what do we need to know about roof flashings?

[phil]

so if that method is used the thickness of the strapping minus the thickness of any insulation would leave a gap for air to get through. Would anyone have an idea what gap would be sufficient ?
I guess that's a loaded question because it would depend upon the area of the ridge vents.

I need to learn more about ridge vents. I have one square one. I think a neighbor put 8 of them up there. obviously the presense of 8 ridge vents takes away from the heritage look but maybe it's not that noticeable anyway. I'm thinking there may be a continuous one that would be less ugly looking. I think some of the southern houses had sort of like a bell tower that had it's own little roof and open lattice. I think that looks really nice but I guess it would probably be adding a feature that wasn't meant to be.

the carpenters said I need to use spruce pine or fir grade 2 or better for scaffold. I asked if I could use cedar thinking maybe I could recycle that into a fence later but they said no, it isn't suitable. there are some local safety codes to follow or the scaffold but I don't think it's too complex. I can join it to the house for stability.

[Gothichome]

Phil, before you get too far into this might I suggest you spend some time reading.
If you look to the topics listed on the right side of the page, there are links to many articles on the same topic.

https://buildingscience.com/documents/i ... er-roofing

https://buildingscience.com/documents/p ... nting/view

[phil]

thanks for the link. yes there is lots of good reading there. after thinking things through and considering the economics I'm leaning towards just doing a second layer and keeping it simple with the venting and whatnot. down the road I can always go to town and strip it and strap it and insulate but for now U think I just don't want it to leak. I can see the plywood from inside, it looks fine and there is 1x4 strapping running along the length of the roof. at one time it had shingles and they removed that and put plywood and a new roof already. I'd guess it's 20 years since.

I watched one video where he did a layer of roof felt between the first and second layer.. On others they just go for it and do a second layer. I want to understand the flashing a bit better. I need ot look at what is available and maybe i need to trim off any that hangs over so it doesn't show. Right now I'm trying to see if I can find some of the roofing privately and if I can get some quantity from someone who bought too much maybe I can make up the balance with new.

I have a roofing nailer. I lent it to my brother and I probably need to have a look and maybe put some new seals in it before I start.

[phil]

on the weekend i found some shingles. they had been sitting since 05 but still wrapped and should be fine. they are IKO cambridge , supposed to be 50 year shingles. charcoal grey. I think I need about 16 squares and it's about 26 or 28 bundles so I think it's around 12 squares. hard to beat the price I only paid $300.
I had to drive a ways, split the load between my van and trailer. it was a heavy load.. tiring but happy to get them home. Ill have to make up the difference with something. hopefully I can get the same ones still but considering the price I figure it was a good step in the right direction.

[phil]

Yesterday I got a roll of roofing felt. I guess that is what it is called. it seems to be about a 100 foot roll. Kind of a fiberous layer. I guess it's fiberglass and tar or whatever. on top it has sort of sand like the shingles.. the roll seems a bit old and tattered but I think once I get using it the inside of the roll is pretty protected so it should be ok.. Ill check if it is suitable.. 25 bucks for the roll.. I think Im on a roll getting as many materials as I can at the craigslist price
I found some black flashings but after emailing with the guy they turned out to be for windows and the perimeter I guess near the foundation or something.. But he sent a link to the type I need.. something like this:

https://www.menzies-metal.com/sheet-met ... e-flashing

im assuming there is another that is bent differently for the gable ends. like this :

https://www.menzies-metal.com/sheet-met ... ing-safety

I think Ill try to re-use the gutters. they seem pretty sturdy but they are white. Id really like to paint them to match the roof or the house. now I'm noticing just how many houses are color coordinated until it comes to their gutter systems where they seem to go white like it is a feature. I wan them to blend in.
I have to try not to get sidetracked though.. Maybe the painting can come after.

Im happy though I have over half the materials now and only spent $325.. so that's going well.. I'm starting to lean towards doing a tear off.

I noticed some roofers doing one yesterday. I think they put the roofing felt near the eves and then they put a layer of something over the whole roof between the roofing and plywood but it was a grey material. I wonder if I could use house wrap - Tyvec? I have some of that. I need to learn myself a little more but Ill get this sorted out yet. Tyvec does have a product FOR this.. I think the house wrap stuff is a bad idea, too slippery.. but I think the paper I got yesterday will do for the bottom edges.

http://www.dupont.com/products-and-serv ... rotec.html


Phil

[DRJR]

Do not use Tyvek on your roof. If you step on it, you will hit the ground quickly. This stuff is for walls only.

You can use a synthetic underlayment made for roofing. Most likely is was the gray stuff on the roof that you observed.

Most new roofs are done with water and ice at the eves, then synthetic underlayment to the peak. Some still use felt. The cheap guys use nothing.

