Hartford, CT · Mon–Sat 7am–6pm
Cedar shake roof installation: a material that has to breathe
- Mon–Sat 7am–6pm
- Mobile — we come to you
- Fixed price before we set off
What the job involves
Cedar Shake Roof Installation in Hartford, CT
Why cedar fails from underneath
Cedar's top face is built for weather. The wood's natural oils and the way a shake sheds water off its exposed surface hold up fine against sun and rain — that's not where a cedar roof usually runs into trouble. The underside is a different story. Pressed flat against solid decking with no airflow behind it, the back of a shake stays damp for hours or days after every rain and every snowmelt, and that trapped moisture is what actually shortens a cedar roof's life.
Wood held wet for long stretches supports the fungal growth that causes rot, and it does that from the back of the shake outward, where nobody sees it until the damage has already progressed. A cedar roof can look sound from the street — even, unbroken coverage with no obvious cracking — while the underside of individual shakes is softening in a way that only shows up once a shake is pulled or a leak develops. That's the opposite failure pattern from an asphalt shingle, which tends to show its wear on the visible surface first.
Humid stretches are exactly when this matters most, because they're what keeps the underside from ever fully drying out between wettings. A roof assembly that gives the back of each shake somewhere for that moisture to go — instead of trapping it flat against solid decking — is the single biggest factor in whether a cedar roof reaches a long service life or starts failing from underneath years ahead of schedule.
This is also where a crew's experience with the material shows up most, because the failure mode is easy to miss if nobody's looking for it. A crew used to installing asphalt shingles can lay cedar in a way that looks correct on installation day — tight courses, straight lines, clean flashing — while skipping the airflow layer that never shows up in a finished-roof photo. The mistake doesn't announce itself for years, which is exactly the problem: by the time underside rot is visible from inside the attic or a shake starts delaminating, the moisture that caused it has usually been building for multiple wet seasons already.
Ventilation and spacing requirements
Traditional cedar roofs were installed over spaced sheathing — boards with gaps between them rather than a solid deck — specifically so air could move behind every shake. Most homes being roofed today have solid plywood or board decking already in place for other reasons, which means that airflow channel has to be built back in a different way: a breather mat or elevation layer installed between the solid deck and the shakes, creating a thin air gap the back of the wood can dry into instead of sitting flush against an impermeable surface.
That gap only works if air is actually moving through it, which ties cedar back to the same attic-level ventilation that governs any steep-slope roof. The same intake-and-exhaust balance applies here as it does under any pitched covering: ARMA guidance calls for attic intake to provide roughly 50 to 60 percent of the net free venting area and exhaust 40 to 50 percent, with intake always equal to or greater than exhaust — an attic that's short on intake can end up pulling makeup air back through its own exhaust vents instead of drawing it in fresh at the eaves. Cedar adds a second, product-level airflow requirement on top of that attic balance, which is why getting the whole system right matters more here than it does under most other coverings; our roof ventilation installation page covers the airflow side of that pairing.
Spacing between individual shakes matters too, and it's easy to get wrong in the direction that looks better on installation day. Shakes are laid with a small gap between adjacent pieces in each course, because cedar expands when it absorbs moisture and needs somewhere to move without buckling. Shakes butted tight against each other for a cleaner look at installation can cup, split, or push against their neighbors once the wood swells with the first wet season.
Shakes and shingles aren't the same product, and the difference affects how each one handles moisture. A shake is split rather than sawn, which leaves it thicker and more irregular with a rough, textured face; a cedar shingle is sawn flat on both sides, thinner and more uniform. The thicker, split profile of a shake holds more water at the surface after a rain simply because there's more wood mass to saturate, which is part of why the airflow gap behind it matters even more than it does behind a thinner sawn shingle. Underlayment and starter-course detailing also differ between the two, since a shake's irregular butt edge needs more coverage behind it than a shingle's straight one does to keep wind-driven rain from working its way up and under.
Maintenance the material demands
Cedar is not a material to install and forget. Moss and lichen take hold readily on a damp wood surface, and once established they hold moisture against the shake even longer than the wood would retain on its own — a cedar roof under tree cover or on a shaded north slope needs more regular attention than the same roof in full sun, since it simply doesn't dry out between rains the way a sun-exposed section does.
