Roofing Projects · October 2, 2026
Cedar Shake Restoration in Ken Caryl Valley, Littleton
Roof Repair · Littleton, CO
We got called out to Ken Caryl Valley for a 1980s hand-split cedar shake roof that the owner wanted saved, not torn off. Our crew pulled and replaced roughly 140 damaged shakes with new Certi-Split #1 heavy cedar over three days, cleared out every valley, and sealed the wood down with a penetrating oil preservative.
What the roof looked like before, and what we left behind
Before we touched anything, this roof had gone silver-grey all over. Shakes were split, cupped, or just gone in spots, and moss had taken hold along the shaded north side. Pine needles were packed into every valley, holding water right against the wood. By the time we left, the bad shakes were out, the valleys ran clear, and the whole roof had a low-pressure wash and a fresh coat of oil.
BeforeAfter
Drag to compare
How do you know when a shake roof can be restored instead of replaced?
You can restore a shake roof when the damage is limited to individual shakes and the decking under them is still solid. On this one, about 140 shakes out of the whole field needed pulling, not the whole roof. That's a repair, not a tear-off. We went over every shake by hand, pulled what was split, cupped, or missing, and left the rest alone. If the decking had been soft, or the damage had spread across most of the field, a roof repair in Littleton like this one wouldn't have cut it, and we'd have told the owner to replace it instead.
Does moss on the north side mean the wood is rotting underneath?
Not always. The moss on this roof's north slope was surface growth. That side stays shaded longer, holds moisture longer, and grows moss faster than the rest of the roof, but that alone doesn't mean rot underneath. Leave it long enough and it can turn into a real problem, since moss traps water against the shakes the same way those packed pine needles did in the valleys. We washed it off at low pressure instead of scraping it, which keeps the good shakes around it intact. With the oil treatment on top, that slows the moss from coming right back, which matters a lot for roofing in Littleton under heavy tree cover.
Frequently asked questions
How long did this cedar shake restoration take?
Three days start to finish. That covered the shake replacement, clearing the valleys, the wash, and the oil treatment.
Why Certi-Split #1 heavy shakes and stainless ring-shank nails?
Certi-Split #1 is a premium hand-split shake, so it matches the weight and look of the original 1980s roof. Stainless ring-shank nails hold through freeze-thaw cycles and don't rust and streak the wood the way regular fasteners do over time.
Why did the valleys need clearing?
Valleys move more water off a roof than anything else, and these were packed with pine needles trapping moisture against the shakes and the metal below. Clearing them out was one of the first jobs, before the wash and before any shakes came out.
How many shakes were replaced, and were the rest left alone?
About 140 came out, the ones split, cupped, or missing entirely. The rest of the roof was original and still good, which is exactly why this stayed a repair instead of turning into a full tear-off.
Does the preservative oil need to be reapplied later?
The oil slows drying, splitting, and new cupping, but it's not something you do once and forget. How soon it needs another coat depends on sun and tree exposure, so ask your roofer or check the product guidelines for this specific roof.
“Our roof looks the way it did when we bought the house, and we didn't have to replace it. [Example quote, demo site]”
Homeowner in Littleton
Need roof repair in Littleton?
More recent work by Coppergate Roofing
Questions about your roof?
Ask us anything, or request an estimate — a real person answers.
Thanks — we got it. Coppergate Roofing will get back to you.
Powered by RidgePages
