Roofing project...

[phil]

Thanks Mick, Lets don't mess up Jeepnstein's thread, Ill start a new one on storm windows...

[Jeepnstein]

Start that thread and I'll be in it deep. It's one of my hobbies.

[Jeepnstein]

After a solid two weeks of rain and delays things are happening. I came home Friday to one guy up on the roof working on some trim details and making sure the eaves were square. Some lessons learned this far into the project.

Our house has very deep eaves, almost three feet. They sag over time. And the Yankee gutters didn't help with that either. So we had to raise the corners almost eight inches to get everything to line up again. If the trim doesn't line up nothing else would either. I'll spare you the gory details of the way it was done but it involved a long stiff pole and a railroad jack. It's all good now.

Delays. On a job this big it's inevitable. And since we're going all metal even a little bit of rain makes the day a no-go. Ever ride one of those old-school metal playground sliding boards when it has just a little water on it? Imagine doing that almost thirty feet off the ground. Since I value human life far more than I do my precious schedule we must learn to keep things in perspective.

The contractor had some labor problems on Friday that pretty much ruined everyone's day. We're dealing with humans and some times that's messy. Again, a delay. But very understandable and in this case regrettable. Such is life in a small Appalachian town. We're experiencing a plague that is wiping out entire families. And that plague is called Heroin. The roofing crew is one man smaller this morning.

So the roofing was delivered, laid out, marked, and then the rain came again. This was my constant reminder of that fact this weekend. At least it's the right color.





And of course I have to brag on my wife for the lovely cake. It's a metaphor for the way I live my life. Sitting there in the boat reeling in a nice fish and totally unaware of the fact I'm about to go over a water fall. Maybe I'll catch that big one down at the bottom of the falls! Always the optimist.

[Jeepnstein]

We're back on track. The dormers are almost completed, the front porch is done, and I expect them to be down to flashing details by this time tomorrow.

What I have noticed is that the roof deck where the metal is installed is noticeably cooler to the touch. And it doesn't hold heat after the sun goes down. This may very well be a good answer for one of my biggest problems, namely heat packing down from the attic and working my AC unit too hard.

[Jeepnstein]

Rain rain, go away. Apparently the whole thing becomes a giant and somewhat dangerous slip and slide with just a little bit of moisture. They haven't had two days in a row with no rain for the last three weeks. We're down to finishing the flashings and chimney caps today. Gutters will be done in a few days.

A few observations. It radically changes the appearance of the house. No way would this fly in a historic district. It also cools the attic considerably. I don't have any data yet but my impression is that it is significantly cooler. We'll see what that does with the AC bills. Also, water sheds very fast so large gutters are a must.

Everything looks as good as I could expect on a roof like this. Fasteners are snug but not over driven, no scratches in the finish, and it's all nice and straight. We'll just have to wait and see how it holds up over the long haul.

[phil]

wow that is a bright red ! I bet it lasts a lifetime and makes the place sooo comfortable. i wonder how the rain noise will be? I guess with another roof between it won't be too loud? sounds like you have had a lot of patience with this job.

[Don M]

Good news all around & your wife's cake is amazing!

[Jeepnstein]

It didn't rain today. That's kind of novel. We need two more good days to finish some flashing details and get the gutters installed. So far I can tell a huge difference in attic temperatures. It also would seem that the roofing will shed water properly. So I have that going for me. I also think we can be spotted from outer space. Once they're done I'll have to get back to work on the yard and flower beds. They've been destroyed and the rain isn't helping much with that either.

[Neighmond]

Looks sharp!

[Gothichome]

Jeepnstein, looking at your yard, the tapered rise in the landscaping. Looks a whole lot like there was once a carriage step in front. Roof looks good as well.