How to Repair a Cedar Shake Roof
- 1). Split the damaged shake into pieces with a mallet and chisel, being careful not to damage the surrounding shakes. Place wooden wedges under nearby tiles to ease pressure if needed. Remove the shake pieces.
- 2). Wrap one end of a hacksaw blade with tape to make a handle. Slide the sharp end of the hacksaw blade under the shake above the damaged one. Saw the nail that held the damaged shake off from under the above shake.
- 3). Cut a new shake with a circular saw out of cedar a quarter-inch narrower than the existing shake to allow for swelling.
- 4). Tap the new shake gently into place with a block of wood and hammer until the bottom edge of the new shake aligns with the existing shakes.
- 5). Drill two pilot holes, one above the other, into the space between the two shakes above the new shake. Hammer two galvanized nails into the pilot holes until they are flush with the new shake; do not over-hammer the nails into the shake because they can crack the new shake. Apply metal flashing over the nails to prevent leaking.
