Hallelujah – our cedar shakes are finally finished! The outside of our Nest has an interesting pattern these days, but after a lot of removing, replacing, and refurbishing, we have a solid exterior again.

Although we think a patchwork quilt is a thing of beauty, the Newtons definitely plan to paint the shakes to ensure that they all blend together soon; so choosing a paint color has become a top priority over the last few weeks…

As part of shaping up the outside, we have also replaced all the trim along the roofline. Initially, we were hoping to patch areas of rotten trim like we did with the shakes, but after some consideration, we decided that this would probably result in a “chopped up” look. Plus, removing and replacing all the trim with new, treated materials would be less labor intensive and weather evenly over time.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at our newly-thatched Nest:

 

We had a crew of professionals who did the majority of the cedar shake repair, but the perfectionist of the Newton duo also learned to replace shakes so he could switch out the few sub-par shingles that missed the first cut.

New trim along the roofline:

In case you ever decide to try a little cedar shake repair of you own, here’s a sampling of the music playlist that kept us inspired:

• Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
• Shake, Rattle and Roll – Elvis Presley
• If I had a Hammer – Peter, Paul and Mary
• Shake Your Booty – KC and the Sunshine Band
• Shake it Up – The Cars
• Milkshake – Kelis
• Shake It Off – Mariah Carey
• Can’t Touch This (Hammertime) – MC Hammer
• Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

🙂