Tom's Diary

This is my first experience replacing a roof.  So I may be excessively meticulous in the documentation here.  But in so doing, I hope to avoid many errors that would not be fixable once the new roof is finished.  So, here I go…

Roof Description

I got started today on replacing the roof on our yellow shed in the back yard.  The first step was to measure the roof.  The roof is formed from four rectangles and two triangles.  Two of these rectangles drape down the sides (we’ll call these drapers) and the other two, closer to the horizontal, form the peak on the top (we’ll call these peakers).  There’s also an overhang that keeps rain off the front door (we’ll call these the umbrella triangles).  Now, with this terminology in place, here are the measurements I got:

• The drapers are each 148” X 34”. 
• At the bottom of each draper, there’s an additional row of shingles that serves as an ice guard.  This row is 148” X 5 and 1/4 inches.
• The peaker rectangles are 148” X 49”. 
• Each of the two umbrella triangles is 47” (base) X 50” X 16” (height).

Shingle Square Footage Calculation

Now, we must calculate the square footage of shingles needed so we know how much to buy at the store this weekend.  We’ll add up the square inches needed first, and then convert that result to square footage. 

1. There are two drapers. each one is 148” X 34”.  This gives us 5032 square inches. 
2. Multiply this by two (since there are two drapers), and you get 10064 square inches for both drapers.
3. There are two peakers, each one is 148 X 49.  This gives us 7252 square inches.
4. Multiply this by two (since there are two peakers), and you get 7252 X 2 = 14594 square inches for both peakers.
5. To get the area of the two umbrella triangles, multiply its base by one half of its height.  In this case, the base is 47” and the height is 16”.  Thus the area in square inches equals (1/2) X 16” X 47”, or 8” X 47”, which equals 376 square inches.  Since there are two of these umbrella triangles, we double the square footage of one (376 square inches) to get the total, which is 752 square inches.
6. Next, add in the area of the second row of shingles we’re installing at the bottom of the roof on each side. The area of one row is 148” X 5.25”, which equals 777 sqyare inches,  Add in an identical amount for the second row on the other side and you get: 777 square inches + 777 square inches, which equals 1554 square inches.
7. Finally, add all the values together from the various parts of the roof, and you get 10064 + 14594 + 752 + 1554, which equals 26964 square inches for the entire roof.
8. Convert the square inches total into square feet by dividing 26964 by 144, which equals 187.25 square feet.
9. Add in a fudge factor of, ten percent (per this roofing book I’ve been reading), and the total amount of shingles we need is 187.25 + 19 (roughly ten percent of 187.25), which equals total 206 square feet (seven bundles).

Materials Needed

Supplies needed include the following:

• A few pounds of 1.25” long roofing nails.  We decided not to use staples since the nails give a stronger hold.
• 192.25 square feet (two square) of dark green shingles to match the house roof.
• 192.25 square feet of Roofing paper.
• Staples for fastening roof vent once the new roof is in place.
• Utility knife blades.
• Tarp, to pile old shingles on so they don’t get into the yard, and to cover the roof peak with between the time we tear the old roof off, and the time that we finish installing the new shingles.
• 5 pounds of 1.25” hot galvanized roofing nails.  It takes five pounds of nails to fasten two square of shingles of the type we’re using.
• Roof vent.
• Roof cement, for edges.
• Chalk box.

Tools Needed

• Ruler.
• Chalkline.
• Crobar.
• Roofing spatula.
• Utility knife.

I hope to get to Lowe’s or Home Depot this weekend to pick up this stuff.  If the weather cooperates, I hope to have this job by the end of the weekend.

Project Task List

Originally, I planned on just shingling over the existing shingles.  However, my brother-in-law felt that it would be better to strip off the old ones, and upon further inspection of the existing shingles, I agree with him.  The old shingles crumble when handled.  So it’s probably a bad idea to lay a new roof over them.  So, they’ll be removed.  The task list for this project follows:

