What I did at my house today...

[Gothichome]

Back to my windows, hopefully I will be ready to paint tomorrow.

[GinaC]

Well, after all this waiting for the plantation shutters I ordered, and then not being able to install them because I needed a countersink drill bit, I've decided that I hate them. So now I'm really glad that I wasn't able to screw them in. I've since done some research and found that Norman brand is superior *and* cheaper and that I shouldn't have gotten a frame and instead I need to just do a "direct install" and screw them right to my jambs. That way I'll have the largest accessible area to open and close my windows, and it will show off my lovely 1939 window trim.

I can't return the current ones because they are custom made. Well, that's an ugly $1200 mistake. At least I can use them just leaning against the windows blocking the sun until the new ones get here in a few months. I guess I can donate them after that? Maybe someone will want the wood to build something with?

[awomanwithahammer]

I would list them on FB Marketplace or Craigslist, etc., when you're ready. Your mistake could be somebody else's good fortune! You won't get all of your money back, but anything is better than nothing, right? I just sold a bunch of vintage exterior shutters that I bought used and couldn't make work, to a woman who upcycles stuff (I actually made a bit of a profit on them, but I didn't pay much for them to begin with!)

[phil]

...was I stayed out of the way while the plumbers replaced some of the last remaining original brass plumbing left here.

Long story short, we had to replace our kitchen faucet. Last Friday, I installed the one we bought and what used to be a slow occasional drip on the hot water side (inside the back wall cavity of our farmhouse sink) became a stream. The stress of the swap did it in. Our boilerman confirmed this which is the main reason I was doing it on the fly because he was there for our yearly cleaning.

Given a lot of factors, we called in the pros. Thankfully, they fit us in today and we had been setting aside some "oh noes!" funds, so I have no regrets--especially since now I can catch up on laundry and dishes and plan to take a loooong shower later. (I know the plumber doesn't either because he's very happy we paid in full today.)

We also finally have cutoffs under the sink! Before, the only way to cut off either was the main and a recently added cut off right off the boiler that was installed when we got our new hot water coil this past spring.

Our new faucet, complete with spiffy soap dish that we're using for the sponge:

nice taps ! the seats can be recut if they drip. there is a special tool to resurface worn seats for the tap washers, but most plumbers these days probably just replace.
I got a chuckle from the cute self portrait in the reflection

[phil]

more roofing. I took a second week off. previously I had found some shiplap and decided I'd resheet half with plywood to make sure the nails had something to bite. so I had it half stripped for a week and of course it rained a lot.

I had a series of leaks while I attempted to use tarps which seemed to pool the water up and leak anyway. my walking boards were creating trenches for water to collect and then the troughs leaked so it was directing all the water in down on top of the kitchen ceiling and dripping from my pot lights. The drama from the war department that ensued was worse than the water. some of the drywall seams on the ceiling bubbled up a little but I can fix that later. I put a big blower on and tried to run the oven a bit to dry it up but she kept shutting it off and arguing.. I asked her to look after making sandwiches and things so I could keep going but that caused more stress and refusal, so I had to just cook for myself. It hasn't sat well with me because I feel that since she isn't working or doing any other work around the house it feels unfair, but better to eat like a bachelor and continue. frozen pizza it is ! The arguments are tiring. She complains about me pounding om the roof , like as if I have a quiet option ; -) we have all these silly arguments and she uses a lot of really hurtful language and I retire to my rooftop for some quiet and to wrap my head around better stuff. Yesterday I go to the point where I just asked if she'd consider moving out because all the bickering is getting to me in a bad way. what a waste of energy. I try to just be nice and hope things settle but it's been going on since the corona virus caused so many layoffs. Living with someone that wont try to work together is so frustrating. I dont expect her to help much but things like folding up a tarp myself while she watches bug me. she came to the dump and I unloaded all the shingles. the guy that monitors traffic even came over and said wont she even help a little? no she sat in the van. I guess it didn't feel fair. I offered gloves she said no and so be it. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and run it and she shuts it off part way through because she doewn't like the smell of the detergent. I do the clothes laundry too. I think its the unfairness that gets me , not that I feel that certain jobs should be mine, or hers. So I just try to set a good example and do it and move forward and hope she gets over whatever it is she's all upset about. Any logical reasoning just results in a completely silly dramatic conversation that runs in circles.

