Removing a Cedar Shingle Roof

[Industrial Toys]

Looking for advice. The contractor wants 1500 Canadian to remove my old cedar shingles. I will dispose of them. A friend has offered to help me, remove them, plus I might hire a couple of extra hands (that hopefully don't fall off the roof!).

It is not a big roof and not steep, which might account for why they only lasted twenty years. I will miss them as I love the look, but I consider them too fragile, unpredictable for warping, and a fire hazard.

I don't know which option to choose. They are nailed onto 1" boards that constitute the roof with maybe two courses of water shield underneith.

I am not made of money by any stretch of the imagination, but would the 1500.00 be money well spent? The coordination with the contractor would also be a consideration.

Thanks.

 

[teejk]

With cedar being as soft as it is, most likely the nails are not going to come with the shingle and will have to be removed or pounded down before your new roof goes on. You say the roof is not large but picture yourself doing that and calculate the cost/hour. Removal goes quick (I heard that a potato fork works well). Dealing with the nails should go quick also other than there will be a lot of them.

 

[EddieWalker]

Around here, sometime in the past, a lot of houses used to have cedar shingle roofs. The roofers just nailed plywood right over the existing shingles and then installed asphalt shingles on to the plywood with 30 pound paper underneath. I don't support this, but I am amazed at how many homes I've seen this done to without any problems.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I ever did anything like that. If I can't make any job five times harder then it has to be, I'm just not doin it!

After that fire in Fort Mc Murry, I will sleep better with a steel roof, especially living next to a pine forest. That and no insurance!

 

[Rustyiron]

I'd lean toward just paying the guy. It's a sucky enough job cleaning it down to bare plywood, but the boards will give a regular stripping shovel trouble. Then there's the massive clean up!

 

[PILOON]

At $1500. you would be miles ahead to DIY it even with some paid help.
Cedar will pull easily with any square end spade (heck almost even by hand). The small nails can easily be smashed flat with a hammer.
At age 65 I and 2 paid helpers cleared my roof in 1/2 day including a total membrane coverage.
(Membrane as it 100% better than any felt or tar paper and it gave me all summer to install new shingles.)
Cedar shingles are generally installed on spaced furring strips so you will need to deck it for conventional asphalt shingles.
You mention layers of water shield under the cedar shingles, if that was directly under the cedar therein was a problem. Cedar slats wanted to be on spaced furring strips so that air would circulate and allow them to dry. Sitting directly on water shield is a no no. (Same goes for metal as it sweats and wants air circulation to keep the under side dry.)
My take is that the best all around solution might be to add an additional layer of furring strips atop of existing ones and installing metal roofing.
That or a complete plywood (or particle board) and conventional shingles.
However metal roofing (more costly than shingles) but not needing a new decking should be less costly than shingles + decking and much more durable.
You would want to custom order the metal to get it all one length however. (For that you need to go to a building supplier and not a box store.)

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. Yes, the cedar shingles were not properly installed. Plus like I said, not a steep pitch and in shade much of the time of day and year. The garage roof, done at the same time, but out in the open has faired much better.

I am told that the steel can go directly on the sheating (boards in this case) or water shield as it is formed in a press with significant pressed out sections that "apparently" allow it to breath.

I don't know whether to believe this or not. Someone is always out there giving bad advice today and never there years later when the problems show themselves. There are cracks between the boards open to the attic. Of course, not where the water shield will be placed.

I like this product because it is installed in sheets, full length from peak to eave. It is not the usual individual steel tiles.

 

[Rustyiron]

Being in a cold climate, have you checked out a "cold roof"? I have never done one but it makes a lot of sense. http://www.cchrc.org/sites/default/files/docs/hot_cold_roofs.pdf

 

[Industrial Toys]

I kind of thought I had a cold roof, based on that article, just like pretty much every one else.

One thing I don't get. They always say that the icicles are a sign of a problem. But can't the snow just melt on account of warm weather or the sun? I mean, the eaves troughs are full and frozen. Where else is the melted snow going to go?

 

[Duwop]

Cedar shakes are over rated except in an arid climate. They require maintence to last that most folks never have maintained. My 25 yrs roofing experience tells
me for the 1500 you'll be ahead. I hated tearing of shakes all those nails are a pain in the tail. The nails should be pulled not " beaten down". My 02'cents