1. Read through a good roofing do-it-yourself guide.  DONE on 2009-10-04.
2. Take measurements.  DONE on 2009-09-25.
3. Calculate square footage of shingles needed based on above measurements.  The answer is 192.25 square feet.  DONE on 2009-09-25.
4. Round up required tools (most I should have already), and note the ones I must purchase.  DONE on 2009-09-25.
5. Make list of needed supplies.  DONE2009-09-26.
6. Go shopping for supplies and tools.  DONE on 2009-09-27.
7. Remove roof vent from the peak, being careful not to damage it; it will be reinstalled once the new roof is in place.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
8. Strip old shingles off of one half of the roof first.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
9. Remove any old shingles from the decking for this half.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
10. Inspect and replace any damaged underlayment plywood.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
11. Felt that (the first)  half.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
12. Strip old shingles off the other half of the roof.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
13. Remove any old staples from the decking for this half.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
14. Inspect and replace any damaged underlayment plywood.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
15. Felt that second half.  DONE on 2009-09-30.
16. Per Richard’s suggestion, add more staples to better secure the edges of the felt, to keep wind-driven rain from getting underneath it.  DONE on 2009-10-04.
17. Pick up shingles when the arrive at Lowe’s (on or around October 19th).  DONE on 2009-10-08.
18. Purchase a new roof vent.  Use the roll style that can be shingled over.  DONE on 2009-10-08.
19. Pound any staples applied to the new felt.  Some are protruding too far.  DONE on 2009-10-11.
20. Install row of shingles for ice guard.  DONE on 2009-10-11.
21. Install all shingles on first side.  DONE on 2009-10-13.
22. Install shingles on the other side.   DONE on 2009-10-21.
23. Install shingles on exposed area of the ridge.  DONE on 2009-10-21.
24. Cut out the roofing paper over the roof vent opening.   DONE on 2009-10-20.
25. Apply cap shingles to all areas of the ridge that will not covered by the ridge vent.  DONE on 2009-10-22.
26. Get another piece of ridge vent and a joiner piece (that binds the two pieces together and provides a water tight seal between them).  The piece we have is a foot short.  So we’ll just add on to it.  DONE on 2009-10-25.
27. Then, immediately install the new roof vent   DONE on 2009-10-25.
28. Check roof for leaks in the next drenching rain.  No leaks.  It’s bone dry inside the shed.  DONE on the morning of 2009-10-24.
29. Perform final trimming of shingles hanging over drip edges.  DONE on 2009-10-25.
30. Seal  edges and any exposed nails with roof cement.
31. Perform final cleanup.  IN PROGRESS.

 

Project Costs

• $23.32: Felt
• $245.82: Shingles
• $35.28: Ridge vent
• $5.65: Ridge vent ends and joiners
• $6.32: Roofing cement
• $10.60: Nails, 1.25 inch roofing, 5 pounds
• $0.82: Nail apron
• $31.77: Electric Stapler
• $6.30: Staples
• $4.20: Utility knife blades
• $8.99: Chalk line
• Cleanup

 Total costs: $379.07

Tom

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I just received word from the Tom’s Love Quest site that we have our first new user registered there. Great!!! Now maybe we’ll start seeing some good comments.

Tom Hesley

Mom’s significant friend and I installed two 30,000 BTU natural gas heaters in her basement.  One went in the front (southwest) side of the house and the other we put in the back (east) side.  The job took two days and we used roughly sixty feet of three-quarter inch black iron pipe for the gas runs.  Already, the floors on the first level are warmer, and the chill that always hovered around Mom’s bedroom is gone.  However, they do emit a foul odor.  Hopefully they’ll stop that once burned in.  We’re eager to see how these things affect our gas bill.  Lots of people tell us that we’ll save money.  Stay tuned and I’ll let you know.

This was my first experience plumbing natural gas, using black iron pipe and fittings, and pipe dope for sealing the joints against leaks.  I loved it though I was scared of it at first.  Anytime I heard an unexplained hissing or smelled something strange, I got nervous.  But I calmed down pretty quickly and before too long, I was putting pipe together like a pro. 

See the follow-up articles listed next, for more details:

• Gas Heaters Follow-Up #1
• Gas Heaters Follow-Up #2
• Gas Heaters Follow-Up #3

Tom Hesley

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Yes, I just tried them on a 50-watt amp. They worked much better. At least now, I won’t have to build an amp for them.

Tom

I learned that my left wrist may be broken. The doctor thinks I injured it decades ago. It’s healed since, but not quite right. The weightlifting may have aggravated that old injury, which honestly, I don’t remember happening.

I’ve not lifted since November, 2004 and will avoid that until the wrist fully recovers.

