Cedar Shake Roofing in North Georgia

Cedar Shake

Cedar shake grades, and why we hand nail every shake.

Cedar shake is graded before it reaches a roof. Grade #1 (Blue Label) is 100% clear heartwood, edge grain, tapersawn or hand split, the grade specified for anything meant to last. Lower grades allow sapwood and flat grain, which cup, split, and rot years earlier. Ask for the grade by name, not just "cedar shake." Hand split and taper sawn are both legitimate; the choice is aesthetic, not a quality shortcut, as long as the grade is right.

We install pressure treated cedar shakes. The treatment protects the wood, so the shakes do not need the air gap underneath that untreated cedar does.

We hand nail every shake. Cedar cannot be shot on with an air gun the right way: a nail gun drives every nail at the same force, which sinks heads below the surface and splits shakes. Hand nailing sets each nail flush, and the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau calls for nail heads that are not driven below the wood surface.

What goes wrong

Exposure stretched past spec to cut material use, dropping coverage from three layers to two; nails overdriven by a nail gun, or placed too high or low instead of concealed by the course above; no felt interlayment, letting wind driven rain wick sideways under the shakes.

How to tell good work from bad

Straight courses, consistent exposure. Joints staggered at least 1.5" from the course above and below. Stainless steel or zinc nails set flush by hand, not driven below the surface. Valleys and walls flashed per spec, not caulked.