Every time over the weekend that Dad would suggest we stop somewhere to look at something or do something else, I would say “Focus, focus.” Our weekend was about getting the porch on 126 fixed and shingled. And we almost got done. The project took WAY longer than we expected. We started out right away Saturday morning taking the shingles off and ran into our first surprise. There wasn’t just one layer like it looked. There were three or four layers – finishing off with cedar shake shingles on the bottom. And it was very wet and very rotten. We weren’t surprised there was some damage, because the reason for doing it was that it was leaking. But the extent of the damage was a surprise. So that meant Dad taking a lot of time to figure out what could be salvaged and what needed to be replaced with new wood. And then we had to do a lumber run, once we saw what we were going to need. We went to the lumber yard in Bloomer and just bought enough stuff for the first half, because we could see that was all we would get done on Saturday.
Dad had to work at The Garage at 6:00, so we had to stop after we had the first side repaired, new roof surface (plywood) on, the style D roof edging and the weather stripping on and the whole thing covered with the tar paper.It wasn’t done, but it was a lot more weatherproof than it had been when we started.
Yesterday we couldn’t start until after lunch, because of church. Plus Dad had to run to Menards and get the rest of the lumber for the second side. We got there at about 1:30 to find the roof VERY HOT. But the good thing was that the shingles were softer and easier to get off that second side. Our tenant (Victor) was helping and he and I got that side totally stripped and all the nails out and ready for plywood by 3:00.
At that time it seemed we would easily get done, but things started to go slowly because of all the fussy work with the two valleys and all the edges and what-not. Long story short – we were there until 9:15, when we couldn’t see anything. We almost finished – all that is left is a couple shingles at the peak of the middle section and putting on the Boston ridge. But we covered it with tarp in case we have a really wicked storm. Otherwise it would be fine even if it rains.
I don’t remember ever being as exhausted as I was by the time we left. If I’d had my own car, I’d have left around 6, because my body was already so tired and sore. So that is why I’m not going to roof with Gary today as was previously planned. Dad is off to help him, but I’m staying home to get some work done, since I was out of the house the entire weekend.
Wow! That sounds like quite a project.
It was, but we knew we had to do it because it was really leaking into the house and the renters were being relatively patient about it.