A Roofer Runs Through It

Thursday was another dump run, physical therapy and general running around. We got home in time for Ed to put in a few hours, so he gave the fascia boards a coat of dark green paint. It goes great with the roof shingles (Pabco Sherwood Green).



Friday is the day we have been waiting for! The roofers showed up bright and early to start the shingles. I can't tell you how glad I am that Ed's not doing that job, and he just wants it done before it starts to rain again. Ed roofed the barn, and when you're doing it by yourself and you only have a few days a week to work on it..well..it takes forever.















This is where having the right tools for the job makes all the difference in the world. That lift truck was just too cool. I wonder where you get one of those..by the end of Friday they had most of the roof covered with shingles, and the rest covered with roofing paper. We knew we would be getting rain over the weekend, so we were just happy that it was more or less water tight. What a huge relief. They'll come back Monday and finish.













Over the weekend, Ed worked on the interior. He installed ceiling joists, and more blocking for plywood and drywall. He filled up the truck with another load to the dump, and took down the staging front and back. Sunday he put up truss blocking and hurricane clips..and before you say it, no we don't have hurricanes. We do have 90 mph+ winds several times each winter, but since they don't spin, they just blow, it's just wind.









Monday the roofers returned and finished up. Isn't it pretty? A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Actually, they are 30 year shingles, but at our age, that's close enough to forever. We are so happy to have it finished.













Monday Ed started working hanging the plywood on the west wall. It's just really hard by himself, and after a few false starts and some scary moments, he decided to build scaffolding on the side of the house and work from there. Much better! He had to put it up, take it down and move it around a bit, but well worth the effort. Trial and error ate most of the morning but once the scaffolding was up, things went a lot faster.









By the end of Tuesday, he had the west wall done. Considering how much time out of the last two weeks he had to spend taking care of me, he got a lot done, and things are shaping up nicely.
Ed went back to work this morning, and rain is expected this week. Of course it is! It rains here all the time!

He's Been Around The Block A Time Or Two

Ed has been a busy guy. He lost three days of work taking care of me, waiting on me hand and foot. After that I was sufficiently mobile that I could sit around eating bonbons, trashy romance novel in one hand and walkie-talkie in the other. With the other half of the radio in his pocket, he went back to building. On days where I had physical therapy, he only had a half day to work, since he was chauffeur the first part of the morning. Considering how his work time was split up, it is amazing how much he got done.

He installed a drip line on the barge rafters ..I'm not sure what a barge rafter is, but since I couldn't get up the ladder to take any pictures all week, you'll have to take my word for it. Then last Saturday, he finished all the blocking downstairs and drilled and epoxied in the remaining tie downs along the foundation. On Sunday he was back up on the roof and put the last of the plywood on the roof. After that he moved all the lumber up to the second story that he would need for the interior and end walls.

On Monday, he put the headers up on both 11/12 gable end trusses for the end walls. Once again, he figured out how to do it by himself. He fitted the lower end into place and fixed a rope pully. Once he got it hoisted into place but not snug, he tied it off and shot a few nails to hold it, pulled the rope, and then nailed it tight.

He put up the primary framing for the east wall, with the window framing still to go.

Tuesday he was my driver again in the morning, so didn't get to start building until about noon. By the end of the day he had both end walls framed, door to the west and windows to the east.

Wednesday.....more blocking. He nailed in the second floor blocking and built the 4' walls that connect the two different roof slopes. These areas will be closets, pantry and storage areas once the apartment is finished. This shot shows the bedroom area, bedroom to the left and closet to the right, both on the northeast side of the unit. There will be a second one on the southeast corner, and two on the west side, on either side of the entry door.

Thursday is physical therapy again and the roofers are scheduled to come on Friday, but that will be another chapter.

Three Sheets To The Wind

Sunday after church Ed was back up on the roof...again... At least we're able to see the light at the end..or is that a train? We got a few sheets of bad plywood where the glue failed and the stuff buckled apart. Ed had to remove those pieces from the roof and recut and renail new pieces. He was not a happy camper. But by Sunday night, after a few more sporadic downpours, he had the roof just about done.

He did leave a small spot on the back where the chimney for the wood stove will come up. Before Ed started framing for the chimney, he decided to clean up the floor on the upstairs. It was littered with piles of sawdust (wet and slippery), ends off 2x4s, miscellaneous cut-offs from plywood, empty water bottles, an old sawblade, and about a gazillion used nails that he pulled out of boards as he went. He took down the interior supports (now unnecessary) and the scaffolding, and made a nice, neat pile of the reusable lumber.

Once the jobsite was rendered safe, back up on the roof he went, this time to construct the chimney. Once again this involved, standing on a slick slope, holding a very heavy sheet of plywood and a nail gun. Did I mention that the tendon in Ed's shoulder has been barking at him? Add gusty winds to the mix, and stir....I took the dog and cats inside the house so when that plywood came sailing down, nobody would get killed. Oh me of little faith! Ed never dropped a single sheet. Almosts don't count. By the end of Tuesday, the chimney was done and ready for the roofer-guys. Yes, we are gonna shell out the money to have someone put the shingles up. They can get it wrapped and shingled in a day, and it will be worth every penny!

There may be no entry next week as I'm having my hip roto-rootered, and plan on being heavily medicated.....unless I can talk Ed into working as ghost-writer.