Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Reliable Cedar Shake Roofing in Cottage Grove, MN
Low pitch is the whole conversation for cedar in Cottage Grove, where the Thompson Grove ramblers from the late 1950s and 1960s run long unbroken planes at a shallow angle. Cedar depends on water leaving fast, and on a low slope it does not. That does not rule cedar out, but it changes the underlayment, the exposure and how much of the shake you leave to the weather.
Get your estimate today
Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews
- Licensed and insuredMinnesota exterior contractor
- 5.0 from 217 reviewsVerified on Google
- Storm and insurance workWe handle the claim with you
- Faith-based, locally ownedRefreshingly honest
How a rambler roof changes the coursing
On a rambler with a shallow pitch, the shake exposure has to come down. Less of each shake sees weather, more of it overlaps, and the course count goes up, which is most of what drives the number on these houses. Under that we want a full membrane, not felt alone, because water moves slowly across a long plane and finds any seam. Shallow eaves are the other problem. There is not much overhang to keep runoff off the wall, so the drip edge and the first course have to be right. River and bluff wind hits these roofs with no windbreak and lifts at the rake, so the rake courses get fastened tighter and the starter is doubled. Where the pitch is simply too low for wood, we say so and quote asphalt roofing, which suits a long rambler plane better than cedar ever will.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Cottage Grove
How cedar is built for a low pitched rambler
More courses, less shake showing
Water crosses a shallow rambler plane slowly and looks for any open seam on the way. Shortening what each shake leaves to the weather puts the next course down over every joint before water can reach it.
Full membrane under the wood
Felt alone is thin protection on a low slope. Continuous underlayment goes down first, so a shake lifted in a storm is not the only thing standing between weather and deck.
Rake edges built against river wind
Cottage Grove has more Mississippi frontage than any city in the state, and that open bluff wind lifts at the rake. Rake courses get tighter fastening and a doubled starter beneath them.
Shallow eaves detailed to protect siding
These ramblers were built with very little overhang. Drip edge, starter course and gutter line get set together so runoff leaves the roof instead of sheeting down the wall below.
Limb strike damage found, not guessed
After the storm that came through town in August 2024, plenty of wood roofs took limb hits. We look for split butts and cracked courses, not only for shakes that are outright missing.
Long unbroken planes stay straight
A rambler shows every wave in a roof from the curb. We find the dips in the deck and correct them before shakes go on, because straight courses on a long plane are unforgiving.
How we run a cedar job in Cottage Grove
We tear off, not layer over
Wood over an existing roof traps moisture on a shallow plane. Everything comes off to the deck, so the new cedar starts on something we have actually put eyes on.
The underlayment is named, not implied
The estimate says which membrane goes under the shakes and how far up the plane it runs. On a shallow roof that layer does as much work as the wood, so it should not sit on the page as one vague word.
Debris cleared before we leave
A cedar tear off leaves splinters and old nails across a yard. We run magnets over the lot and haul everything out the same day the crew finishes.
Five stars across 217 reviews
Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 217 reviews. Licensed, insured, and easy enough to check on before you let anyone up on your roof.
Nothing owed either way
If the slope comes back too shallow for wood, you are left with a measurement, an opinion and no bill. That is a fair trade for an hour of our time on your roof.
What people near Cottage Grove say
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 Fantastic guys to work with, did an excellent job of fixing our siding. You can tell it’s a high integrity company. Definitely recommend.
Carolyn MillerSiding repair
Cottage Grove cedar questions
What people in Cottage Grove ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
What changes when cedar goes on a shallow rambler roof?
On a moderate slope the exposure comes down, a full membrane goes under the wood and the course count climbs, which is most of what you are paying for. Below a certain pitch none of that is enough, because water sits instead of running off. We measure the slope on the first visit and tell you which side of that line your roof falls on.
Did the August 2024 storm damage cedar roofs in Cottage Grove?
That storm uprooted trees and downed power lines across town, and the mayor declared a state of emergency with curbside debris pickup running into October. Limbs that came down on wood roofs often split shakes without removing them, so the damage reads as fine from the ground. If a tree came off your roof that week, it is worth a look.
What shortens the life of cedar on a low pitched roof?
Debris sitting in the valleys and packed against those shallow eaves, plus moss on any plane the sun does not reach by mid morning. The open river exposure works the other way, since wind dries the wood quickly after rain. Plan on a look every few years, sooner on the shaded north planes, and the roof will not surprise you.
Price cedar on your Cottage Grove rambler
Send the address and we will measure the pitch, look at the eave detail, and tell you straight whether cedar belongs on that roof or whether it does not.
Get Your Free Exterior Estimate
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
Request your estimate
Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews