Key numbers
19% of homeowners said improving energy efficiency was their primary reason for remodeling, per NAR's 2025 Remodeling Impact Report (National Association of Realtors / NARI, 2025).
| 5.19 million | Wood shingles or shakes were the main roofing material on 5.19 million U.S. homes in 2020. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2020 |
|---|---|
| About 20 | NAHB's 2007 study puts asphalt shingle roof life at about 20 years, fiber cement shingles about 25 years and wood shakes about 30 years. Source: National Association of Home Builders / Bank of America Home Equity, 2007 |
| 40% | DOE says insulating window attachments can decrease winter heat loss by 40% or more and summer solar heat gain by up to 60%. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 2024 |
Yes. A cedar shake roof breathes through the gaps between shakes and the spaced boards under them, so many shake-roofed homes were built with little or no dedicated attic ventilation. Asphalt shingles over solid decking seal the roof, so without new vents warm, moist air from the house gets trapped in the attic, condenses on the cold deck and can drip, rot the sheathing and feed ice dams. When you switch, plan balanced ventilation: intake at the soffits or eaves and exhaust at or near the ridge, with a clear path between them.
Why shakes and shingles behave so differently
| Cedar shake roof | Asphalt shingle roof | |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | Often spaced boards (skip sheathing) | Solid sheathing |
| Air movement | Leaks through countless gaps | Essentially airtight |
| Built-in venting needed | Little | Planned intake and exhaust |
| What happens without vents | Usually fine | Condensation, frost, mold, ice dams, shorter shingle life |
The deck changes too. PPRBD’s reroof guidelines say plank decking (skip sheathing) with gaps larger than the code allows must be re-decked with at least 7/16-inch OSB or overlaid with at least 3/8-inch CDX or OSB, or the gaps filled. Many shake roofs sit on spaced boards, so new sheathing is often part of the job. That new solid deck is exactly what closes off the old air path.
What we have seen in Colorado Springs attics
We have climbed into attics on winter mornings in homes with no ventilation and found water droplets hanging from the underside of the deck. In one home with a cathedral ceiling, condensation dripped from the ceiling in a steady trickle. We added soffit and ridge vents, and it came back. When we opened the roof again we found fire blocking the builder had installed across the rafter bays, which stopped air from rising from the soffit to the ridge. Once the blocks were cut open for airflow, the problem stopped. The lesson: vents only work if air can actually travel between them.
How to plan the new ventilation
- Measure the attic. Ventilation is sized by attic floor area, and the shingle manufacturer’s instructions state what they require.
- Start with intake. Soffit or eave vents, kept clear of insulation with baffles.
- Add exhaust high. Continuous ridge vent where the ridge is long enough, or other exhaust vents near the peak. Avoid mixing exhaust types that short-circuit each other.
- Check the path. Look for blocking, solid soffits and insulation stuffed to the deck.
- Seal the ceiling. Air sealing around lights, fans and the attic hatch reduces the moisture that reaches the attic in the first place.
- Get professional design help for cathedral ceilings and unusual framing. We recommend that final ventilation decisions on those homes be made with an architect, engineer or builder.
Ventilation is one of the components in the Integrity Roofing System, and poor ventilation can void a shingle manufacturer’s warranty, so we price any needed upgrade up front.
The rest of the conversion
Ventilation is one of several changes. Wall flashing, the gap between thin shingles and existing siding, and rotted trim are covered in what to expect replacing wood shingles with asphalt. Why the switch is happening in the first place is in cedar shake fire hazards: the City of Colorado Springs requires Class A roofing that excludes solid wood. If you want to keep the look, see synthetic cedar in Colorado Springs. For the day itself, see roof install day.
Have your attic checked before the shakes come off
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. On a free inspection we look in the attic as well as on the roof and photograph what we find. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free Colorado Springs roof inspection; we reach out the same business day.
Sources: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, Reroofing Guidelines (rev. 03/05/2024); City and County of Denver, Roofing Guide and Checklist (updated 4/11/2024).
