For the past week and one-half, Scott's son, Scotty, and our friend J.P. (Jamie) Hand have been putting on the new cedar shingle roof over the addition. The main block has a cedar roof and we felt that the addition should have one, too. We got our Canadian cedar shingles from a supplier in Lancaster County, PA and also the copper-coated lead for the valley flashing. The valley flashing is very, very expensive, so we asked around for alteratives; someone mentioned terne-coated steel, while someone else thought they'd heard of a new-to-the-market plastic-based flashing. In the end, we decided that we didn't want to skimp on the roof since the roof protects everything under it!! So, we went with the copper-coated lead. The guys used a wood mallet to bend the edges of the flashing and found that the old-fashioned, hand-held break worked better than the new one!
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| Scott walks past the addition while J.P. Hand (to the left) and Scotty (on the right) work on the scaffold as they start to lay the cedar shingle roof. |
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| Scotty uses a wooden mallet to flatten the edges of the valley flashing. |
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| Scott Sr. holds the old-fashioned break that he used to turn the edges on the valley flashing. He also used it to bend the flashing in the middle to sit properly in the valleys. |
The guys will be done with the roof in another day or so. I should mention that Jamie is really good at laying a cedar shake roof; he's very particular about the shingles and will reject those in the bundle that are "boxy" (curled) or are otherwise imperfect. He also staggers them properly and does the right overhang.
The Rainhandler gutter was something we finally in ordered in June and Scott put it up a few weeks ago on the front elevation of the main block. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a fairly new gutter system that broadcasts the rain away from the building using a series of staggered, slanted aluminum strips that attach to the fascia board. They used to advertise in Old House Journal, but I found them doing a google search. http://www.rainhandler.com/ We ordered the brown color and before ordering consulted their very well-written directions on-line. We determined we needed to buy spacers as well so the rain would hit the strips just right. It took Scott a few hours to install them and we couldn't be happier. They shipped quickly and were packaged safely for the trip. They look great! You really have to look closely to see them, and since we're 100' off the road, I'm sure most folks don't even notice them. I think they're prefect for historic buildings, the facade (front elevation) at least. We have some drainage issues in the back of the house (thanks to the new septic system), so we're going with traditional gutters back there.
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| The Rainhandler gutter as installed on the front of the house. |
Money tree update: I'm up to three free donuts at Acme. At least they're tasty.....
3 comments:
It’s nice that you have someone who’s very particular when it comes to laying of shingles. This phase should be given careful attention because the curb appeal of your roof depends on how you properly lay the shingles. It should be perfect wherein every piece will go together.
I have read your post regarding the cedar roof and the rainhandler gutter, and I’m glad to see the results on this recent blog post. I remembered a comment in the previous post –from Roselyn if I’m not mistaken – that the curb appeal of the roof depends on how properly the shingles are placed. Well, after looking at these pictures, I can see that you’ve done a great job with the shingles installation and with the whole extensions! I hope you post the very recent view of the house, ‘cause I believe that this will look better with the landscape. :)
Sometimes, I really wonder how men can be lazy and won't mind about any other things yet be so keen and precise when it comes to carpentry and woodwork. I was fascinated while watching my husband work on our roof. And yet again, I am in awe at how well these men can work and place those shingles perfectly. You now have a fine-looking roof! Ashlee Starns
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