Cedar Shake Roof Installation in Suffolk County, NY
The Roof Long Island Was Built With
Cedar is the material Long Island’s older housing stock was actually roofed in, and it still looks better weathering into grey than anything designed to imitate it. It’s also the least forgiving roof to install. Cedar breathes, moves, and rejects moisture only if the assembly underneath lets it dry. Get that wrong and a forty-year roof is finished in fifteen.
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Cedar Shake Roofing Options
Shake or Shingle, and Which Grade
Two things get decided before anything else.
Cedar shakes are split instead of cut with a saw, making them thicker and highly textured so they cast deep shadows. Shingles are cut flat on both sides, making them thinner and much more uniform. Shakes give a home a rugged, rustic feel, while shingles look clean and traditional. Out on the East End, you will see both styles within a block of each other.
Wood quality matters more than most homeowners are told. “Number 1” grade cedar is the absolute best cut of the tree. It has no knots, naturally resists rot, and is cut in a way that stops the wood from curling or splitting as it gets wet and dries out. That is exactly what you need for a roof in our climate. Cheaper cuts save money up front but warp and fail much faster. We only install Number 1 grade on roofs. If another roofer gives you a quote and does not list the exact wood grade, that is the very first question you should ask.
Western red cedar is the industry standard for a beautiful, classic roof. Alaskan yellow cedar costs a bit more upfront, but the wood is denser, naturally fights off rot, and will outlast red cedar by years. They also look different as they age. Red cedar weathers into a warm, dark grey, while yellow cedar fades into a striking silvery-white.
How Cedar Shake Roofs Are Installed
Cedar Has to Dry From Both Sides
This is where cedar roofs are won or lost, and it’s why cedar costs what it does.
A cedar roof cannot sit flat against a solid wood base covered in standard plastic. Water that gets behind the wood needs a way to escape, and the bottom of the shingles must be able to dry. In the past, builders left physical gaps between the roof boards so air could flow freely. Today, modern homes have solid wood roofs, so we install a breathable mesh layer to create that same airflow gap. If a roofer skips this step, the bottom of the wood stays wet after every rain. That is exactly how a cedar roof rots from the inside out while looking perfectly fine from the street.
The spacing between the cedar pieces matters just as much. Cedar swells when it gets wet. If a roofer jams them tight against each other during installation, they will push together and warp during the first rainy spring. We leave a precise gap between every piece and stagger the seams in each row so no gap ever lines up with the one below it.
We use stainless steel nails instead of standard coated ones. Cedar contains natural oils that eat away at regular nails, and our coastal salt air makes it even worse. Stainless steel costs more, but it is not the place to save money on a roof you plan to keep for decades. Ugly black streaks running down an older cedar roof are exactly what happens when cheap nails rust.
Our team completely seals all roof corners, edges, and wall joints before we start laying the main wood shingles. Cedar roofs also need extra-wide metal channels in the dips where two roof slopes meet. If those metal strips are too narrow, leaves and dirt will pack in and cause leaks.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Coastal Suffolk County
How Cedar Ages Here
Cedar weathers to silver-grey, and how fast depends on exposure. South-facing slopes go first. Homes near the water (the barrier beach side of Mastic and Mastic Beach, out toward Moriches and Westhampton) weather faster and more evenly than sheltered inland properties, where north slopes can hold moss and stay dark for years while the south side turns.
Tree cover is the other variable. On wooded lots backing onto the Pine Barrens, shade plus needle litter keeps cedar damp, and that’s where moss and premature rot show up. Cedar wants sun and moving air. If your roof is under a heavy canopy, that’s worth talking about honestly before you commit to cedar rather than after.
None of this means you should avoid cedar roofs on the South Shore. It just means you have to build them with the right airflow layers, the correct stainless steel nails, and a cleaning schedule that fits our coastal weather.
How long does a cedar shake roof last in this climate?
Properly installed and maintained, 30 to 40 years for Number 1 grade western red cedar; longer for Alaskan yellow. Installed flat against solid sheathing with no drainage gap, considerably less. The install is the variable, not the wood.
What maintenance does cedar need?
Keep it clear. Debris out of the valleys and off the field, gutters flowing, overhanging limbs cut back, and moss treated before it establishes. Beyond that, periodic inspection for split or displaced shakes.
Is cedar much more expensive than asphalt?
Yes, materially and in labor, because it’s a slower install with more detail work. It’s chosen for appearance and longevity, not economy.
Can you repair a cedar roof, or does it all have to come off?
Individual shakes are replaceable, and blending new into weathered cedar is a skill. Whether repair makes sense depends on whether the underlying assembly is sound. If cedar is failing from below because it was installed without a drainage gap, patching the surface doesn’t address it.
Considering Cedar?
We’ll tell you honestly whether your house and your lot are right for it — including when they aren’t.