Cedar shake replacement and conversions in Cascade Park, Vancouver, WA 98684

Shake roofs from this era were usually laid on spaced boards called skip sheathing, with gaps between them so the wood can breathe. That works for cedar, but composite shingles need a solid surface. So a shake-to-composite conversion here almost always includes new plywood or OSB laid over the old boards, which adds to the cost but gives a stiff, flat base. We also find interlayment felt that has turned brittle, and ridge caps where the wood has worn thin enough to see daylight. Valleys on these roofs were often open metal, and some have rusted through.

Not every Cascade Park roof is shake. Some homes switched to composite years ago and are now on that first composite roof. Those are simpler jobs, but we still check for soft decking near eaves, where years of overflowing gutters can rot the edge boards. We also look at the attic, since many of these houses had vents added or blocked during later remodels, and poor airflow shortens the life of any new roof we put on.

Old shake does badly in this climate. Months of rain keep the wood damp, moss and lichen root into the grain, and each cold snap or dry spell opens the splits a little wider. East Vancouver also takes the full force of the Gorge winds in fall and winter. Brittle shakes snap or slide out during a gusty night, and we often get calls the morning after with pieces of cedar scattered across the lawn. Once a roof starts losing shakes in wind, patching becomes a monthly chore rather than an occasional fix.

First we confirm what your HOA allows and gather color samples. Then we strip the shakes, inspect the skip sheathing, lay new decking and install underlayment, ice and water barrier in valleys, and the new roof. For a typical 2,200 square foot two-story, a conversion to architectural composite often runs $19,450 to $34,800, while new cedar costs more. These are typical ranges; your price comes after we see the roof and attic.