Debris is the other recurring issue. Needles, leaves and small branches collect in the valleys and between courses far more readily on a textured cedar surface than on a smooth shingle, and debris left to pile up holds water against the wood in exactly the spots where drainage matters most. Periodic clearing, along with checking that the ventilation channel underneath hasn't been blocked by debris or compressed over time, is part of what keeps the underlying breathing mechanism actually working rather than just present on paper.
Some cedar roofs are installed with a fire-retardant or preservative treatment applied to the wood, depending on what local code requires and what the homeowner wants from the roof beyond appearance. That treatment can wear over time with sun and weather exposure, which is another reason a cedar roof benefits from a periodic look rather than being treated as a set-and-forget covering the way a shingle or metal roof more reasonably can be.
None of this is unique to any one roof — it's the tradeoff for a material that most homeowners choose for how it looks and ages rather than for low maintenance. Our residential roofing services page walks through how cedar compares against asphalt, metal and slate on that basis, since the upkeep a wood roof demands is a real part of that decision, not a footnote to it.
Hours
- SundayOpen 24 hours
- MondayOpen 24 hours
- TuesdayOpen 24 hours
- WednesdayOpen 24 hours
- ThursdayOpen 24 hours
- FridayOpen 24 hours
- SaturdayOpen 24 hours
Calls are answered live, including overnight, weekends, and holidays. Dispatch times vary with traffic and how far the van has to travel.
Call (860) 421-6068Free quote
Need cedar shake roof installation in Hartford?
Urgent jobs are quickest by phone — someone picks up around the clock, and the price you hear before dispatch is the price you pay.
(860) 421-6068Part of our residential roofing services work — related: asphalt shingle roof installation, slate roof installation.
Through the year
How Hartford weather changes this job
Winter in Hartford
Ice dams build along the eaves when attic heat melts snow that then refreezes at the colder edge, backing water up under the shingles. Sustained snow load also stresses older framing and flat sections built with a lighter deck.
Spring in Hartford
Freeze-thaw cycling through late winter works ice into small cracks in flashing and sealant, so the first heavy spring rain is usually when a slow leak turns visible. Wind during spring storms lifts shingles that ice already loosened.
Summer in Hartford
UV exposure and heat cycling dry out asphalt shingles faster on south- and west-facing slopes. A roof that looked fine in June can show granule loss and curling edges by August.
Autumn in Hartford
The season for getting ahead of winter — gutters cleared, flashing checked, and a full inspection scheduled before the first hard freeze locks in whatever damage went unnoticed over summer.
What we handle
Roofing services in Hartford
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Roof Installation
Get a quoteFull new-roof installation on additions, new builds and full tear-offs.
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Roof Replacement
Get a quoteComplete removal and replacement of a worn or storm-damaged roof, from deck inspection through final cleanup.
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Shingle Replacement
Get a quoteSection or full-roof shingle replacement matched to existing coursing so the repair doesn't stand out from the street.
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Roof Decking Replacement
Get a quoteReplacing rotted or delaminated plywood decking discovered during a tear-off, before new shingles or underlayment go down.
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Roof Re-Pitching
Get a quoteReframing a low-slope or flat section to a working pitch so water sheds instead of pooling and leaking.
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Roof Structural Reinforcement
Get a quoteSistering rafters and reinforcing framing that has sagged under snow load or years of undersized original construction.
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Roof Truss Reinforcement & Repair
Get a quoteRepairing or reinforcing damaged trusses so the roof carries its rated load through the next big snowfall.
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Solar Panel Roof Installation
Get a quoteRoof preparation that carries a solar array's weight and penetrations without voiding either the roofing or panel warranty.
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Residential Roofing Services
Get a quoteResidential roofing service covering material selection, installation and long-term care for every roof type Hartford homes use.
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Asphalt Shingle Roof Installation
Get a quoteStandard three-tab or architectural asphalt shingle installation, the most common re-roof for Hartford's postwar capes and colonials.
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Cedar Shake Roof Installation
You're hereHand-split or taper-sawn cedar shake installation for owners restoring or preserving a period roofline.
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Slate Roof Installation
Get a quoteNew natural slate installation on colonials and capes where the original roof has finally reached end of life.
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Historic Slate Restoration
Get a quoteRepair and selective replacement for Hartford's original slate roofs, matched to the existing stone.
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Metal Roof Installation
Get a quoteStanding-seam or exposed-fastener metal roofing installation, sized for New England snow load and long-term durability.
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Tile Roof Installation
Get a quoteConcrete or clay tile roof installation for owners who want a distinct roofline and decades of service life.
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EPDM Rubber Roofing Installation
Get a quoteEPDM rubber membrane installation for flat and low-slope sections, welded and flashed to shed standing water.
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TPO Roofing Installation
Get a quoteTPO single-ply membrane installation for flat commercial and residential additions, reflective and seam-welded for a tight roof.
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Energy-Efficient Roofing Solutions
Get a quoteReflective shingles, ridge ventilation and insulation upgrades chosen to cut attic heat loss through a Connecticut winter.
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Roof Repair
Get a quoteDiagnosis and repair for leaks, flashing failures and storm-damaged sections before small problems become full replacements.
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Roof Leak Detection
Get a quoteLocating an active leak's true entry point, which is often feet away from the stain on the ceiling.
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Roof Leak Diagnosis
Get a quoteEvery failure point contributing to a leak identified through a full roof assessment before any repair is scoped.
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Roof Leak Prevention
Get a quoteFlashing and sealant work at known failure points so this winter's freeze-thaw cycle doesn't reopen last year's leak.
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Roof Sealing
Get a quoteSealing seams, penetrations and transitions with roofing-grade sealant to stop water intrusion at a specific point.
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Chimney Flashing Repair
Get a quoteRebuilding step and counter flashing around a chimney, the single most common source of a roof leak.
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Chimney Crown Repair
Get a quoteChimney crown cracks patched and sealed before water gets behind the flashing and into the attic.
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Roof Flashing Installation
Get a quoteInstalling flashing at valleys, walls and penetrations, the metal detailing that keeps water moving off the roof.
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Roof Drip Edge Installation
Get a quoteDrip edge fitted along eaves and rakes so runoff clears the fascia instead of rotting it from behind.
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Roof Eave Flashing Repair
Get a quoteEave flashing rebuilt where ice dams do the most damage on older Hartford roof lines.
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Roof Skylight Repair
Get a quoteResealing or replacing failed skylight flashing and glazing seals that let water track down into a ceiling.
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Roof Skylight Installation
Get a quoteCutting in and flashing a new skylight, curb-mounted or deck-mounted, without compromising the surrounding roof deck.
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Solar Panel Roof Repair
Get a quoteRemoving and resetting solar panels to repair the roofing underneath, then re-flashing every mounting point.
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Emergency Roof Repair
Get a quoteStorm, hail and wind damage — stabilizing the roof first, then scoping the permanent repair.
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Roof Storm Damage Repair
Get a quoteRepairing roof damage from a specific storm event, documented and itemized for an insurance claim.
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Roof Hail Damage Repair
Get a quoteReplacing hail-bruised or fractured shingles identified during a post-storm inspection, matched to the existing roof.
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Roof Wind Damage Repair
Get a quoteResetting or replacing shingles lifted or torn loose by high wind before the next storm gets underneath them.
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Roof Wind Damage Inspection
Get a quotePost-wind-event inspection finding lifted shingles and compromised seals before they turn into an active leak.
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Storm Damage Roof Inspection
Get a quoteRoof condition documented after a storm and written up for an insurance adjuster before repairs begin.
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Ice Dam Removal & Prevention
Get a quoteSteam removal of active dams plus the ventilation and shield work that stops the next one.
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Roof Snow Removal
Get a quoteRaking or shoveling heavy snow load off a roof before it exceeds the structure's rated capacity.
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Roof Maintenance
Get a quoteScheduled inspection, ventilation and drainage work that catches freeze-thaw damage before winter turns it into a leak.
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Roof Inspection
Get a quoteEvery visible roof system checked, covering shingles, flashing, ventilation and decking, with photos and a written condition report.
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Roof Ventilation Installation
Get a quoteRidge and soffit ventilation added so attic air moves the way it needs to in every season.
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Roof Ventilation Repair
Get a quoteRepairing blocked or undersized attic ventilation that is driving ice dams or premature shingle wear.
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Roof Insulation Installation
Get a quoteAdding attic insulation to the level needed to keep the roof deck cold and stop ice dams.
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Roof Moisture Barrier Installation
Get a quoteInstalling a moisture barrier under roofing materials to block vapor intrusion before it reaches the decking.
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Ice & Water Shield Installation
Get a quoteSelf-adhering ice-and-water shield goes down at eaves and valleys, the underlayment that actually stops an ice dam leak.
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Roof Drainage System Installation
Get a quoteInstalling or re-routing roof drainage so runoff clears the foundation instead of pooling against the house.
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Gutter Installation & Replacement
Get a quoteNew or replacement gutters and downspouts sized to actually carry Hartford's spring runoff away from the foundation.
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Tile Roof Maintenance Inspection
Get a quotePeriodic inspection of a tile roof for cracked or slipped tiles and failing underlayment.
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Commercial Roofing Services
Get a quoteFlat and low-slope roofing for Hartford-area commercial buildings, from new membrane installs to restoration and waterproofing.
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Flat Roof Installation
Get a quoteA commercial building gets a new flat roof, membrane selected for the building's use and traffic.
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Flat Roof Repair
Get a quotePatching or resealing a failed section of flat roof membrane before ponding water finds its way inside.
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Flat Roof Membrane Replacement
Get a quoteFull tear-off and replacement of an aged flat roof membrane that has outlived its service life.
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Low-Slope Roof Waterproofing
Get a quoteMembrane waterproofing for low-slope sections that don't shed water fast enough for standard shingle roofing to work.
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Commercial Flat Roof Waterproofing
Get a quoteWaterproofing a commercial flat roof at seams, penetrations and parapet walls where leaks actually start.
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Elastomeric Silicone & Acrylic Roof Coating
Get a quoteApplying an elastomeric, silicone or acrylic roof coating to extend the life of an existing commercial membrane.
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Metal Roof Thermal Barrier Coating
Get a quoteA reflective thermal barrier coating applied to a metal roof to cut cooling load and slow corrosion.
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Commercial Roof Restoration
Get a quoteRestoring an aging commercial roof system to extend its service life without a full tear-off and replacement.
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Infrared Roof Leak Detection
Get a quoteInfrared scanning of a commercial roof to locate trapped moisture under the membrane before it spreads.
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Get a fixed price before anyone sets off
Urgent jobs are quickest by phone — someone picks up around the clock, and the price you hear before dispatch is the price you pay.
(860) 421-6068Where we go
Hartford and the surrounding towns
Mobile service, so the van comes to you. Hartford is the base; these are the neighboring communities we cover on the same call-out.
- West Hartford, CT
- East Hartford, CT
- Wethersfield, CT
- Newington, CT
- Bloomfield, CT
- Windsor, CT
- South Windsor, CT
- Rocky Hill, CT
- Manchester, CT
- New Britain, CT
- Glastonbury, CT
- Farmington, CT
- Avon, CT
- Simsbury, CT
- Berlin, CT
- Bristol, CT
Hiring in one of these towns?
A separate guide for each town on what to check before you sign with any roofing contractor there — license and insurance, written scope, and what the warranty actually covers.
Straight answers
Common questions about roofing costs and service
What is the average cost to repair a chimney?
Chimney repair is masonry work, which falls outside the roofing scope we price, so we'd point you toward a mason rather than estimate a trade we don't practice. Where it touches our work is the flashing at the base of the chimney, which often needs attention at the same time a chimney gets repaired — that seam is worth having a roofer look at on its own, since flashing and masonry repair timing can affect each other.
What is the new trend for siding?
We don't track siding trends closely enough to answer that honestly — it's outside the roofing work we do, and we'd rather send you to a siding contractor than guess at a market we don't follow. What we can say from the roofing side is that a roof and its siding meet at real details, like a wall-to-roof step flashing or a chimney chase, so whatever siding direction you choose, it's worth having those transitions checked once the work is done.
What is a common chimney problem?
From the roofing side, the most common issue we see isn't the chimney structure itself but the flashing where it meets the roof — step flashing that has pulled away or corroded, or old sealant used as a substitute for a proper flashing rebuild. That's a roofing detail more than a masonry one, and it's one of the more frequent sources of a leak that shows up nowhere near where the water actually got in. Cracked mortar joints and a deteriorating crown on top of the chimney are the masonry-side problems, and those are worth a mason's separate look.
How much should guttering cost to replace?
Linear footage of roofline, the number of corners and downspouts needed, and which gutter material and profile get chosen all move that number more than any single average figure could. A cedar roof adds its own variable: needles and shake debris shed more readily than they do off a smooth shingle roof, so gutters under a cedar roof often need larger or more frequent clearing to keep water moving the way the system was sized for. We'll fold a gutter estimate into a cedar roofing visit when drainage is part of the conversation, but it's scoped and priced on its own rather than bundled in by default.
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