Bob Vila and carpenter Ron Jackson install Atlantic white cedar shingles and sidewall flashing. Ron points out the flashing runs under the asphalt shingle. Ron also shows Bob a shortcut to cutting shingles at the perfect angle to the opposing roofline.

Bob meets with Michael Shiels to discuss the progress on the modular home project�s exterior construction. Bob points out some of the features that give this home its custom built exterior feel, including Cedar clapboard shingles on the lower half and Cedar shake shingles on the upper portion of the exterior walls areas as well as steel roofing. Cedar shakes are applied as a panel to the exterior of the house. Ken Clark from Cedar Valley Shingle is on location to demonstrate the installation of these panels and explain how they are produced at the factory for quick installation at the home site. At the factory, two-foot-by eight-foot plywood sheets are laid out and band saw cut, kiln dried, Western Red Cedar shingles are stapled and glued to the sheet. The band saw cutting process increases the open grain on the wood and allows for a better penetration of stains and sealers to extend the life of the shingle. The plywood backing increases the �dead� air space and increases the insulating value of plain cedar. The corners are made at the factory to conserve time and materials at the job site. The interlocking panels and pre-constructed corners can shave 75 percent off the install time of standard shakes. The shingles are also available pre-finished.

House nine of the Elmwood project. The front porch project continues with new red cedar shingles and a paint job.

Bob tours the Maibec American Classics mill in Quebec, Canada, where the cedar shingles for the center-entry Colonial house were manufactured. Maibec uses Eastern White Cedar from certified, responsibly managed forests for its shingles. The shingles come in three grades. All Maibec shingles are resawn and rebutted using a proprietary process that ensures that the bottom of the shingle is square with the sides without requiring hand shaving on site. This makes the shingles a little more expensive initially but saves time and money on the installation and makes for a cleaner, finished look. Bob is using the Nantucket William E. Poole Series for his Colonial project. These premium grade shingles are actually pre-finished right at the plant.

To protect new shingles, apply a penetrating stain. Stain soaks in and protects the wood from the weather, and won't crack, peel, or chip. Brush liberally along the bottom edges of each course then over the face of the shingles with a generous coat of stain. Start on the top course and work your way down. For an authentic weather look, use a transparent stain.

House nine of the Elmwood project. The finishing touches are done on the front porch with a Sherwin Williams latex paint on the exterior and new yellow pine shutters.

Bob meets with Keith Ball of Maibec to learn more the shingles selected for the modern Colonial. The shingles come with either a bleaching oil finish allowing the grain of the cedar to show through or a solid latex acrylic finish for a more opaque appearance. For this project Bob has chosen the bleaching oil finish. Framing contractor Kevin Parquette demonstrates the correct way to install shingles around a door or window using a storypole and then explains his technique as he and his crew begin applying the first course of sidewall shingles along the back of the house.

Bob visits with John Druley of Quaker Homes in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Druley is developing a parcel of land in Falmouth that will have eight homes, two of them affordable for families earing a modest income. Bob and Druley discuss the reality of housing in Falmouth, where one-acre building lots are required for new housing. A lot, Druley explains, will sell for around $300,000 with no construction. For this development, Druley has invoked Massachusetts' Act 40B to gain relief from zoning restrictions such as the one-acre minimum lot size. In return, Druley must make 20 percent of the homes available as affordable homes, for those earning up to 80 percent of the area's median income. The lots are 10,000 sqaure feet with a 40-foot setback from the road, 10-foot sidelines, and a 45 to 50-foot backyard. The homes are 1,800-square-foot Capes with attached garages, clad in white cedar shingles, with skylights, architectural-style roof shingles, and no-maintenance, energy-efficient vinyl windows. Druley explains that the affordable and market-priced homes must be indistinguisable in design, materials, and layout. The state assigns a 40B auditor to monitor the project and assure that no corners are cut on the affordable homes, and that the developer earns no more than 20 percent profit from the development. Druley explains that the market-priced homes in the neighborhood will sell for between $375,000 and $400,000, which will help offset the $119,900 selling price for the affordable homes.

Bob meets with Brian Eberle from Enviroshake of Chatham, Ontario, to discuss the environmentally friendly shake shingles which are being used on a portion of the modular home�s roof. The mold, mildew, and insect resistant man-made shakes are constructed of used tires, post industrial plastics, flax and hemp fibers. The composite shakes contain additional materials that protect them from UV degradation and provide coloring to replicate the look of cedar shakes. The shake starts out almost blackish brown but quickly weathers to the look of silvered cedar and stays that color for the life of the roof. The roof is installed with standard roofing nails and follows all the techniques of installation for a standard cedar roof. Unlike cedar shakes they have 50-year warranty and testing has shown they should last much longer. This maintenance-free roofing product is priced similar to premium grades of standard roofing.

The clapboard siding on the modern Colonial is being prepped and primed with Bob Vila Signature Collection paints. Bob is on hand as painter Jon Fish first sets, or recesses, any protruding nails securing the clapboard siding to the exterior sheathing. Next, in the corners where the clapboard siding butts up against the home's cedar shingles, the gaps are sealed with a fast-drying, paintable caulk. Caulk is also applied around window trim to prevent water infiltration. The caulk is applied with a caulking gun, and any excess material is wiped away with a damp rag. Fish then shows proper technique for painting clapboards. Beginning with the corners and side, Fish starts at the bottom of each clapboard then works across the board. Bob notes that painting with a brush allows for good coverage up and under each of the clapboards.