Well, the roof has been done for over a week and the weather has not been cooperating. We have had glorious days with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s. The sky has been blue with little puffy clouds forming mystical creatures to float above my house. This really is not what I wanted!
Finally yesterday brought just what I had been waiting for: WIND & RAIN!!!!! It poured all day, it was glorious. However by the time Tom and I got home, the downpour was more of a spit. I made a mad dash for Tom's den to empty the buckets and they were empty! Not a drop of water had slithered in under the roof. I think we got it!
I had worried that there could be some water getting in as part of the siding had been removed to replace some bad wood. The crew had sealed the places with some sort of membrane, but I was still worried. As it is still raining, I will check again when we get home.
Noise, that blasted noise: ping - ping - ping! NOT! When I got up this morning Tom asked if I had slept good as he had had a good night's sleep also. Then he said it had rained hard all night. We didn't hear a thing. So that should put to rest all those naysayers who thought I was going to be sorry about the metal roof!
Next month we go before the Conservation Committee about the siding and the work should be done the first part of June. The doors could be in before that, I just do not know the timing, as our contractor is going to Europe. He must be a very good contractor!!!
Keep popping back. I'll add more in a few days.
Happy Spring
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Roof is Done - What a Shabby Looking House!!
Thank goodness the roof is done! Thank goodness even more that the siding goes on in a few weeks! I never thought the house could look so great and so bad at the same time. Eliza Doolittle with a fancy hat and her flower-girl dress!
It does look nice. I have to get used to the snow guards they have to put on metal roofs. I thought they would be painted to match the roof but they only come in a silver metal. So as I told the owner of the roofing company: I'm having to learned to live with a red roof with silver polka dots!
The siding crew will be here tomorrow for us to pick the color. I am going to go with a sterling grey with white trim. The siding looks like 7" cedar shakes and I think it will look very beachy when it is done. Then there will be the decking, stairs, front porch, sidewalk and landscaping. Any of you have an in as to a winning lottery ticket? Oh yes, don't forget the new wiring, the sheet rock for Tom's den where the rain leaked through the old roof and destroyed the ceiling and walls. Money pit? Could a 1750 square foot house be a Money Pit? I have discovered that Size really doesn't Matter!
It does look nice. I have to get used to the snow guards they have to put on metal roofs. I thought they would be painted to match the roof but they only come in a silver metal. So as I told the owner of the roofing company: I'm having to learned to live with a red roof with silver polka dots!
The siding crew will be here tomorrow for us to pick the color. I am going to go with a sterling grey with white trim. The siding looks like 7" cedar shakes and I think it will look very beachy when it is done. Then there will be the decking, stairs, front porch, sidewalk and landscaping. Any of you have an in as to a winning lottery ticket? Oh yes, don't forget the new wiring, the sheet rock for Tom's den where the rain leaked through the old roof and destroyed the ceiling and walls. Money pit? Could a 1750 square foot house be a Money Pit? I have discovered that Size really doesn't Matter!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Life's Important Things Can Get Lost Amid the Mess of Everyday Clutter
I have never been known for being on top of importrant dates in my life. I get wrapped up in the now of everyday life and events can fly right over my head. I was so busy last week with work and construction that I let a very important event go by without so much as a thought. Our only Grandson, Josh, had his 20th birthday and I never even called.
I have always been this way. I try so hard to remember things but then stuff gets in the way and my mind goes too.
Josh is a pretty wonderful young man. I would say that if I just knew him and he wasn't my grandson. He is a great all around guy. He's into sports: baseball, basketball, football; you name it he loves it. He's a good student when he puts his mind to it , he pulled his grades way up when he saw how important it was. His Papa Tom is super proud that after Josh graduates from Junior College next month he will be coming east to attend Merrimack Collage, Tom's collage.
Well I called Josh and in his usual manner he tried to down play my memory loss. I just hope he realizes how much we love him.
We are very lucky that in this crazy world, we have 3 fabulous grand kids, all with good heads on their shoulders and goals in their minds.
I have always been this way. I try so hard to remember things but then stuff gets in the way and my mind goes too.
Josh is a pretty wonderful young man. I would say that if I just knew him and he wasn't my grandson. He is a great all around guy. He's into sports: baseball, basketball, football; you name it he loves it. He's a good student when he puts his mind to it , he pulled his grades way up when he saw how important it was. His Papa Tom is super proud that after Josh graduates from Junior College next month he will be coming east to attend Merrimack Collage, Tom's collage.
Well I called Josh and in his usual manner he tried to down play my memory loss. I just hope he realizes how much we love him.