Tom Hesley

Dear [C],

[She thanked me for sending her the Steelers Fight Song CD. So I wrote the following to her:]

Good deal.

By the way, I just learned that I have a broken wrist. They think I must have done it a while ago without knowing it, because the x-rays showed a healed break. They’re sending me to an orthopedic specialist for further evaluation. I hope I don’t have to have surgery.

Yes. We’ll just have to wait and see what they suggest. My primary care physician suggested occupational therapy as another option. But I thought it best to see an orthopedic specialist first.

Tom

Dear   [Lynn],

The DJ business is starting to pick up a little. I just booked 3 gigs over the next several weeks. Not much money in it yet. But I have purchased just about all the equipment I need to get started, including an old van for equipment transport. This is the first time I’ve ever owned a motor vehicle. I feel so important.

Tom Hesley

Dear Steve,

Things are going well. I have my first official full-pay DJ gig coming up at the end of June. It’s a 16th birthday party for a local gal. I’ll be taking a 15000 song library there. I should have something she likes. Her Mom and I are working together to make sure I have all the music she wants.

The longer term effort, the writing business, is gong okay too. I’ve written four articles so far and had a couple of them reviewed at a writer’s workshop here in Bellwood, PA. They liked them. I want to build up a portfolio of about 100 articles before I really start looking for publishers. However, one publisher I definitely plan to hit is Readers Digest – the advice columns that they have. I’ll definitely keep you in the loop and let you know as soon as I publish something. Right now, I’m planning to begin searching for publishers in January, 2004. In the meantime, I’m going to build up the portfolio of letters, short stories, and self-help booklets.

Later,
Tom Hesley

Dear  [Am],

I’m in Altoona now, and left [my job] on March 17th, 2003.

Tom Hesley

He had grown weary as an engineer at a publishing company, fed up with peers so frequently and quickly dismissing his ideas, boss’ unwillingness to consider circumstances of missed deadlines, and the devaluation of his fifteen years of seniority. New employees had more clout with the brass than he did, and his word meant little these days. Nor was the politicking pleasant — having to say yes when no was the real answer, and having to compliment subordinates’ mediocre performance, like it was supreme when in fact, it was lousy. Advancing in the corporation required routine compromises of honesty principles, and he wished to not be a “team player” if it meant being false to himself and others. Political correctness should not restrict the free flow of truth. But this attitude frequently caused havoc with coworkers, and he was tired of fighting these battles over and over. He wanted to spend middle-age following his own orders, in his own business, and not those from green bosses who hadn’t moved through the ranks as he had, and thus were unqualified to judge a more experienced person’s work like his. He suspected treachery in their criticisms. Did they want to help him reach that consulting position he’d been trying for for four years, or did they disparage to hold him back? Perhaps they did this so they could get the promotion first. The latter seemed more the case, and he couldn’t continue putting energy into dead-end efforts, which were so often written off as merely ‘adequate but not exceptional’ by bosses, especially knowing that the work quality was but a small part of what determined how favorably they appraised it.

It wasn’t all bad however. The position paid well. He could easily afford a quiet home in the suburbs, fine dining, lots of CDs and books not to mention clothing, food, electricity, hot showers, and healthcare. In fact, throughout his career, money was plentiful for vacations and medical emergencies. Now, while he was not “rich,” he enjoyed his middle-class life, the reward for pleasing bosses. At home, family and friends respected him for his computer skills, often teasing, saying, “There’s the guy with the big bucks.” The job gave him good-standing among family and friends, just because he had it. Often, just saying he was a lead software engineer impressed them enough to get them to talk further. Plus, the position was secure as he had survived several lay-offs in the 90s; the company valued him enough to keep him on despite his often-opposing views. He figured he could work for them until retirement some twenty-three years later. He valued the job security, good compensation, and others’ high esteem. These benefits are why he stayed so long after his discontentment began. He could stay if he kept quiet — towing the line and doing just enough to get by although he was not a slacker, wanting to do more with himself than just plod along until retirement.

Wanting change but afraid to lose the perks, he held on to the position some four years after first considering leaving, until this particular day, when the boss demanded weekly reports of his job-related activities. Preparing this would add an hour each week to an already-busy schedule, and to him, this was a waste of time as it meant doing less of the work that really counted, and more of the paper-pushing hogwash that only heightens resentment between management and the rank-and-file. She assigned this on Thursday, and though he wanted to quit immediately, he needed time to consider the consequences before actually doing it. So, he kept quiet until the weekend, when he had the time to think.

