Wood shake roofs are getting rare in Dublin, and the ones still standing are mostly on older West Dublin and Dublin Hills homes. Many are close to the end of their life. HomeGuard Roofing repairs shake roofs that still have years left and tells you plainly when one doesn’t, so you don’t spend money patching a roof that needs replacing.
Call (925) 644-8514 or call to schedule a shake roof inspection.
Wood shakes are split cedar, rougher and thicker than sawn wood shingles. A shake roof keeps water out with two things working together:
That felt is the hidden weak point. Where shakes have split, cupped or worn thin, the felt in the keyways gets exposed to the sun. Over the years, UV burns right through it, and water drips straight into the attic.
The south- and west-facing slopes get the most Dublin sun. The shakes there dry out, split and shrink, and the felt underneath burns through first. The north side often looks worse because it’s green with moss, but it’s usually in better structural shape. When we inspect a shake roof, the sunny slopes decide whether it can be repaired.
| Repair usually makes sense when | Replacement usually makes sense when |
|---|---|
| Damage is in limited spots | Felt is burned through in many places on the sunny slopes |
| Most shakes are still thick and solid | Shakes are worn thin or splitting across whole slopes |
| The roof is under about 18–20 years old and was well maintained | The roof is past about 20 years and leaking in several places |
| Your insurer is fine with the roof | Your insurer is asking about the roof, or you’re in a fire hazard zone |
Many shake roofs in Dublin are well past 20 years. A “tune-up,” replacing the worst shakes and slipping new felt into the burned-through keyways, can buy a few years on a borderline roof. On a roof that’s widely burned through, repairs become a cycle of chasing new leaks.
We remove damaged shakes and install new cedar shakes of matching thickness and length, fastened without damaging the courses above.
Where interlayment felt has failed, we slip new felt under the courses to restore the second layer of protection.
Moss holds moisture against the wood and lifts the shakes. We clear moss and debris from the roof, valleys and gutters without power-washing, which can strip and damage old shakes.
Ridge shakes take the most wind and sun. We replace split or missing ridge pieces.
Many shake roof leaks are actually flashing leaks. See skylight, chimney and flashing repair.
This is the biggest question with shake roofs today.
Even outside a mapped zone, a dry shake roof can catch embers carried by wind. Keeping the roof and gutters clear of leaves and needles lowers that risk while you plan.
Sometimes, using fire-retardant-treated shakes as part of a rated roof assembly, depending on your zone and what the code requires. Most owners switch to composition shingles, tile or other Class A materials for fire rating, insurance and cost reasons. We’ll walk you through the options and what each requires. See roof replacement.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Replace a small area of split or missing shakes | Range TBD |
| Shake roof “tune-up” (shakes and keyway felt across worn areas) | Range TBD |
| Ridge repair | Range TBD |
| Moss and debris removal | Range TBD |
Cost depends on how much felt has failed, roof height and pitch, the availability of matching cedar, and access.
The home: A 1970s home near the Dublin Hills with a shake roof about 18 years old.
What we usually find: Several burned-through keyways and split shakes on the south slope, a mossy but structurally sound north slope.
The fix: Worn shakes replaced, new felt slipped into the failed keyways, moss cleared. The homeowner got a written estimate of remaining life to plan replacement.
The home: A West Dublin ranch with a shake roof well over 20 years old, leaking in three rooms.
What we usually find: Felt burned through across most of the sunny slopes, shakes worn thin.
The recommendation: Replacement, with photos showing why repairs wouldn’t hold, plus a temporary fix to keep it dry until the new roof goes on.
Robert D.West Dublin · Wood shake repair“They were straight with me — repaired what could be saved on our old shake roof and told me honestly how many years it had left, instead of pushing a replacement I didn’t need yet.”
It depends on the shakes, how it was installed and how much sun it gets. In Dublin’s dry, hot summers, many shake roofs reach the point where repairs stop making sense at around 18 to 20 years.
Yes, over time. Moss holds moisture against the wood, lifts the shakes and speeds up rot. It should be removed gently, without power-washing.
The felt between shake courses gets exposed where shakes split or shrink. Years of sun burn through it, letting water drip straight into the attic.
It depends on whether your property is in a mapped fire hazard zone and what rating the code requires there. Untreated shakes generally don’t meet the requirements in mapped zones. Check your address on the City of Dublin’s fire hazard map page.
Many insurers are cautious about older wood shake roofs. Ask your agent, and have the roof’s condition documented with a professional inspection.
We don’t recommend it. Pressure washing strips wood fibers and can force water under the shakes. Moss and debris should be removed by hand or with gentle methods.
An inspection tells you whether your shake roof is a repair candidate or a replacement, before the next storm decides for you. Call HomeGuard Roofing at (925) 644-8514 or call to schedule a shake roof inspection.
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