We are very lucky that in this crazy world, we have 3 fabulous grand kids, all with good heads on their shoulders and goals in their minds.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Four Men and a Foreign Language
Tuesday was an amazing day. We got home and there was a big truck, a trailer and more supplies AND a four man crew! The entire front of the roof was stripped, plywood laid, insulation down and the rubber sealer was laid halfway up the front side of the roof. I can't believe how much work these men have accomplished considering the weather this week!
As I was walking around, looking at the work, I kept hearing the crew talking to each other. I couldn't figure out what language they were speaking. It sounds like Russian but I am not sure. I do know Vlad is from Slovakia, so I am thinking they speak one of the Slavic languages. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I went on line and looked up Slovakia. What a beautiful country. The history is very interesting and the culture explains the quality of workmanship being done on our house.
Wednesday we arrived home to see Red Roof climbing up the front on either side of the gable. It really looks good. There is still a lot to do, but now there is progress to be seen!
Supervisor Yaar has found a great game to play with the crew. Glove, glove I got your glove! The men will set their gloves down and if they are within Cocker-stretched out height, she steals them and runs. Good thing I taught her "drop it" or lord knows where she would hide them. Kayto found the dumpster a great place to explore. The crew had opened the front of it for ease of tossing in the trash and Kayto thought it was wonderful to examine each piece of trash to be sure it was to be tossed away and not really a hidden toy.
As I was walking around, looking at the work, I kept hearing the crew talking to each other. I couldn't figure out what language they were speaking. It sounds like Russian but I am not sure. I do know Vlad is from Slovakia, so I am thinking they speak one of the Slavic languages. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I went on line and looked up Slovakia. What a beautiful country. The history is very interesting and the culture explains the quality of workmanship being done on our house.
Wednesday we arrived home to see Red Roof climbing up the front on either side of the gable. It really looks good. There is still a lot to do, but now there is progress to be seen!
Supervisor Yaar has found a great game to play with the crew. Glove, glove I got your glove! The men will set their gloves down and if they are within Cocker-stretched out height, she steals them and runs. Good thing I taught her "drop it" or lord knows where she would hide them. Kayto found the dumpster a great place to explore. The crew had opened the front of it for ease of tossing in the trash and Kayto thought it was wonderful to examine each piece of trash to be sure it was to be tossed away and not really a hidden toy.
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Bear in the Big Blue Tarp
When we arrived home today amidst a mini "Nor' Easter", there was rock music coming from the roof and the house was covered with a big blue tarp. At first I wondered if we were getting a roof or getting fumigated!
I often refer to Tom as a Teddy Bear and my first thought as I watched him try to get under the tarp to the front door is the title of today's segment. I wish I had pictures of that moment but the camera was inside the house. What I do have is a shot of roofer, Vladimir, fighting the tarp in the wind.
What a disaster the yard is! Pieces of tar wrap and old shingles all over. The fellas, Rob and Vlad are really great guys. Not only did they work under conditions that sucked, they spent the last part of the day picking up trash from the neighbor's yard!
Then we have to mention the frustrated supervisors, Kayto & Yaar. They managed to endure the banging on the roof for most of the day. But the minute we got home, they had to check out Rob, Vlad and all the tools and materials. Yaar managed to find a piece of tar paper to drag around but we got that away from her quickly. I am worried about the nails that will inevitably fall to the ground during this construction. If anyone has a good suggestion as to how to remove these easily, I would appreciate any and all suggestions.
Oh. I almost forgot! Rob came up to me last night with a handful of FUR! Turns out it is the horsehair used to insulate the roof! Can you believe that. I knew they used horsehair in the plaster walls, but never knew it was used under the roof! The things you learn!!!
I often refer to Tom as a Teddy Bear and my first thought as I watched him try to get under the tarp to the front door is the title of today's segment. I wish I had pictures of that moment but the camera was inside the house. What I do have is a shot of roofer, Vladimir, fighting the tarp in the wind.
What a disaster the yard is! Pieces of tar wrap and old shingles all over. The fellas, Rob and Vlad are really great guys. Not only did they work under conditions that sucked, they spent the last part of the day picking up trash from the neighbor's yard!
Then we have to mention the frustrated supervisors, Kayto & Yaar. They managed to endure the banging on the roof for most of the day. But the minute we got home, they had to check out Rob, Vlad and all the tools and materials. Yaar managed to find a piece of tar paper to drag around but we got that away from her quickly. I am worried about the nails that will inevitably fall to the ground during this construction. If anyone has a good suggestion as to how to remove these easily, I would appreciate any and all suggestions.
