I live in an old house. When my Dad checked the roof a couple of months ago we discovered that there were at least 3 layers of roof shingles. And per the roof installers that came out to give quotes, the roofs needed replacing - not because of the hail and other bad weather but because it was just too old and there wasn't enough venting. And the roof on the garage was in worse shape.
So yesterday my roofs were replaced. I would have preferred metal but that was not to be. And when it's completed, hopefully sometime today or tomorrow, I will have new light gray roofs that match. Until now the house and detached garage had different colored roofs. Something that didn't make sense because they both had been replaced at prior points. I know, it's trivial, but it's still nice.
But I've discovered that the need to watch contractors is still required. This is something I've learned as we've had a variety of things done around the house. Shortcuts and other things run rampant otherwise. And some of those shortcuts caused problems that had to be fixed later. Dad and I have talked about it,
and unfortunately, it seems to be very common throughout every
industry. A sign of the times, and not a good one.
The first issue was when they decided that one of my garden beds was a good zone for dropping the old roofing down. While the greens in the bed were toasted, I stopped it before the watermelon plants got crushed. Since I was about to yank the greens anyways, there wasn't a loss. And the offsite boss was there. He wasn't happy about it since he didn't catch it. They had a tarp laid over the entire thing. But it got fixed fast and he was willing to replace plants if they were damaged. Again, fortunately for both of us, the important plants weren't harmed at all.
The other two issues popped up after I got home and inspected yesterday. The first one is that they were supposed to install a second roof vent. Instead they replaced the existing mushroom vent with a low profile vent that was twice as big. But they didn't expand the roof hole for the larger vent! And Dad says that they were supposed to install two vents, regardless of size. I'm thinking the two vent issue is a miscommunication issue so that's not such a problem. But not enlarging the vent hole to fit the new vent is an issue. (Yup, it's confirmed. Miscommunication issue - Dad meant an additional vent, they heard replace existing vent. Not sure how that happened.)
The second problem was discovering that a section of the ridge doesn't have any wood supporting it. Apparently a 6" x 24" piece of the board separated from the rest of the board since it is hanging down into my attic. The roof here is 1" x 6" wood, not plywood. I don't know if they didn't catch it or if they chose to ignore it but I guess I'll find out.
Other than those issues the work has been great. They have been very, very careful about debris which is mandatory given my son's disability. And they've worked quickly and effectively. I have no doubts that the problem issues will be dealt with quickly.
But I am very happy for new roofs. The lighter color should help some with the heating issues in both the house and the attic. Now I just have to get into the attic and lay more insulation. I'm over half way through with that project but I can't get back into the attic for that until fall gets here.
Next I'll be working on gutters. If I'm really lucky by next spring I'll have at least a couple of 225 gallon rain collectors installed to help with watering the gardens. Now if I could just figure out how to collect and use the condensation from the A/C unit. Especially during these temps! I'll just have to keep brainstorming on that one though.
I don't know where or how your condensate leaves the air handler, or even where your air handler is. If it just drips out onto the ground, put a bucket under it. My folks' discharge for the condensate sticks out the gable vent (their air handler is in the attic), and Dad keeps a 5 gallon bucket on the ground where MOST of the water drips into it, then uses that to water his containerized fig and avocado plants. Also gives the dog a fresh bowl of very tasty water ;) Also, the sloshing from the drips discourages skeeters from laying eggs in it, which makes the 'standing water' problem a non-issue.
ReplyDeleteIf your house has the condensate plumbed into the sanitary sewer (a stupid move by some a/c companies) then just cut it off from that, cap the stub that is still tied to the sewer, and run new pipe out to the outside wall of the house, where you can put a bucket under it!
If your unit is in an interior closet, or in a basement, you could tee a valve into the bottom of the drip line, and let it drip into a bucket. Shut off the valve while you carry off the water, and it'll go ahead and drain into the original drain. It'd take some rememberin' to keep it from overflowing, but soon as it becomes habit, you have that problem licked :)
Thanks for the ideas.
DeleteThe A/C unit is in the attic. All the piping is run through an old interior chimney and then out from under the house. The condensate piping is only about 8 inches up from the ground at the outlet.
I'm debating digging a barrel in sideways, and then using a simple hand pump to use it to water plants on that side of the house. Right now it's just dripping behind the outside portion of the unit. And encouraging a few things I don't want, like mimosa. It's also causing excessive moisture in an area that I'm trying to avoid moisture in. I'm also debating just extending it and attaching a soaker hose for the garden areas along that side of the house.
It's good that the roofers painted your new roof with a lighter grey color, as light the shade can make your house cooler. I understand why you need to wait until fall to insulate your attic: it won't be too hot during that season. As for your issues on the ridge and vents, discussing them thoroughly with your roofers is the best way to resolve those matters.
ReplyDeleteRoofs with a lighter shade do provide better insulation. One of the oldest, most trouble-free, and inexpensive ways to diminish the heat absorbed by a sun-exposed roof is actually to paint them with a light color. You certainly have all the reasons to be happy with your new roof! Congratulations! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's what I hear. We put on the lightest gray shingles we could find. I won't know if it worked until the weather changes again. But that's ok, I'm happy with the rain and don't really want high temps back any time soon.
DeleteWell, good luck on your future insulation project, Kyrsyan. Insulation shall help strengthen the roof even more. It reduces the heat, thus making homes cooler in the summer. Also, it’ll help to reduce your electric bills because of the lowered use of A/Cs.
ReplyDeletePenelope Dingee
Penelope is right. Insulation has several benefits for your house. Aside, from keeping a balanced temperature during cold or hot weathers, it is also cost-effective, reducing your home’s heating and cooling costs by preventing heat or cold air from escaping your house. I hope you’d update us when all your future projects for your home is done. :)
ReplyDeleteMary Martin