Chanhassen, Minnesota
Practical Cedar Shake Roofing in Chanhassen, MN
Cedar wants sun and moving air, and plenty of the wooded lots in Chanhassen give it neither. On a two story colonial where the upper walls rise past a lower roof plane, that lower plane sits in shade half the day and stays damp under falling leaves. We will tell you where cedar will hold up on your house and where it will not.
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- Storm and insurance workWe handle the claim with you
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Shade decides how long a cedar roof lasts
On the 1990s and 2000s plans out here, the roof is rarely one clean shape. Each added gable puts another wall to roof junction in play, and cedar at a sidewall needs a real step flashing course under every course of shakes, not a length of bent metal run behind the whole thing. We install over a spaced sleeper grid so air moves under the shakes and the underside dries after rain. On the shaded north planes we open the spacing between courses and keep the keyways wide, because a shake that never dries splits and cups. Hail is the other half of the story. The August 9, 2020 storms sat over town for hours, and cedar takes hail differently from a laminate shingle: it breaks and splinters instead of bruising. If you are weighing that risk, our asphalt roofing work is the honest comparison for a heavily wooded lot.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Chanhassen
What a cedar roof needs on a wooded Chanhassen lot
Spaced sleepers under every shake
Cedar has to dry from underneath. We set the shakes on a spaced sleeper grid over the underlayment so air moves under every course, which matters most on the shaded planes of a wooded Chanhassen lot.
Step flashing at every gable wall
Every added gable on these two story plans creates another wall to roof junction. Each one gets woven step flashing tucked under the siding, course by course, because cedar at a sidewall leaks the moment you shortcut it.
Wider keyways on shaded planes
North and east planes under tree canopy stay wet longer. We widen the keyways and the course spacing there so water and needles clear instead of sitting against the butts.
Hail damage documented properly
Cedar splinters under hail rather than bruising, and that reads differently on an adjuster report. We photograph the splits course by course and handle the insurance side of storm claims with you.
Limbs cleared off the roof first
Overhanging limbs drop needles and hold shade, and both shorten a cedar roof. We walk the tree line with you before we start so you know which branches need to come back off the roof.
Moss handled before it roots
Shade plus needle litter equals moss, and moss holds water against the shakes. Where a plane sits under canopy we treat it and set a strip at the ridge so runoff keeps growth down between cleanings.
Why Chanhassen homeowners hire us for cedar
The estimate starts on the roof
We get on the roof and look at the shaded planes and the wall junctions, not just the street elevation. The estimate comes back with what we found, free and with no obligation.
Storm dates on the record
The National Weather Service forecast office and its Doppler radar sit on Lake Drive West, so hail here is logged locally. That helps when a carrier questions the date on a cedar claim.
Roof and siding from one company
Those wall to roof junctions need siding pulled and reset to flash them right. We do siding as well as roofing, so nobody is waiting on another trade to finish the detail.
We will talk you out of it
If your lot is too dark and too wet for shakes, we will say so at the estimate and price you something that works instead. A cedar roof we regret is not worth the job.
We come back for the upkeep
A cedar roof on a shaded lot needs a person on it every few years. We do that work too, so the roof does not become someone else's problem later.
What people near Chanhassen say
Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasStorm damage repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement Orange Exteriors did an excellent job with my new roofing install. Very professional, on time and hard working crew. Completed the job in one day.
Dick JohnsonRoof installation
Cedar shake questions from Chanhassen
What people in Chanhassen ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Is my Chanhassen lot too wooded for a cedar shake roof?
Sometimes, yes. Cedar needs sun and air to dry between rains. If mature oaks close over the roof and the north planes never see direct light, shakes stay damp, grow moss and cup early. We look at canopy, roof orientation and how much of the day each plane gets sun before we recommend it. Trimming back can change the answer.
Will trimming the oaks back actually change the answer on cedar?
Often it does. A plane that gets a few hours of direct sun and some moving air dries between rains, and that is most of what keeps cedar sound. Cutting limbs back off the roof and opening the canopy over the north planes can turn a lot we would have said no to into one where shakes work. It has to happen before the roof goes on, though, not two years later.
Why does the wall above my lower roof keep leaking?
Nine times out of ten it is the flashing at that junction. On the two story plans out here, the upper wall meets the lower roof plane and needs step flashing under every course plus a kickout at the bottom to throw water into the gutter. Without the kickout, the run soaks the wall behind the siding.
Find out if cedar suits your lot
Send us the address and we will come look at the canopy, the roof planes and the wall junctions, then tell you straight whether cedar shake belongs on your Chanhassen house. Free, no obligation.
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Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
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