Oh. I almost forgot! Rob came up to me last night with a handful of FUR! Turns out it is the horsehair used to insulate the roof! Can you believe that. I knew they used horsehair in the plaster walls, but never knew it was used under the roof! The things you learn!!!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The Day That the Rains Came, from Town Hall & Mother Nature
The dumpster came. The materials came. The permits did not come. Our contractors did not understand the ins and outs of working on a project in Winthrop. There is the Building inspector, the town permit people and the Conservation Committee all to be reckoned with. What they expected to take a few hours, actually took a few days. By the time the permits were pulled, they had another formidable force to deal with...New England weather.
So here we sit, four days after materials and dumpster arrived, with nothing to show for it but a big blue empty dumpster, two piles of material covered with blue tarps and a very muddy yard.
Oh, they did come by today to do some work, despite the wind only to find out the town of Winthrop does not allow any contractors to work on Sunday. There's always tomorrow or the week after! More later.
So here we sit, four days after materials and dumpster arrived, with nothing to show for it but a big blue empty dumpster, two piles of material covered with blue tarps and a very muddy yard.
Oh, they did come by today to do some work, despite the wind only to find out the town of Winthrop does not allow any contractors to work on Sunday. There's always tomorrow or the week after! More later.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Cottage gets a Face Lift
IT'S OURS IT'S REALLY OURS
Our little cottage has undergone years of neglect. It became truly "ours" last June and we started our list of Must Do Projects. We repaired the tilting chimney and updated the antiquated heating system. We had both gas AND oil. The oil burner was an old coal burner that had been converted to oil back in the 1940's! We even had to have the men in white suits come to remove the asbestos from the basement.
We went all gas and put in a Energy saving burner and hot water heater.My goal is to go as "Green" as possible with all the renovations we do. Even with an old house built in the 1880's, there are some things that can be environmentally correct.
Now that Spring is here we are starting on the outside and giving the cottage a much needed face lift. However this will not be simply a cosmetic fix. We discovered there are parts of the roof where there are as many as FIVE layers of shingles! I do believe two is the legal limit. Old house, grandfathered repairs and quick fixes, before the age of permits and strict building codes all are part of the project we now face.
THE "GREEN" ROOF IS RED
I did a lot of research about houses on the shore and came to the conclusion that a metal roof was the best way to go. These roofs withstand the wind, the salt and all the other elements we have on the shore that are not problematic elsewhere. The style is that of shingles, not the flat lap so many people think of when they hear about metal roofs. The new metals help reflect the sun in the summer and retain heat in the winter. I am told you do not get the "ping...ping...ping" when it rains. This is called a enhancement, not a replacement, so the value of the house will go up. Not a bad thing.
I chose a brick red for the color and it is as pretty in person as it looked in the sample. We plan on doing the siding and doors as soon as the roof is finished. Again, we chose a siding that resembles
shingles, not the strip siding. The color will be a silver/blue with white trim. I plan to paint the doors the same color as the roof. No plans for the deck color yet. That will come later. I will post some before and after photos as soon as I can.
Good Bye from Seagull Cottage for now.
Our little cottage has undergone years of neglect. It became truly "ours" last June and we started our list of Must Do Projects. We repaired the tilting chimney and updated the antiquated heating system. We had both gas AND oil. The oil burner was an old coal burner that had been converted to oil back in the 1940's! We even had to have the men in white suits come to remove the asbestos from the basement.
We went all gas and put in a Energy saving burner and hot water heater.My goal is to go as "Green" as possible with all the renovations we do. Even with an old house built in the 1880's, there are some things that can be environmentally correct.
Now that Spring is here we are starting on the outside and giving the cottage a much needed face lift. However this will not be simply a cosmetic fix. We discovered there are parts of the roof where there are as many as FIVE layers of shingles! I do believe two is the legal limit. Old house, grandfathered repairs and quick fixes, before the age of permits and strict building codes all are part of the project we now face.
THE "GREEN" ROOF IS RED
I did a lot of research about houses on the shore and came to the conclusion that a metal roof was the best way to go. These roofs withstand the wind, the salt and all the other elements we have on the shore that are not problematic elsewhere. The style is that of shingles, not the flat lap so many people think of when they hear about metal roofs. The new metals help reflect the sun in the summer and retain heat in the winter. I am told you do not get the "ping...ping...ping" when it rains. This is called a enhancement, not a replacement, so the value of the house will go up. Not a bad thing.
I chose a brick red for the color and it is as pretty in person as it looked in the sample. We plan on doing the siding and doors as soon as the roof is finished. Again, we chose a siding that resembles
shingles, not the strip siding. The color will be a silver/blue with white trim. I plan to paint the doors the same color as the roof. No plans for the deck color yet. That will come later. I will post some before and after photos as soon as I can.
Good Bye from Seagull Cottage for now.
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