I finally finished stripping it all and got a waterproof membrane on it. I'm doing the last 1/4 of my roof. I still have a few parts like over my bay windows and a little over the roof of my entrance but they aren't substantial.

I have a few things to deal with like my hood fan. it has a square vent but the new plastic thing is made to fit a round pipe. I can use the old tin one but the new plastic vent has a sort of a recessed area and it looks like it would be more waterproof due to it's design. it did fail there. I dont know if I should change the pipe down to the hood fan and put in a normal round pipe.

the old tin one had some bee or wasp nests inside but thankfully they weren't too active. i did get stung once when I was right up at the peak, but the sting was more like a mosquito bite than a bee or wasp. it was just a little one.

boy it sure has been a lot of work. lots of trips up the ladder. I just have to get the drip flashing installed. I put some new strips along the edges of the roofing and the drip flashing goes over these 1" x 2" strips. I made up some replacement fascia parts that were rotted. Ill keep most of the fascia boards intact. i wouldn't mind taking the gutters down and replacing the boards they are mounted on but i came to the conclusion that they aren't part of the roof and I can get at them later if I choose to.
what can happen is if the gutters overflow, they wet the board that the gutter mounts onto and also the rafter tails. but it can be worked on without affecting the roof. I think it'll be OK for now and I didn't want open a huge can of worms all at once.

Trying to work over the edge right up at the peak still gives me a bit of a weird dizzy feeling. I know I'm harnessed but still it's so high and looking down over the edge still causes a bit of a natural reaction. I was up there last night pulling all the strips off and installing new strips and found that a bit tiring as I'm not really comfortable leaning over the edge up there. I start a couple of nails but can't see the strip, then I go down to the ground so I can look at it before nailing them down for good. the flashing wont be as bad because at least they nail to the roof deck.

I'm fine running all over the roof on a 45 degree angle but it takes some special muscles do stand on the slope for long periods. I use the walking planks and brackets but then they have to be moved between layers. I keep getting tired and hot and coming in for breaks as needed but my timeline is limited so I have to keep pushing forward.

I'm happy now that I at least have all the old roofing off and I took most of it to the dump and the new membrane on it. now my dripping issues should be over.

re shingling shouldn't be too bad. at least with that I can work in spurts and it wont leak. if it rains when I've shingled part way up then the water might go between the membrane and the shingles a bit , I'm not sure if I need to even worry about that.

it's very tiring work for an old guy but I'm winning, it just takes perseverance. the exercise is probably doing me some good. I put lots of nails in the plywood and then with the membrane it is all hand nailed with plastic cap nails. I can use a pneumatic nail gun when I do the shingles. That should go faster, it's mostly all the custom fitting of the other wood parts that takes up time.
Next week I'm hoping I can get the shingles all on and the ridge cap , then I need some time off and a holiday, the faster I can go, the longer I can rest before returning to work.

Phil

[Manalto]

Phil, my heart goes out to you with the roofing work that you're doing. The stress of working high up on an insecure surface exposed to the weather is something that most people refuse to subject themselves to, and it helps to explain why replacement roofs cost as much as they do. When we get tired, that's when we make mistakes and on a roof those mistakes can be costly. You're wise to take those breaks when you feel that you need them.

[Lily left the valley]

the seats can be recut if they drip. there is a special tool to resurface worn seats for the tap washers, but most plumbers these days probably just replace. I got a chuckle from the cute self portrait in the reflection

It's not the washers and it's not the seat, it's the cartridge itself because of how corrosive the water is here. You can't get the style cartridge we need anymore (unless you know someone with a hoard of NOS, and believe me I've been searching for almost three years).

I did find out that, depending on the fixture, DEA Bath offers a service to recam them to allow for modern cartridges, so I am holding on to our original in case ours is one of the ones which they can do this.

Yeah, the reflective selfie made me chuckle too when I noticed it.

[Lily left the valley]

more roofing...

Every year, I keep an eye to our south side and check the attic once a quarter for any tell tell leaks. Unlike our neighbors to the east, we're not missing any shingles on the house itself but the south side is really showing the difference a bit more each year. We decided long ago we'd be doing metal, and hiring it out. It's one of the reasons we've been building funds up--because eventually it has to happen. Last year I realized the garage is worse off with a few shingles just giving up the ghost, and fortunately I now have the supplies for the spots I need to fix this year. It's one of my planned early fall projects.

I'm in a similar boat as far as helper status, though in my case Sean is simply exhausted from work, giving him excuse to beg off where I really can't harrumph about it. When I read posts like yours, I wish some of us lived closer so we could help each other in the physical presence neighborly way.