He dozed and dreamt early Saturday morning, the sleep broken as horrors of unemployment flitted through his mind, wrenching him in and out of slumber. Scenes of desperation flashed before him like a TV flipping from channel to channel. In one, his neglected teeth fell out. as routine and affordable dental care had gone with the job. They made a peculiar snapping sound as they hit the pavement beneath his bare feet for which he could afford no shoes. Another image showed him without dignity, panhandling to survive. Without access to a shower, his own body odor kept money and work from his hands. People would cringe upon his approach, demanding that he buzz off and leave them alone. In another flash, the ladies avoided dating him. It was as though they could see the word “impoverished” stamped on his forehead. “Well,” he thought, “money may not be everything. But it sure makes life more enjoyable. People don’t respect a poor man. So I don’t want to be penniless. Maybe quitting isn’t right after all.”

But then, images of the advantages of leaving surfaced. Over the past few years, he’d found a writing interest, and aspired to spend the final chapter of his working life, authoring books and short stories. Periodically, an image of the first book he’d publish came to mind. Its cover sported silvery blue-green letters on a violet-blue background, and he’d wanted to find the time to finish it, even though its actual title was uncertain. But if he quit, he’d have time to complete it and clarify the title, and that would be one big plus to getting out on his own. He dreamt on. Publishers asked him to travel the globe, giving talks at bookstores and paid him enough money to buy a much bigger house in the suburbs than the current job allowed. Unlike the anonymity of software engineers, people knew him through his writings everywhere and women saw him as a successful entrepreneur, feeling comfortable with him because his good reputation preceded him. He had achieved world-wide respect and never again did he receive blank or frightened stares when meeting new ladies to date. They smiled now, interested, any time he approached. They stopped assuming too early that his intensions were dishonorable, and didn’t mind as much if they were. People accepted him more quickly, going out of their way to help him if they knew of his writing success. They longed to be a part of it, often asking if there was anything they could do to help. Though writing itself is an activity of solitude, it enabled him to connect with interesting people and achieve the social life he’d wanted, something his job to date had not done.

These thoughts coalesced into a dream that would resolve his dilemma about leaving. Usually his dreams contained sounds, colors, aromas, and motion, and were primarily sensory experiences, without much thought. But this time, there was little color, no noise, and no smells. This was more a thinking and feeling dream than a sensory one.

It began in a brightly lit office with white walls, gray carpeted floor, and walnut trim around the windows and doors. The cool-white fluorescent lighting stirred feelings of civilization and security, because working for bosses in settings like these was the only adult labor he’d ever known. Good or bad, it was comfortable. But after fifteen years, working for others had lost its joy. Yet he still found solace in the daily grind nonetheless because though answering to bosses was grueling, it was a lower risk occupation than going out on his own.

His boss glared from behind a red oak desk. So much for the civilization and security. These days, she was usually unhappy with him. No matter how hard he worked, she was rarely grateful and often, condescending. “Well, this is nice,” she’d say. “But I’ve seen better. You should do better.” Her words angered him, even after coping over a decade with similar gripes. He’d never gotten used to them. But to keep working, he’d have to learn to ignore unhelpful criticism. However, with so many years in corporate America, he realized that he hadn’t so far, been able to do this, and figured that by now, he never would.

At the sight of her scowling face, he turned to run. Often, it’s right to run. Survival of the fittest does not always mean survival of the strongest, most courageous, or enduring people. In fact, the most fearless frequently die young. They take danger too lightly. Likewise, the strong often overestimate their ability to leave dangerous situations without injury, believing that caution only applies to the weak. Since they’ve seen their own strength work for them where others weren’t so lucky, they believe themselves invincible. As a teenager, he felt this way. But middle age brought the understanding that boundless endurance of hardship was not an enviable prize. He didn’t want to be strong and fearless, and put up with his boss’s judging anymore. So, he moved to the exit — a wooden door with a brass knob and textured glass window in the top half. The glass obscured what was on the other side, as cold air whistled in through the crack at the door’s edge, gently rattling the glass.

