This 1950's Traditional House in the Hollywood hills was covered in cedar shakes from head to toe...walls and roof. They were old, and although we considered the options, well beyond saving, painting or staining. Furthermore, wood shakes present a hazard in this wildfire prone area. The building inspector required a Class A fire resistant material for the roof and siding.

We removed the original shakes and replaced them with staggered hardie-shingles: a cement based siding that matches the original style but is fire and weather resistant. Taking off the old shingles also allowed us to sheet the entire exterior in plywood for increased building rigidity and we wrapped the house in Tyvek to provide increased protection against air and moisture infiltration. T

he blue shakes with the crisp white trim and bright red paint on the original entry door really brightened and cleaned up the exterior of the house. I like red doors. Apparently the color can signify several things: http://www.stacymakescents.com/the-red-door-significance

As you can see we also swapped out the old divided lite windows that were cool, but thrashed. We substituted new wood casements that not only sealed better, but provided increased visibility and ventilation. 

Below are some shots of the job in progress. We were knee deep in filthy old shakes. They were brittle and dry.