| I guess the biggest news from this neck of the woods is the fire in the plastics plant in San Manuel. On my way to work I noted a large black plume of smoke. When I left work that afternoon, there was still a large black plume of smoke, so I stopped and climbed the berm that used to be the railroad underpass where trucks entered the mill area. This is the view from there. I have heard that the plant, that makes foam plates and cups, was 90% consumed. I have also heard that it was already running again. You can believe which ever rumor you choose... |
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The second piece of news (that has consumed all my time and energy for the past 10 days) is the re-shingling of our roof. There never seems to be a good time for a project like this, but being on a roof in the summer is too hot even for me, and winter is too cold to even think about being outside, so we took the plunge... |
| We put an addition on our house and a porch over the washer and dryer circa 1990, and that roof has leaked ever since (but only when it rains [which has occurred an inordinate amount this year {evidenced by the fact that Lake Roosevelt is at record levels}]). |
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So, it was with fear and trepidation that I removed the shingles. I (obviously naively) hoped that the damage would be fairly localized, and that we would be able to replace only a small piece. But, the more shingles that came up, the more damage was evident. We ended up removing all the shingles from the central portion of the roof--from the top of the gable on the new addition to a line on the west side of the chimney for the stove in the front room. |
| Ten of the twelve roof protrusions in this area had leaked, and the damage varied from slight to "you risk your life if you step here." |
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As I suspected, both bathroom skylights had sustained damage. We ended up replacing the equivalent of 8 full sheets of plywood (though several were 4 by 4 sections). I don't claim to understand the science behind it, but I have irrefutable evidence that if you remove a full sheet of plywood that measures exactly 4 by 8 feet, a new sheet of plywood, that also measured exactly 4 by 8 feet, will not fit in the hole without being trimmed. The solution to that puzzle may elude science for years to come... |
| AJ and Brittney were here for almost all of the project, and they were a big help. Without them, I would probably still be on the roof. |
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The older I get, the worse my estimation skills become. Sun Life Family Health Centers gave me Friday, April 2nd as a holiday, and I figured that I could use that day, then complete the job working around General Conference the following day. As an after thought, I also took off Monday, April 5th, "Just to be safe." I figured I probably wouldn't need it and could cancel it when I show up at work that day. Ha! I worked from Sunrise to Dark on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I went to work Tuesday, and after mortgaging my soul to the company, I managed to get Wednesday as a Vacation Day, and put in an additional 13 hours. That brought me to the point that I was able to finish after working a paltry 5 hours the following Saturday. |
In our 1987 Christmas letter, I penned the following lines:
The recreational activity known as "remodeling" probably began shortly after the first caveman moved his fire pit and his wife noted an alteration in the patterns its smoke left on his ceiling. This past year, we yielded to this primal urge, and under took to remodel our freestanding, brick and timber cave... |
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We found these laws to still be in effect. The first new area presented itself when we removed the plywood through which it protruded, and bent the 3/8 inch copper tubing that supplied water to the cooler. This line was isolated from the remainder of the water system by a fairly large gate valve. Over the years, this valve has become harder and harder to close (mandating the use of a larger and larger wrench), until this time the handle broke off. |
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The line had flanged fittings, and after showing AJ how to make them using a flanging tool, it occurred to me that I have never seen an old joint of this type that wasn't coated with water scale. Given enough time, this type of joint always leaks. So... We decided to replace the tubing with galvanized pipe. Brittney learned how to use a pipe treader. It took only two trips to the hardware store, and the water in the house was shut off for six hours, but we finally got it done. |
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And don't forget to insulate the new pipe... |
| The second new area was the porch over the washer and dryer. When originally constructed, the corner not attached to the house was supported by a pair of 2 by 4 pieces of wood that I joined together and encapsulated in several coats of paint. Over the years, this paint has "evaporated," along with a substantial portion of the wood it was there to protect. So, I replaced it with a relatively heavy piece of 3" pipe. This required designing, fabricating, and welding brackets to the top and bottom of the pipe so that it would, first be attached to the roof, and second, be stabilized in the foundation (that I have yet to pour). |
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| Here AJ shows off the latest style in construction worker attire. Isn't it amazing the changes that can be wrought by a sunburned neck? | |
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We found some unexpected things under the shingles. On the porch, the remains of this glove surfaced. I can't believe I laid tar paper over this, but the evidence is compelling. Nah... I must have had a kid helping me... |
| The tiny rocks embedded in roofing shingles are specially selected to dull knife blades. It appear that they do a reasonable job... (Actually, you're supposed to cut the back of the shingle, but working upside down and backwards in my mind results in the waste of a lot of material). |
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When you realize you are five days into a 1½ day project, it is probably time to re-think your strategy. |
| We, (particularly Britteny and Barbara), spent a lot of time scraping old tar from the roof furniture. I can understand now, why professional roofers simply replace everything sticking out of the roof. |
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AJ and Barbara hauled two pickup loads to the dump (and paid a king's ransom* to leave it there), but there is still a mess in the back yard. Oh, well, that's why they make tomorrow... (*Barbara went to Mammoth Court House Complex and after producing a current electric bill received 3 vouchers good for 750 pounds for free per year. Aren't bureaucracies wonderful?) We also managed to track tar all over the carpets in the house. If that nasty stuff repels water half as well as it transfers between objects, we should be able to turn the house upside down and use it for a boat. |
| Barbara thought We would need to replace the skylights, but when we got them down and looked closely, they still seemed to be in reasonable condition. |
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I asked Jim Smith how to shingle around the corner of the addition, that gave me such problems in the past. His only advice was to not use shingles. Instead, he suggested I use the emulsion system we put on the garage at Daddy's house in Taylor. |
| I was too far along in my thinking to "change horses" at that point, but perhaps next time (if there is a next time) I will take his advice. The shingles on the north side of the house need some tender loving care, but before replacing them I plan of trying some of that roof coating that is put on with a roller. I may be a waste, but at this point I'm just not up for more shingles... |
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We invested a fair amount of effort into getting a good layer of tar between the skylights and the plywood, and then fastened them in place using screws every three inches around their perimeter. I suspect that the next people who scrape shingles off this roof are not going to think kindly of our efforts. |
| When it was all said and done, I used just over 15 gallons of tar. I have to estimate that amount, because the tar makers have followed the lead of the ice cream makers. Now a five gallon bucket only holds 4.75 gallons, and a gallon bucket holds 3.5 quarts. I guess that is one way to hold down prices. |
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Here is the last nail. I shingle rarely enough that it is basically a new experience each time. Looking back on it, there are several things I think I should have done differently. I sure hope the leaking problem has been fixed, but who can say for sure. I was liberal with the tar, but water is relentless. |
| I await the next rain fall with a mixture containing equal parts of anticipation and fear. Oh, please don't leak... |
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