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I've been meaning to redo the shed roof. I had planned on doing it in september, and here september is half over. Honestly, I would have gotten to it sooner but I was doing a lot of gardening. Okay, probably only as soon as last weekend. But now time is running out. Not many weekends left to work before the snow flies.
There were some shingles missing - for years. There was one spot where the plywood was open to the sky. The rain got in, soaked through the plywood, and dissolved the glue. It looked fine from inside the shed, but once I got the shingles off, it was clear that the shingles had been holding up the plywood, rather than the other way around. The gutters on each side were rusty and sagging in the middle. Some of the wood behind them was rotting away. Other wooden parts around the edges were rotted away, some completely. In one spot, it was rotted and/or separated enough that birds got inside and built a nest.
Last weekend I had some time, so I went out to look at things and make a plan. I failed. No clue. I knew that all I could do was start tearing things apart and see what I needed. So that's what I did. I took the day off work. I went out bright and early (meaning, before lunchtime), and started tearing things apart. I took the gutters off. I took off some of the fascia boards. I tore off all the shingles on the south side. I took the rest of the fascia boards off. I tore off the shingles at the bottom of the north side.
I was surprised at how steep it is. I could barely hang on, on the shingled part (sandpaper). I could only work up there by sitting on or hanging onto the peak. If I needed to reach far downward, I had to hook my foot over the peak, and sit on my calf (can you picture that?) Any farther down than that, I could only reach from below, on a ladder.
As I said, I started without a plan. I only had presence of mind last night, to call my friend to borrow some tools. I went over to his shop at a quarter to twelve last night, talked for an hour, and didn't get to bed until well after 1:00 (hence, the early start today). I still haven't called for a dumpster. Now, since I need to replace some plywood, I have to work out a way to get it home and then get it up on the roof. The station wagon is only 42" wide. I called a friend who works nearby, with trucks, to see if he could help. He called back and said he was in Chicago, and wouldn't be home until sunday. I can only thing of one other person with a truck, and I always call him for things. One more time. But he doesn't have his big truck this weekend. His only available vehicle can only hold a 4x6 sheet of plywood. I'd prefer a full sheet, but I can deal with that. But he can't help until late afternoon tomorrow. I wonder how far I can get before I need his help.
I'll have to assume my current plan is correct - I'd rather get his input first - and start cutting out the bad plywood. I think I have to cut off the bottom foot or two of the entire north side, and half the south side. And six feet of that one sheet. Ooh - if I get the plywood all cut down to two-foot strips, I can get it home in the wagon. I'll just have to use three two-foot sheets instead of one six-footer, in that one spot. Then I won't need him at all.
Now I have the problem of cutting the plywood off the roof. I set the blade of the circular saw at a 1/2" deep cut. Mark a chalk line, and try to cut it straight. Hmm, I wonder what I'll stand on. Oh, I'll nail one of the scrap boards down. I'm cutting that part off anyway. Okay, get the plywood replaced, put the fascia boards up, then the gutters. Might use plastic. Oops, what about the fascia boards on the ends of the roof? Those are going to be tricky.
Wish me luck.
There were some shingles missing - for years. There was one spot where the plywood was open to the sky. The rain got in, soaked through the plywood, and dissolved the glue. It looked fine from inside the shed, but once I got the shingles off, it was clear that the shingles had been holding up the plywood, rather than the other way around. The gutters on each side were rusty and sagging in the middle. Some of the wood behind them was rotting away. Other wooden parts around the edges were rotted away, some completely. In one spot, it was rotted and/or separated enough that birds got inside and built a nest.
Last weekend I had some time, so I went out to look at things and make a plan. I failed. No clue. I knew that all I could do was start tearing things apart and see what I needed. So that's what I did. I took the day off work. I went out bright and early (meaning, before lunchtime), and started tearing things apart. I took the gutters off. I took off some of the fascia boards. I tore off all the shingles on the south side. I took the rest of the fascia boards off. I tore off the shingles at the bottom of the north side.
I was surprised at how steep it is. I could barely hang on, on the shingled part (sandpaper). I could only work up there by sitting on or hanging onto the peak. If I needed to reach far downward, I had to hook my foot over the peak, and sit on my calf (can you picture that?) Any farther down than that, I could only reach from below, on a ladder.
As I said, I started without a plan. I only had presence of mind last night, to call my friend to borrow some tools. I went over to his shop at a quarter to twelve last night, talked for an hour, and didn't get to bed until well after 1:00 (hence, the early start today). I still haven't called for a dumpster. Now, since I need to replace some plywood, I have to work out a way to get it home and then get it up on the roof. The station wagon is only 42" wide. I called a friend who works nearby, with trucks, to see if he could help. He called back and said he was in Chicago, and wouldn't be home until sunday. I can only thing of one other person with a truck, and I always call him for things. One more time. But he doesn't have his big truck this weekend. His only available vehicle can only hold a 4x6 sheet of plywood. I'd prefer a full sheet, but I can deal with that. But he can't help until late afternoon tomorrow. I wonder how far I can get before I need his help.