[phil]

yes the house wrap is too slick. Tyvec does make three grades of roof underlayment.
I think I could use what I have and maybe put tarpaper or something like it on the rest. for example there is one for 113.00 that does 10 squares
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GCP-Applied ... /300597241
Its common practice to do the first row of shingles turned 180 from "normal, in other words with the two slits facing the peak, Then to start laying them as normal I remember dad doing it that way and I don't recall him using a roof paper up over the whole roof. I think he just laid 4" of tapraper then a row of backwards shingles, then a second layer just over the first course. Its because you'd get a leak near the slits along the bottom course otherwise.

the shingles I have are sort of a double layer in some places. It might be ok to do that first upside down layer with a cheaper shingle so they lay flatter. the IKO cambridge ones have some thickness to make it so they appear a bit more like wood shingles. I noticed the bundles dont' lie flat exactly if they are stacked and it's because of differing thicknesses due to this.. most of the shingle is a single layer but the actual shingle part that shows has some area that is sort of a double layer. so they don't lay as flat as the cheap ones.

Maybe my previous owners did because I can't believe it isn't leaking in some places. I was told that code only requires the bottom to have a felt for ice dams so the cheap guys are at least meeting code.

for me I might be on and off working on it for some time so It is probably good just to protect the plywood while things progress and probably worth a hundred or two to have something over the whole thing even if it's just cheap underfelt it will offer some protection if my plywood sees a couple rainfalls.

I was wondering why the stuff that I have has a sandy finish, it is about like 100 grit sandpaper but I guess its for foot grip. what I have is a big roll so maybe it's all I need.

I had a brainstorm idea last night and posted in "barter" on Craigslist. Ill try to find a helper and offer my millwright and many other skills.. Even if I just get someone not afraid of heights we could do a labor exchange and I'll help back. I need extra liability insurance but it might be within reason and if I just get a young guy to help that isn't so scared of heights as I am then I think I can figure out what has to happen so I can oversee the whole thing. that way I might get the labor for free just by helping him/her back back.. I'll see what happens. Maybe I can do some welding or drywall or fix their car, or fiberglass their deck, or something like that in return. If I were a chicken at least I could fly a little the project is scary to me.. I can do it but teaming up with a helper would be so great.

[DRJR]

Reversing the shingles is for the starter course. Common with three tab. With architectural shingles, use starter course shingles. You can pick them up at Home Depot or that other blue labeled store.

[phil]

Ive been watching a few Utube videos and while that wont' make me an expert I'm thankful to have that method of learning as they have shown me a lot about various details. I watched one that showed how to do the step flashing and counter flashing near the chimney and I can see how it would be easy to make mistakes with what overlaps what. In one they recommended using the three tabs of the same color but I see the point- it's because the architectural ones would be lumpy underneath.
Ive noticed a lot of the houses near me had extra vents installed so Im looking into that and wondering if I'm better with square vents or ridge vents.

Here are some pictures. You can see one really bad spot near the peak. also in one of the pics you can see how the ends of my facia boards are cut wit those weird notches. Ive seen it on other old houses too . I think they are the origional and you can tell how the one near where the roof was lifted was cut lke that before they added on.. maybe there were boards stuck through there that were used ot hold the origional gutters? so now it's got a funny "feature" going on there. I thin it might be best left like that to just tell it's story than to try to move the roofline.. You can see how it's a bit weird. You can also see from the siding where the window is, there used to be a door there and when they installe the window they didnt' really fix the siding. it should sort of be built out overtop of the window.. It can be corrected when I get to fixing siding and painting. some of the siding is curled up but I thik I can just replace the worst ones and leave it as original as I can.

[phil]

I had a roofer with 20 years experiene reply to my ad. he said he has an RV but I haven't found out what he wants me to do with it... it was supposed to be a labor trade ,, but we made arrangements so he will stop by. I sent him the above pics and he thought it would take a day or two. I expected he'd estimate more time, maybe he means two guys or not to remove the old shingles.. my gut feeling it is't a day to strip the roof a day to start flashings and roof membrane and sort out the flashings for vents , maybe cut new vents and at least a day to nail on the shingles.. I would have thought a three day job for two guys but maybe he is iused to working fast and cutting corners. I could get away without installing the perimeter flasings and roofing membrane but I think I might be happy to do all the little extras. If I do it on my own Ill stretch the job out and try to make it more perfect. If I hire it out it has to be quick I guess or it will cost too much.
Ill see where I get to.. maybe I can just hire the guy, Ill see.. I'm thinking it's time to install a bathroom fan. Not sure if the vent would be any different from the roof vents but I might as well have the vent for it. I can stick the fan in and wire it and all that later but the flashing and vent for one should go in with the new roof I guess. I wonder if you can still buy lead to make flashing or is it considered a hazardous substance now? all the little accessories add up so I'll see and maybe he knows where to shop or maybe he can help get me a contractor price.

with the roof vents you can get ones now that ave solar cells and a motor so it doesnt' need wirring but My take is they will probably fail in 5 years. Im not sure if I want a bunch of plastic vents or a whirly thing.. is it worth more money to have metal vents?