Stillwater, Minnesota
Trusted Cedar Shake Roofing in Stillwater, MN
Shade is the honest problem with cedar in Stillwater, where mature canopy runs the length of the North and South hills above the river. Leaf litter packs into the many valleys on these 19th century lumber era houses, and wood that stays damp does not last. Cedar still suits the architecture. It just needs trees cut back off the roof and valleys kept clear to earn its keep.
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Old hill houses ask more of a cedar crew
A South Hill house with dormers, a turret, porch roofs and cornice returns has more flashing than roof. That is where the work is, and where the price comes from. Every dormer cheek, every place a porch roof dies into a wall, every return needs metal formed on site and woven into the courses. Steep pitch helps cedar dry, and it also sheds snow onto porches and stairs, so we look at where that snow lands before we finish the design. If your house sits inside the downtown historic district listed in 1992, the Heritage Preservation Commission reviews a design permit before exterior work starts, and cedar is usually the material that review favors. On a plain gable out of the district, we are just as happy quoting asphalt roofing if that is what the house and the budget call for.
Cedar Shake Roofing in Stillwater
Cedar work that fits an old Stillwater house
Valleys built for constant leaf load
Canopy over the hills drops litter into every valley on these roofs. We widen the metal, keep shake edges clear of the center, and set the valley up to be swept rather than dug out.
Flashing for turrets, dormers and returns
Cornice returns, turret transitions and porch roof tie ins each need metal bent to fit. On a lumber era house that detailing is most of the job and most of what keeps water outside.
Snow shedding planned off porches
Steep hill roofs throw snow hard. We look at where it lands, on a porch roof, a stair or an entry, and detail the courses and any retention before the first winter arrives.
Historic district review understood
Downtown exteriors fall inside the commercial historic district listed in 1992. We work with the design permit review instead of around it, so the roof is approved before anything comes off.
Existing cedar checked before replacement
Plenty of hill houses still carry real cedar worth keeping. We check butt thickness and the deck below before recommending a tear off, because partial replacement is sometimes the better answer.
Metal finished to suit the house
On a historic house the flashing is visible from the street. Valley, wall and drip metal get a finish chosen to sit right with the trim, not whatever happens to be on the truck.
The way we work on hill houses
We tell you when to trim first
Sometimes the right first step is a tree service, not a roofer. We will say that, even though it delays our work, because cedar under closed canopy fails early.
Hand work, not production speed
Cut up hill roofs cannot be run like a subdivision. Courses get fitted around dormers, turrets and returns by hand, and we schedule the days that actually takes.
Access planned before the truck arrives
North and South Hill lots are narrow and sloped. Staging, tear off routes and dumpster placement get sorted in advance so the yard and the neighbors come through it fine.
Details photographed before tear off
On an old house what goes back should match what was there. We shoot the returns, porch tie ins and flashing profiles before removal so nothing is reinvented on the fly.
Estimates itemized, not lumped
Free and no obligation, and broken out enough that you can see what the flashing work costs against the shakes themselves rather than one number at the bottom.
What people near Stillwater 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
Questions we hear in Stillwater
What people in Stillwater ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Do trees over my Stillwater roof rule out cedar shakes?
Not automatically, but heavy shade is the single biggest thing that shortens a cedar roof. If limbs hang over the planes and the roof never sees direct sun by midday, the wood stays damp and moss follows. Trim the canopy back and cedar performs well on these steep pitches. Leave it, and you are buying a roof that ages twice as fast.
Does the Stillwater historic district affect a downtown reroof?
If the building sits in the Stillwater Commercial Historic District, listed in 1992, exterior alterations go before the Heritage Preservation Commission for a design permit before work begins. That review looks at materials and appearance, and cedar tends to read well there. We plan the schedule around the review rather than assuming approval, so nothing gets torn off early.
Is it worth restoring the cedar on an old hill house?
Often yes. If the shakes are thick at the butt, the deck is sound and the failures are concentrated in valleys and around flashing, targeted replacement plus new metal will carry that roof a long time. If the field shakes have gone thin and curled across whole planes, restoration is money spent on a roof that is already done.
Look at your Stillwater cedar with us
We will get on the roof, check the valleys and the flashing at every dormer and return, and tell you whether the cedar is worth saving or worth replacing.
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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