spot using the right size nails. However, installing shingles this way will only work well with roofs of relatively smaller sizes because of the difficulty in getting nails into tight places. You can also use cedar roof shingles that are larger than your roofs size to maximize efficiency.

You get more durability and a longer life span when you use larger cedar shingles. Additionally, larger shingles can be more difficult to install and are therefore more costly. No matter which tip you use to install cedar roof shingles, the end result will be great for your home and will last a lifetime.

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Cedar Shake Roofing Cost

A cedar shake roof averages $3.50 to $8.50 per square foot. It is highly durable and can easily last 50 years or longer when properly installed. The roofing repels insects due to the resin in the cedar. It can also stand up to storms and heavy winds well. However, cedar shakes weigh a great deal. This may lead to structural problems for the building that has to hold the load of the shakes year after year. Also, the cedar shakes are a fire danger if they have not undergone fire preventative treatment.

Removing Your Old Roof

Once youve made the decision to install a new cedar shake roof on your house, one of the first steps in the installation process is removing your old one. Luckily, the same knowledgeable and dependable team youve chosen to install your new roof will be the team removing your old one.

After the team removes your old roof, theyll assess the condition of your sub structure for any damage or possible problems. The roofing professionals will look for things like previous leaking, rotting wood or incorrectly installed components. If they find any issues with your sub structure, these issues will need repaired or replaced before moving on to installing your new roof.

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How To Fix Cedar Shingles

First things first, swap out old, rotten timber battens should you need to. Once this is done, regardless of replacing battens, install a waterproof membrane under the battens.

Step one: Start off with a double eaves course of shingles, leaving a minimum overhang of 38mm. Maintain a broken bond pattern whilst nailing or stapling each shingle twice.

Step two: When shingles are laid mark the position of the batten underneath, so you can achieve the most accurate fixing location when nailing and stapling. This will also aid in a straight line of fixings to improve the final look.

Step three: Lay courses of shingles up the roof gradually until you get to the ridge.

Step four: At the ridge, trim each shingle to create a shortened ridge course and then fix each shingle along the ridge twice.

Step five: Use pre-formed shingle ridge tiles and, nailing twice, fix these into place with a minimum overlap that is the same as the shingle gauge on the roof covering. When installing ridge and hip shingles, work inwards from the edges.

Top-tip: Use a waterproof membrane under the batten and counter batten to make sure the roof doesnt leak.

For advice on products, installation and fixing, contact our customer service team on 01752 692 760.

The Grade Of Your Cedar Shake Shingles

There are 3 grades of cedar shake shingles, common, selects, and 100% straight grain. The better the quality of the materials, the more life youll get out of your roof.

Common grade is the cheapest and most inferior of the 3 types. Theyre randomly cut and made out of any part of the tree . These cedar shake shingles will be the first ones to split and warp.

The next grade of cedar shake shingle is selects. These shingles will be a mix of the 2 other types of grades, somewhere around 80% straight grain and 20% commons. Your roofing contractor should go through the selects to find the best quality cedar shingles to install on your roof.

The third and best quality grade of cedar shake shingles is 100% straight grain. Each one of these is hand-selected and straight grained. When the grain is straight, the shingles lay flat and you dont have to worry about them curling up.

To truly maximize the life of your new cedar shake roof, I recommend spending the extra little bit of money and go with the 100% straight grain grade cedar shingles.

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What Is Roof Pitch

Your homes roof pitch is the angle, slope or slant of your roof. The roofs pitch helps professionals estimate the number of materials needed to complete the roofing and decide on the best roofing materials. When it comes to slope for cedar roofs, pitch is determined by how many inches the slope rises every 12 horizontal inches. For example, if the roof increases in height 4 inches over a span of 1 horizontal foot, then you have a four-in-12 pitch or just a four-pitch.

There are two main types of roofing slopes: a steep slope and a low slope. Most homes are considered steep pitch, ranging from four-pitch to nine-pitch, but more dramatic rooflines may haves roof slopes of 10-pitch to 21-pitch. Low slopes are more typically used in commercial properties, but in the 1960s, it was trendy to build homes with a low-pitch roof with just a bit of slope to allow for drainage.

For determining how much material your roof will require, typically for steep slopes, the cedar shingles will have greater exposure to weather and the roofer will want to purchase more materials so each shingle has lessened exposure.

Synthetic Cedar Shake Roofing Cost

Synthetic cedar shake roofing material averages $3.50 to $6 per sq. ft., depending on the brand. It is an option that is highly durable. It contains no organic material, so it does not break down very quickly. In addition, it requires much less maintenance than real cedar shakes. The roofing material is also much lighter than real wood shakes or cedar shakes. Unlike real cedar shakes, synthetic cedar shake roofing usually only lasts around 30 years. The material can also start to fade over time.

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Not Aligning Your Shingles Properly

Another common mistake people make when choosing to install a cedar shake roof themselves is not aligning the shingles properly. Like with anything in construction, if you do not take the time to align the shingles, it can lead to countless problems. If they are too close together, they can overlap too much, which can change their shape and damage them more easily. On the other hand, if they are too far apart, it can create space for precipitation to seep through and cause water damage.

Cost To Install Chimney

The cost to install a chimney made of either brick, block, or stone and stands 30 feet high averages from $4,000 to $8,000, with most people paying around $6,500 to have the chimney installed. Many people opt to have a new chimney installed when they have a new roof placed on their home if their old chimney is leaning, cracking, or failing. A new chimney is a safer option than a faulty one.

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How Is A Cedar Roof Installed

There are quite a few material options when it comes to choosing the style of roof you want for your home. Some of the most popular choices used today are asphalt, aluminum and wood. Cedar has become an increasingly popular choice for homeowners, as it adds great curb appeal to your house and has the longevity that youre looking for in a roof. Yet still many homeowners are baffled on how to install a cedar roof. While this is something that should definitely be left up to the professionals to install, there are a few things you should be aware of before the cedar roofing process begins on your home.

Cedar Shake Roof Cost Per Square Foot

Cedar shakes average $3.50 to $8.50 a square foot uninstalled. A roofer will measure the roof to calculate the square footage. They will typically factor in an additional 10 percent into the square footage measurement to take into consideration the hills and valleys of the roof because the roofs surface is not always flat. Most cedar shakes are sold in bundles known as squares. Each square holds 100 sq.ft. of shakes which is enough to roof a 10 ft. by 10 ft. roof section.

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Not Letting The Wood Acclimate

You might be tempted to install your new cedar roofing as soon as you receive it, but you need to make sure the wood has enough time to be exposed to your homes climate before you start. The wood might expand or contract depending on temperature and moisture levels. Place the shakes or shingles under cover and off the ground outdoors. The amount of acclimation time will depend on the wood you choose and your region.

Cost To Install New Gutters

When you decide to reroof your house, you might want to consider installing new gutters around your home. The national average cost to install new gutters is $900 to $5,000, with most people paying around $1,410 for 150 linear feet of seamless aluminum box gutters with four downspouts. Gutters range in cost from $3 to $30 a linear foot installed. Adding a gutter system helps water drain away from the cedar shakes, preventing mold or mildew buildup.

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Benefits Of Installing A Cedar Roof

Cedar roofs provide more benefits to homeowners than just simply great curb appeal. If youre unsure if a cedar roof is right for you, here are a few of the major reasons why many people choose to invest in one:

• Cedar roofing provides great insulation. Just by replacing your old, worn-out roof with a quality cedar roof, your home will be warmer in winter and cooler in summer because of the fantastic insulating properties of cedar. This will ultimately result in lower heating and air conditioning bills for years to come!

• The extra insulation will also buffer out some of the outside noise that enters your home through the roof, making your home quieter in the process.

• Cedar is a hard, durable wood that will resist damage from hail, UV rays, insects and other natural elements that could damage other shingle types.

• The texture of cedar is relatively uniform and the grain pattern tends to be very straight and fine, creating a streamlined, cohesive look.

Eaves Flashing Details For Wood Shingle & Shake Roofs

As stated in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction chapter BEST ROOFING PRACTICES:

Apply eaves flashing to either spacedor solid sheathing in regions with an average daily temperatureof less than 25°F or in other areasprone to ice and snow buildup.

The eaves flashing shouldextend up the roof to a point 24 inches inside the building.Where eaves flashing is required with spaced sheathing,install solid sheathing along the bottom section of the roofto support the eaves flashing.

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How Do You Install Cedar Shingles On A Hip Roof

4.2/5Wood Shingle/Shake Roof Hips

Accordingly, what goes under cedar roof shingles?

Felt underlayment/tar paper: Felt materials are a traditional underlayment option for cedar shingles made from a base of natural materials like wood cellulose or synthetics like fiberglass and coated with a protective asphalt coating to repel moisture and debris.

Likewise, are cedar shake roofs good? Cedar shakes are fairly easy to install and maintain. Cedar shakes are attractive, durable and resistant to insect activity. They typically last longer than shingles and many other types of roofing. They can be expected to last for between 20 and 30 years.

In this way, are cedar shingles waterproof?

Cedar wood shingles are prone to mold, mildew, and insects. It is important to note that the wood on a cedar roof is not intended to be waterproof, and is therefore quite susceptible to wind-driven rain. Any natural product exposed to water is vulnerable to mold, mildew and erosion. Good news!

Can I use roofing nails for cedar shingles?

Cedar Shingles And Wood Shake Roofing Cost

Cedar wood shingles cost between $2 to $3 per square foot installed, while a cedar shake roof runs between $1.75 to $3.00 per square foot. Its important to note that this estimate does not include the cost of demolishing and removing an existing roof if a roof replacement is needed. We suggest using a new roof costs calculator to get an estimate of total installation costs before speaking to a contractor

The average roofing installation price for a cedar shingle roof costs anywhere between $7,649 to $11,474 on an 1,800 sq. ft home. You can expect to pay $4.50 to $9.00 per sq. foot or $450 to $900 per square for wood shingles when installed on a standard sized single story home. View your potential roof installation savings with local contractors below.

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Brava Cedar Shake Cost

Brava Cedar Shakes cost $10 to $13.50 per sq.ft. installed. Each Brava Cedar Shake looks like a hand split cedar shake but is actually fashioned entirely from 100 percent plastic recycled synthetic material. The synthetic shakes have a Class 4 impact rating and a Class A fire rating. The shakes are made to last 50 plus years and require no maintenance to continue looking good. They are designed not to fade and crack. The shakes are also available in numerous colors.

Can You Use Staples To Install Cedar Shingles

If you are not sure about the process of installing cedar shingles, then let me give you a brief overview. Cedar shingles are actually quite easy to install and should not present any problem. One thing that you will want to be sure of is that your cedar shingles are completely dry before you begin installation. When installing cedar shingles, it is important to ensure that there is no water. Water can warp the shingles over time and this can be very frustrating.

First, youll need to take down your house. If it is necessary, you may want to get someone to hose the grass down in front of where you want to install the cedar shingles. This is so all the dirt that is in the area will be removed and the cedar shingles will be able to stick to the ground properly. This will allow the roof to be covered more effectively if there is snow or rain.

After the house has been taken down, it is time to install the cedar roof shingles. It is important to place them at the same angle and angle as your house. You should have at least two people working on the project at the very least, but I recommend having three people work on it. Make sure you nail the shingles in at the proper angles, because otherwise you will have them coming off every time you walk across the roof.

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Installing Cedar Roof Shingles

How to Install Cedar Roof Shingles to Ensure a Leak Free Review and to Maximize their Lifespan

The more arid the climate and the steeper the roof slope the longer the lifespan of the cedar shingles. Cedar shingle maintenance is minimal. Periodically cleaning and the application of a protective finish should be applied to them to maximize their lifespan.

The first course of shingles should extend approximately 1-1/2 beyond the fascia board and about 1 inch over the gable or rake end of the roof. Two non-corrosive nails should be used for each shingle. The nails should be installed approximately ¾ inch in from the side edges and about 1-1/2 above the exposure line.

Finally, any flat grain shingle that has a width greater than 8 inches should be split into two pieces before nailing.