[phil]

the roof is a lot more work than I first imagined but then I was thinking of doing a second layer. as usual I get going and decide that I needed to do other things like replacing trim adding flashing etc. I can turn any job into a longer one
if you wanted you could do the garage, that would be a good place to start just doing one side. strip it, put a membrane then shingles. If you prefer metal that's an option. I think Id choose shakes if money was less of an issue. If time was a non issue I'd have a try at splitting shakes too.
I have the same deal with a cartridge for my shower. I replaced them about a year ago, wish I bought more. its just a little plastic part but the thought of having to tear my shower open just because the cartridge is obsolete bugs me, and so it drips and waits.
the cartridge did have O rings. I might get away just replacing those. if it is new enough to have a cartridge than the tool I mentioned is obsolete.

I actually ran an add to see if I might meet others who have old houses and who may want to take part in a labor exchange. It might be a good way to exchange knowledge and you know how it is, its nice if others see what you are doing because if you did it all in solitude you dont get the same drive as you do if you can at least show someone else through and see the changes over time. its also helpful to have someone you can call when it comes to jobs that are awkward. I had a couple of replies from younger guys but I didn't feel I should involve anyone who isn't insured to help on the roof. i wouldn't mind helping others learn what I can show them so it could work. those that replied didn't actually own houses but i might be able to still barter a bit. It wasn't my intention to get free labor, but maybe to share work on an even hourly basis could work. finding just who you could make that work with is a bit of a challenge but shouldn't be impossible.
some join habitat for humanity and do projects together, that could be fun but I find I get so involved in my own stuff I don't really have the time to go work as a volunteer too . That's why I thought a fair labor exchange could be helpful without being too much of a commitment.

If you consider roofing yourself, you can do it in bits and pieces but I'd start small and see if you like doing it. I kind of enjoy the challenge but the time pressure is difficult.
It would be so cool to be able to share in the effort and help each other in real time more but we do help each other and I appreciate that. If you want to just replace a few mid span then you could check Utube videos on repair. I saw some where they do a patch, Its possible. normally you start at the bottom but there are ways to "cheat"

my roof was a little far gone so I stripped it and I am happy I did. some do "roofovers" if it is pretty flat, like if you have 3 tab shingles and not architectural shingles maybe it's more practical, then without doing the tear off something like your garage might be done in spurts and with less labor. most roofers get a bin, I picked them up and used a trailer, even that is basically a weekend of grunt work.

I dont know much about metal roofs. My brother was set on that and said he was going to have a guy come that could form the material from a roll onsite. he had issues with availability. he never showed up ! his roof is a pretty low slope and he used the same kind of shingles I did.
there is a minimum slope where shingles work and I guess he got away with it.
I think the shingles I used are the most common. as I was tearing off I found some red ones and thought gee. I wish I chose red shingles, but I bought leftovers from some other job, saved money and I'm ok with that. red is probably special order. almost every roof near me is grey or black.. how boring.. at least I was able to buy new to make up the difference between what I bought as leftovers , which made up about 75 percent. That saved a thousand or so.

you do need a spotter but that could even be a next door neighbor that just checks in periodically. You just dont want a situation where you fall and get hung up in your harness or something and I'd leave the free acrobatics to the pro's
I don't really do sports and athletics so roofing is at least some good exercise which I needed. I dont really mind carrying them up there. the pros build a little platform and specify rooftop deleivery, and they plunk the whole lot down on the peak so they arent' packing shingles. I made a lifter out of a little winch and used that for lots, It worked but with what I have left I figure I can just carry them up.

I took the advice of a roofer I called in for an estimate. he never actually produced an estimate but talked about the flashing gave me some ideas, and he said start on the hardest to reach part, work towards the easiest part where you access because you dont want to be making too many trips over the new area.
Phil

[Manalto]

Pretty soon I've got to make a run up to Connecticut to take care of some things so my concern at the moment is securing the house, even though this neighborhood is known for being safe and my neighbors are great about keeping an eye out. Nevertheless, I feel that the big shed/studio/summer kitchen is vulnerable with four fragile windows and valuable tools and machinery inside. So, today I installed sheets of plywood over the windows which will also be handy for severe weather (hurricanes, although I hesitate to even use the word; it's like whistling backstage).



My artwork is slovenly at best, but it's plywood!