He looked from the door, to her, and back again. She wasn’t through berating him, so he’d best stay put. “So, I’ll expect your first activity report next week,” she said smugly. Well, that was it.

“No, you should not,” he replied, picking up the pace toward the door. Reaching it, he yanked it open. Appalling how dark and cold it was out there. A long corridor stretched out ahead into infinity. His boss said nothing as he stepped through into this hall, the white light from her office casting a triangle shape on the gray cement floor outside. Again he glanced back at her, then to the hall.

“If you want to stay,” she warned, “you must provide the reports I’ve requested.” Well, there was no way he’d give in and do that. Again, he considered the long hall, the walls made of block and cement, painted a pale blue, and ceilings unfinished with lots of pipes, ducts, and wires visible. Workmen’s lights with protective grills around the bulbs hung every few feet and filled the area with a murky yellow luminosity, turning the blue walls lime green. The hall was either under construction or demolition. He couldn’t tell which. But no other doors or turns were visible. It looked like a path straight to nowhere, or perhaps, to everywhere. He didn’t care though. Any place — even nowhere — was preferable to the boss’s office. He knew that if he remained in the hall much longer, there would be no returning. “I’ll see you next week with that report,” she taunted. He walked ahead defiantly, closing the door, the loose glass in it rattling and echoing.

He studied the hall for some minutes, then looked back at her door, now shimmering and fading, like it was caught in a Star Trek transporter. He couldn’t go back now, for as he watched, the door dematerialized with a sparkling whine and was replaced by the same dingy blue brick as the surrounding walls. All that which was behind the door — a secure income, lavish retirement, paid medical benefits, and so on — was gone. But while he appreciated the job’s profits, it could never be enough to get the nationwide recognition for his work he desired, and that to continue working there would only prevent him from ever realizing his dreams.

The shimmering stopped. The door was nothing but a solid wall now, leaving him no way to leave. Thus, he had no choice but to turn one-hundred-eighty degrees and walk and look, seeking a more fulfilling office. This end of the hall represented the dead-end his programming career had reached and he had lingered here for way too long. He was now committed to this career change.

The lost profit for the programs he had written for that company saddened him; programs that were at this minute, helping to make thousands of dollars per day for them. He had little to show for those efforts. Yet the company would continue benefiting from them without having to pay anything, for years to come. So be it though. He was eager to make his money elsewhere now. He pondered this while walking down the hall, away from the dead end of the ex-boss’s office, savoring the first taste of being on his own. This hall was a lonely place. He wanted to find a new office, but this time, he’d be the boss. It would be himself he faced behind the desk. He might pass lots of inviting doors on the way — warm places where people would offer money and predefined direction. But he’d skip them all to keep searching for his office, his own place in the business world, where he’d answer only to his customers, and not be micromanaged by coworkers and superiors.

However, finding financial independence wouldn’t be easy in this damp, dark hall. The walk would be long he predicted, with no other doors visible. However, the time for debate about taking this step was past, and the deed now done. He was glad to be in the chill with the uncertain future, and found that he preferred these dimly lit walls to the warm company offices. The uncertain future here in the hall gave him a chance at securing a better future than the certain one he’d just thrown away. In the hall, he could decide how to grow his business and when to do it, unlike the company where he had been forced to live with so many controversial decisions. He desired more control over the outcome of the business than he could get in the corporate world. As Milton wrote, he’d rather rule in hell than serve in heaven. The sensation of the hall’s coldness faded and his dream, that began as a nightmare in his boss’s office, where he’d been afraid to give up the certainty of that job, had now become a pleasant musing. In this scary hall, he found resolve to do what might not make the most money, but would alleviate the strains of working for others, creating a better position to make his long-term dreams happen for real. The hall lights faded, its walls blackening as he woke up. He found the courage to quit, and come Monday morning, he called his boss and did just that.

Quitting was surprisingly easy, for he had come to embrace the dark hall of uncertainty rather than avoid it. The dream that weekend had prepared him for a long walk down the hall for real. He’d rather search forever for happiness running the risk of never finding it, than settle for security in a place where happiness would never visit him. He was truly on his own now and though this sent chills through him, he felt an energetic motivation to run the hall, to find his dreams, to find other doors, to make his own office. Uncertainty is the first step toward a better life.

Tom Hesley

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