The time to repair the roof is while the sun is shining. . .

Ok all, sorry it’s been a little while this time. As I mentioned in my last post, having to go back to “real life” (i.e. working) means that progress has been a little slow, so this update represents two weeks of work instead of just one.

So when last we left off, we had just put together all the trusses. Naturally, the first step after that then was to position them and secure them , which we basically did with two 16 ft 1x4’s). With that began the long job of putting the roofing boards on. . . That meant first surfacing them all (using the planer again), then routering the edges so that the junctions between the boards looked nice, then staining them to weatherproof them, and then getting them all up there and nailed/screwed on. All in all there were 40 boards that went up, 14 feet each. It took us a good many days just to get that part done!

 

Once that was done, it was on to roofing. This is what we were doing most of this weekend – putting drip-edges on the eaves, then laying down roofing felt, then putting on the shingles and the flashing (along the side of the house). The most satisfying part of it was late last night when I got the last piece of siding put back on. Now there is no longer a point of entry for water damage on the side of my house, and the roof is done!

 

All in all, there are lots of things I’ve learned so far in this project. For example, I’ve learned that jobs like these always take lots longer than you initially expect. I would even say it’s probably safe to take your initial estimate and double it, or maybe even triple it.

I’ve also learned that life must have really stunk back in the days before air powered nail guns (and power tools in general).

I’ve also learned (mostly from second-hand relating of OTHER people’s current construction projects, you know who you are) that sometimes the extra work of doing things yourself is worth it, not just in cost savings on labor but also in knowing that the job was done right and that corners weren’t cut.

And lastly, I’ve learned that 7-month pregnant spouses are surprisingly able to do a lot in construction, although granted most of it amounts to painting, cleaning up, and “Kristin, could you hand me that tool that just slid off the roof. . .” Still, it’s nice to work together, and both of us feel like it’s our porch.