New Roof on the House

 We've been here for 16 years this week.  We bought the house from my In-Laws.  It's a sturdy little house that is now considered to be "Mid Century Modern".  Who knew?  I just call it a Rancher, but the last real estate agent who came through here looking for homes for his client by knocking on doors told me this house is a "Classic Example of Mid Century Modern Architecture".   That's right.  Our 51 year old money pit is "A Classic". 

Over the 16 years we've been here there has been work, more work, and still more work we've had to do as things have needed to be upgraded or - the never-ending project - getting their junk that they left behind out of the house.

One project that has been on our list for a few years now is the roof.  We knew it was at least 15 years old, but we thought it was 20.  No matter how old it was, it was looking rough and several shingles had blown off last summer.  Getting the roof replaced before winter was a high priority for us.  

We found a company we liked. We interviewed three companies.  The first company came highly recommended, but when we called their references, the people we spoke with always said "He's great!  Whenever it rains, he comes over and fixes the leaks without complaint!"  (Umm..no.)  The second company was one that we had contracted with when I was on Trustees as the church.  While they were highly qualified, so were their rates. They had a flat rate to replace the roof.  But they charged an arm and a leg for everything from nails to running around the property with a metal detector to pick up nails when the job was done.  It turns out we saved the best for last.  They came with multiple positive reviews from people we know and trust, as well as from the random references that they gave us to call.  And so, back in October, our roof was replaced.  But not without a hitch or two.  Because what is a home improvement project without a hitch?

It turns out the roof on our house had never been replaced.  It had just been shingled over, that layer of shingles was 25 years old.  The original layer of 50 year old shingles was still on the roof.  There were places where the roofs had started to leak, so plywood underlayment had to be replaced.  It was a big job that stretched out over two days.  The roofer scheduled us for two days, but then cancelled once because it looked like it would rain the second day, and he wanted two dry days in a row to do everything that needed to be done.  

I was telecommuting the day that first day.  Let me tell you, it was LOUD!  But I really enjoyed watching all of the old shingles coming down off the roof. I sat here mesmerized by the efficiency with which the team tackled the roof.

Just look at all the new plywood over the front door!

We now have a brand spanking new roof.  But you know what?  The woodwork is looking really bad.  Really, really bad.  That's really moved up on the list of things that we need to get taken care of in the next 18 months.