Once we came to grips with the loss of our wood burning fireplace and had decided to ‘go gas’ I had to come up with a design that would work both inside the house and out. We decided to use the foundation from the original fireplace and build a bump out on the side of the house. It gives us more interior space and will help balance out the house vs having another chimney built.
We also decided to pull down the rest of the board and baton from the chimney wall as well as the front of the house. It was only on these 2 walls and the rest of the house was cedar shingle so we thought re-siding the front would make the whole house look a lot more cohesive.
here is the house before
the batons came off first, then the boards
all the siding gone and ready to shingle
However, I do like board and baton, so I came up with a plan to have the contractor use it from the gutter line up for added interest. We also wanted the roof line of the chimney wall extended by 8″ so it had a proper overhang that would be more in line with a ranch or farm house and not the cape style it currently had. It would also help protect the siding from rain damage.
My mom and I did all the shingling. My dad has a compressor and siding nail gun (of course he does) and she knew how to hang shingles so she taught me how to do it. It took us days, and she spent an amazing amount of time, but it really looks great! Now I have to finish repainting the house and add the trim, but it’s really coming along!
putting up the typar to protect the walls prior to the shingles
chicks with power tools, good look for me?
looks so much better, the board & baton above worked out well and adds some interest while the shingles below are all tied together
the shingles look great!
Meanwhile, we salvaged as much of the bricks as we could and have been using them to line the garden beds. A clean brick border really helps the whole front yard look more polished.
check out our brick borders!
Even while all of this was going on, we had a tree removal service come in as we had a number of diseased or distressed trees that could be a problem if there was a big storm. After last winter, we didn’t want to chance it! We had 10 trees taken down (sad but necessary) and now have a bit more light in the back yard to boot. Don’t worry, we still have close to an acre of woods.
our yard looks like it has a hangover!
Now that the chainsaws have stopped and we’re finishing up some of the things we could do ourselves my nerves are starting to settle. Finally starting to feel like we’re getting back on track!
well scituated 
You are my DIY superhero! Looks great!