I'll have to assume my current plan is correct - I'd rather get his input first - and start cutting out the bad plywood. I think I have to cut off the bottom foot or two of the entire north side, and half the south side. And six feet of that one sheet. Ooh - if I get the plywood all cut down to two-foot strips, I can get it home in the wagon. I'll just have to use three two-foot sheets instead of one six-footer, in that one spot. Then I won't need him at all.
Now I have the problem of cutting the plywood off the roof. I set the blade of the circular saw at a 1/2" deep cut. Mark a chalk line, and try to cut it straight. Hmm, I wonder what I'll stand on. Oh, I'll nail one of the scrap boards down. I'm cutting that part off anyway. Okay, get the plywood replaced, put the fascia boards up, then the gutters. Might use plastic. Oops, what about the fascia boards on the ends of the roof? Those are going to be tricky.
Wish me luck.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 12:45 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 02:30 pm (UTC)From:So... what are you doing this afternoon?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 03:44 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:20 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 04:30 pm (UTC)From:Years ago I bought really cheapo roof racks, which, while they do work, do not fit the current car. They are a fraction of a step above simply throwing an old blanket over the top of the car.
1. Purchase a woven 1/4 or 3/16 nylon rope (high strength) available at most hardware stores. Whatever it is it needs to go through your doors when the door is open so you can tie the plywood to the roof going through the cab.
2. Tie the front edge of the plywood firmly together with a rope around them.
3. Run the rope around the plywood & car, going through the doors not the windows.
4. Tie the rope across the front edge of the plywood to the bumper, and ditto the back. Bonus points for capturing the corners of the plywood.
Don't go on the freeway.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:25 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 06:00 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 08:13 pm (UTC)From:Nowadays instead of plain old ply, they're using medium or high density fiberboard.
It's very handy having a pickup, I purchased. moved, unloaded and built the whole porch roof by myself. I can't comfortably bring home anything more than about 10' long...
Good luck!!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:17 am (UTC)From:Maybe I'll get a trailer someday.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 03:26 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 03:50 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 05:07 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 10:37 pm (UTC)From:Good luck!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:13 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 11:18 pm (UTC)From:I've had good and bad luck with plastic snap-on gutters. They aren't ... er... snuff to the fascia boards enough - they don't tuck under the little overhang of shingles enough - to keep little drips from getting through.
I ended up using some white plastic "seam cover" (not sure what it's called)to go from under the flashing at the edge into the gutters, then all the drips coming down between the shingle line and gutter were eliminated.
What I did - a little different - was use radiant-barrier coated MDF instead of ply, and painted it all with thick roofing paint. Then I used that painted MDF and, put it on the roof with about 1/4 inch gaps, and filled the gaps with white roofing silicon. I put tarred felt on top of the MDF, and finally standard 45-year fiberglass/composite shingles on the top.
You shingle rows from left to right starting at the bottom. Cut the "first shingle" in half (or similar) on every other row. If you don't do this, ridges will form where the shingles overlap.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 01:25 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:12 am (UTC)From:You painted over radiant barrier? Will it still radiate?
I'm getting the cheapest shingles I can manage. I plan on replacing the shed in five to ten years. I've done roofing before. That's the easy part - especially with no vents or dormers! It's all the repair work that's such a pain.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 05:08 am (UTC)From:heh. It still seems to block cell phones.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 01:13 am (UTC)From:Jeez.
If you want to do a long/quick fix, FEMA's got these nifty blue tarp thingies that lots of New Orleans homes still sport.
Knowing you. The shed's going to be rentable when you're done with it.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 01:18 am (UTC)From:Oh, and thanks - I didn't fall.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 01:27 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 05:10 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 02:28 pm (UTC)From:1. It has no doors. I'm a little nervous about keeping my tractor out there.
2. One window doesn't have glass, and the frame is kinda broken.
3. It was cheaply built, and wearing out. The siding is some sort of fiberboard, and the rodents have gnawed through it, and dents cause it to disintegrate.
4. The concrete base is breaking up. It's in a low spot, so runoff seeps down into the ground, causing the floor to settle.
5. I'd like more space and room to work.
What RV?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 07:49 pm (UTC)From:A couple of years ago one of my friends worked at a studio storage facility. Paramount had 3-4 terry trailers that had been fitted as cast / director "rooms", just like you sometimes see on TV. These are fairly nice, 25', with all kinds of nice things in them.
Trailers similar to this were listed on ebay / craig's for over $5,000. I got the director's trailer for $1000. The guy who towed it here thought I'd paid perhaps as much as $7K, and said that's about as much as he'd have paid for it at most.
I'm considering selling it and buying 2 smaller trailers, a camping trailer and a utility "stuff" trailer. :)