Chaska, Minnesota
Professional Cedar Shake Roofing in Chaska, MN
Steep pitch and narrow eaves are the two things cedar likes best, and the old brick houses in Chaska have both. Shakes shed fast off a steep gable and dry quickly at the edge, which is why cedar has survived on this stock for generations. What tends to fail is not the wood. It is the flashing where the roof meets Chaska brick.
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Masonry walls punish lazy flashing work
Cream colored Chaska brick does not forgive a bead of caulk. Where a cedar roof runs into a chimney or a parapet, the counterflashing has to be cut into the mortar joint and folded down over the step flashing, so water leaving the shakes has somewhere to go besides into the wall. On houses from 1860 to 1920 we usually find the last crew skipped that and smeared sealant on the face of the brick, which lets go in a few winters. The other thing we find is good cedar under bad edges: a field worth saving, with rot only in the last two courses and the valleys. Inside the Walnut Street Historic District, keeping the roof looking right matters as much as keeping it dry. If the house has already been shingled once, our asphalt roofing pages cover what a switch back to cedar would involve.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Chaska
Cedar on the brick houses off Walnut Street
Counterflashing cut into the mortar
On a Chaska brick wall, flashing gets let into a raked mortar joint and folded over the step flashing. Sealant smeared on the brick face is what we keep tearing off other people's work.
Narrow eaves detailed for ice
These houses have almost no overhang, so meltwater backs up right over the wall top. We run ice and water membrane past the interior wall line and set the starter course to drain clear of the brick.
Old cedar saved where it can be
Plenty of the cedar on the older Chaska streets is sound in the field and gone only at the edges and valleys. We price a partial before we price a tear off, and we tell you which is honest.
A roof that suits the street
Inside the Walnut Street Historic District the roof is part of the streetscape. We match shake width, exposure and coursing to what the house had, rather than whatever comes off the pallet fastest.
Straight talk about repeat hail
Hail comes back down the same corridors in Chaska, and cedar splits where a laminate shingle would bruise. If your block has been hit twice, we will say so and let you weigh the material choice.
Nails that will not rust the brick
Common nails give out inside a cedar roof, and on these houses the rust runs down onto cream brick where it stays. We fasten in stainless so the wall keeps its color and the shakes stay tight through freeze and thaw.
How we work on Chaska's older roofs
Tear off one plane at a time
Old board sheathing does not like sitting open in a rainstorm. We open one gable at a time and dry it in the same day, which matters on a house with plaster ceilings underneath.
Masonry protected during tear off
Soft old mortar chips easily. We pad and tarp the brick below the work, keep ladders off the wall face and clean the nails out of the beds before we leave.
We show you the sheathing
When the shakes come off we photograph what is under them and call you before we buy lumber, so deck repair is a decision you make rather than a line that appears later.
We grade the shakes on delivery
Not every bundle is worth nailing down. We cull flat grain and thin butts on the ground, because a bad shake on a steep Chaska gable is visible from the sidewalk for years.
Neighbors can see our work
We are rated 5.0 across 217 Google reviews. On blocks this tight the last roof we did is the reference, so we would rather do one gable right than three fast.
What people near Chaska say
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 We live in Eden Prairie. Orange did an excellent job on our siding replacement and provided great customer service all the way through.
Thomas DeSutterSiding replacement, Eden Prairie, MN
Common questions on Chaska cedar roofs
What people in Chaska ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Is cedar shake allowed in the Walnut Street Historic District?
National Register listing, which the district received in January 1980, is an honor rather than a building code, so it does not by itself bar a material. What can apply is city permitting and any local review, so we check with Chaska before we order. Cedar is usually the sympathetic choice on these houses anyway.
My cedar roof is over a hundred years old. Can it be restored?
The field is often better than the edges. If the shakes are still thick at the butt and the sheathing is dry, we can replace the failed courses, rebuild the valleys and redo the flashing at the brick. If the butts are thin and curling across whole planes, that is a tear off and we will say so.
How long does cedar last on a steep Chaska gable?
Longer than it does on a low, shaded roof. Steep pitch sheds water fast and narrow eaves let the edge dry, which is the whole reason cedar has lasted on this stock. Exposure still decides it: a south facing plane in full sun will outlive a north plane under a maple. We give you a plane by plane read.
Book a cedar inspection in Chaska
Tell us the cross street and we will come read the roof: shake condition, valley rot and the flashing where it meets the brick. Free estimate, no obligation, and an honest answer on repair versus replacement.
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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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Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews