If your Ladue house has a cedar shake roof and you are considering asphalt shingles, the first question is what supports the wood. Some wood roofs sit over spaced boards. Others have continuous decking beneath them. That difference can change the work and the price of a conversion. Before you choose a shingle color, ask the roofer to establish which construction you have and show you where it was checked.
A proposal that says only "remove shakes and install shingles" leaves an important decision unresolved. Asphalt shingles need an appropriate continuous deck. The contractor should explain whether the existing surface can support the proposed installation, whether additional decking is needed, and which parts cannot be confirmed until the wood comes off.
Town roofing
For a Ladue homeowner, changing from wood to asphalt is a change in the roof assembly as well as its appearance. A house may also have a porch, an addition or a detached building roofed at a different time. Seeing plywood in one accessible area does not establish what lies beneath every section. Ask the roofer to identify the areas inspected and the areas that remain uncertain.
Start with records you already have. Old installation photographs, a previous roofing invoice and renovation drawings may help explain how the roof was built. Give the contractor those records before the estimate. They are useful evidence, but the roof still needs to be examined. A drawing can describe what was intended without proving what was installed.
Find out whether the boards are spaced
Spaced boards have visible gaps between them. Continuous decking presents a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface. From an accessible attic, a roofer may be able to identify the construction without opening the roof. Where insulation or interior finishes conceal it, the estimate should acknowledge that limitation. Do not accept a definite decking allowance based on an area nobody could see.
If spaced boards are present, ask how the contractor proposes to create the deck required for the selected asphalt shingle. The answer should identify the new sheathing, how it will be supported and fastened, and whether the existing boards will remain. "We will plywood it" does not explain the assembly sufficiently for you to compare it with another proposal.
Existing continuous decking also needs assessment. Its presence does not establish its condition or suitability. The roofer should distinguish between adding a deck because the existing construction has gaps and replacing sections because they are damaged. Those are different reasons for work, and they should not be blended into one unexplained charge.
Look at the edges before choosing the finish
Wood shakes have a different thickness and profile from asphalt shingles. On a Ladue house with a prominent front roof, that change can be visible at the eaves, gables and roof intersections. Ask for an explanation of the finished edge, including any new decking. A small shingle sample helps with color; it does not show how the completed roof will meet the existing trim.
The same discussion belongs at dormers and walls. Changing the roof assembly can change how existing flashing fits against the new surface. Have the roofer identify the connections that will be rebuilt and any adjacent trim or siding that must be disturbed. This is especially useful where several renovations have left different details on different sides of the house.
St. Louis weather makes these connections consequential. Rain and winter freezing do not stop at the boundary between a new roof surface and an old wall detail. The proposal needs to explain how the conversion will produce a complete weather-shedding assembly. Replacing the visible wood alone does not answer that question.
What it costs
A cedar conversion should be priced as the work your house requires, rather than treated as an ordinary asphalt replacement with a different tear-off line. Removing wood, establishing the new deck and rebuilding affected connections each contribute to the price. Roof size matters, but it cannot explain the total without those details.
Ask for the known decking work to be included in the base proposal. If inspection has established that a particular section has spaced boards and needs new sheathing, that work is already part of the conversion. It should not appear later as an unexpected discovery. Uncertainty should be reserved for conditions the contractor could not reasonably establish before opening the roof.
For concealed damage, request a stated method of pricing and approval. The proposal should explain how the affected area will be measured, what the charge includes and when you will see photographs. A price for a sheet of decking is difficult to evaluate if removal, installation or disposal will be added separately.
Compare the proposed deck construction before comparing the final totals. One contractor may include new sheathing over an entire roof section while another assumes the existing deck can remain. Ask each to explain the evidence supporting that choice. The point is to resolve the construction question before deciding which number fits your budget.
Also identify work outside the roofer's price. If the conversion requires changes to decorative trim or leaves an exposed surface that needs painting, establish who will finish it. An exclusion can be reasonable, but you need to know whether the house will need another trade after the roof is complete. Include that cost in your decision.
What to ask
At the estimate visit, keep the conversation centered on your existing wood roof. Product brochures will not answer what lies beneath it. Ask the contractor to walk you through the conversion using photographs of your house and the proposed written scope.
- Where did you inspect the deck, and what did you find?
- Which roof sections could have different construction?
- What continuous decking does the proposed shingle installation require?
- Will the existing boards remain, and how will the new sheathing be supported?
- Which edge, wall and dormer details will change?
- What decking work is included, and what remains uncertain?
- Will any trim, siding or painting work need a separate contractor?
Request the exact shingle product as well. Keys Roofing installs Atlas and Malarkey shingles. The proposal should name the selected product and describe the supporting assembly for it, so you can connect the material choice to the work being priced.
If you are still deciding whether to keep wood or change materials, say so before the visit. Ask the roofer to separate the condition of the existing roof from the requirements of conversion. Needing repairs to a wood roof and choosing an asphalt replacement are two decisions; an estimate should give you enough information to understand each.
To discuss a cedar shake roof conversion in Ladue, call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333. Mention that the existing roof is wood, whether the attic is accessible, and whether any additions have different roof materials. Have any old roofing photographs or renovation records available for the visit.