Forest Lake, Minnesota
Proven Cedar Shake Roofing in Forest Lake, MN
Snow, not sun, sets the terms for cedar in Forest Lake, where it blows the length of the 2,200 acre lake and drifts against the lake facing elevations, then packs into the low slope porch tie ins on the early 1900s cottage conversions. Wet snow sitting on wood for weeks is how a cedar roof fails here, so the tie ins and the drift side get detailed first and the field second.
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Cottage conversions rarely have one roof
Most of these houses are not one roof. They are three or four. A cottage gets a wing, then a porch, and every addition brought its own pitch. Cedar handles the steep parts fine. Where it fails is the low slope tie in, where an addition roof runs under a wall and snow sits on it until April. Those sections usually want a membrane rather than wood, and we draw that line on the plan so you know which planes are shakes and which are not. On the lake side we run ice and water coverage further up than code minimum and set the fasteners for drifting load. If your lot sits in the shoreland overlay, coverage math comes before any deck or addition work, though a reroof rarely trips it. Some of these houses are better served by asphalt roofing on the added wings, with cedar kept to the original cottage roof.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Forest Lake
Cedar detailed for a lake and its snow
Low slope tie ins handled correctly
The porch and wing tie ins on these conversions hold snow into spring. We put membrane where wood cannot survive and keep the shakes on the planes that actually shed.
Extra ice coverage on the lake side
Drifts pile against the elevations facing the water. Ice and water membrane runs higher up those planes than the minimum, because that is where melt refreezes and backs up.
Mismatched pitches measured one by one
A house carrying four additions has four roof pitches. Each one gets measured and priced separately, so nothing is averaged into a number that falls apart at tear off.
Shoreland coverage checked early
Lakeshore parcels sit in an overlay that caps impervious area. If the project touches decking or an addition, we run that coverage math before anyone orders material.
Cedar suits a lake cottage look
Wood belongs on these houses in a way few materials do. Where the roof geometry allows it, cedar earns its maintenance, and we will point out the planes where it does not.
Ridge and valleys set for drift load
Drifting snow loads a roofline unevenly rather than in a neat blanket. Valley and ridge courses get fastened and detailed for that, not for an average winter on a flat lot.
How we approach a Forest Lake roof
Reachable at any hour, any day
Open twenty four hours, seven days. Ice damming and drift damage show up on a Sunday in February as often as anything else, and someone picks up.
We ask where the ice built up
Before writing anything we ask what leaked last winter and where the ice stacked up. On a converted cottage that history usually points straight at the tie in that has to change.
Every addition mapped first
On a converted cottage we walk each wing and porch separately, note the pitch and the tie in, and build the estimate off that instead of a single roof measurement.
Winter work sequenced, not improvised
If a tear off has to happen in the cold, we sequence it so no plane is left open overnight and the drift side gets closed in before the wind turns.
Free estimates on odd rooflines
These houses take longer to measure than a subdivision roof. The estimate is still free, and we count every added wing and pitch change before giving a number.
What people near Forest Lake say
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 The crew arrived early and spread tarps all around the house to capture every bit of debris. By 3:00 PM, my entire roof was completely finished.
Hazel JamesRoof replacement, Minneapolis, MN 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
Forest Lake cedar answers
What people in Forest Lake ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Will cedar shakes hold up to snow off Forest Lake?
On the steep planes, yes. Cedar sheds and dries well when air can get at it. The trouble spots are the low slope porch and wing tie ins, where drifting snow settles in and sits for weeks. We usually put a membrane roof on those sections and keep the shakes where the pitch actually sheds water.
Does the Forest Lake shoreland overlay affect roof work?
A straight reroof usually does not, because you are not adding impervious surface. The overlay caps how much of a lakeshore lot can be covered, so it matters when a project includes a new deck, a driveway or an addition. If your roof job is bundled with any of that, the coverage math has to come first.
Should I keep the cedar on a converted lake cottage?
It depends on where the failures are. If the original cottage roof is sound and the problems sit in the added wings and porch tie ins, keep the cedar up top and fix the low slope sections properly. If the shakes have gone thin across the whole house, replacing the wood only makes sense if you want that look enough to maintain it.
Walk your lake cottage roof with us
We will measure every pitch on the house, mark which planes can carry cedar and which cannot, and put both on the same written estimate at no charge.
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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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