Cedar Shake Roofing in Clarkston

Cedar is wood, and wood moves. It swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries. That is the single most important thing to understand about a shake roof, because almost every installation detail exists to work with that movement instead of fighting it. Shakes are laid with small gaps between them so they have room to expand. Each course overlaps the one below by a set amount so water never finds a straight path to the deck. Between courses, a breathable interlayment helps shed water while still letting moisture escape. And the roof needs airflow, either from spaced sheathing or a ventilated underlayment, so the wood can dry out from beneath after a rain. Skip any of those details and cedar can cup, split or rot early. Do them right and you get a roof with a character no manufactured product quite matches. Cedar suits certain homes especially well, like older houses and craftsman-style designs, and it weathers from a warm honey color to a soft silver gray over time. On shaded lots like many in Clarkston, keeping debris off the roof and gutters clear matters even more. We install new cedar roofs, replace worn ones and repair damaged sections, and we will tell you plainly whether your existing roof is a repair candidate or past it.