We had a new roof put on last week. And it’s amazing. It makes the house look lighter and happier, which I didn’t think was possible. But the house looks better than it did before when it sat rotting from the inside out, covered in green moss and mold.
Here’s a picture of our new roof.
Our contractor took it all the way down to the plywood. They removed THREE layers of shingles, because, of course the previous owners cut corners and instead of replacing the roof, just added more shit to the top of it. And that’s comedically obvious because once the three layers were removed, our single-layered roof exposed at least an inch worth of unpainted wood from where the old roof once sat.
But, yay! NEW ROOF!
So that brings us to today when they showed up to remove and replace our old gutters. The old gutters were ridiculously beat up. They hadn’t been replaced in at least 20 years. (Like most everything else in this house.) Thing is, when they began tearing them down, they discovered the wood below them was rotting, giant gaping holes sat staring back at us. I am not surprised by this, but it still stings a bit. But this is precisely what happens whenever you cut corners on your roof. If you don’t add a proper rain shield and/or runoff along the bottom edge of your roof, instead of having the rainwater runoff, it pools up below the shingles and eats away at the wood.
Here are a few pictures of what that looks like.
Anyway, today we get new wood and then new gutters. (Insert lame internet sigh here.)
So, yeah. Still learning! And my husband, who is notorious for researching everything to a fault, can probably tell you more about roofing and the proper way to do things than the contractor selling you your roof.
Stay tuned for next week’s adventure when we gut the powder room and tear up the 25-year old patio out back, the same one leaking rainwater into our basement.
Your house is beautiful! I have always wanted a blue house. Congratulations on getting this un-fun job out of the way so you can move on to more exciting things; like your new bathroom!
What a beautiful house! I know it’s taking a ton of work and money to make it wonderful, but it will be so worth it. I love hearing the progress.
Your house is lovely! I’m sure it’s overwhelming but it is really gorgeous. It’s definitely the home of a happy family of 5.
Thanks guys! It is nice to hear these things especially whenever we start to freak out about how much we’ve had to put into the house that we really didn’t intend to. Live and learn! :] I guess it beats throwing money away on rent? ALthough, sometimes I do wish I could just call up maintenance and put in a complaint. Sigh.
I’ll be writing a lot more about updates. I have been searching for something to write about for a while. This helps me! :]
Hi!
We just moved to Maplewood at the end of August from Greenpoint! Congrats! Your house looks amazing. I can’t tell where it is exactly. Where are you guys in school? We’re zoned for Tuscan but opted to go to Seth Boyden, which we’re happy about.
Joey (Daniel Meyer’s sister)
Your house is SO pretty! What a nice place for your boys to grow up. Hope you are able to get everything fixed up soon.
What a pretty house! Congrats on the new roof!
It really is a lovely house though!
What a beautiful house. I know the repairs/updating must seem a little overwhelming, but just take it one project at a time. It will be well worth it in the end. You’re creating a wonderful family home to raise your boys, and think of the resale value some day! Can’t wait to see more.
Your house looks wonderful and I know it seems daunting, but it will pay off. My house in VA was much like that — old, had been a rental for years and not well cared for, lots of cut corners. It took us about 5-7 years to really make huge progress on the house, but by the time we sold, it was a really fantastic house. It is very rewarding to work on your own home. It’ll be a wonderful place for your family! Please keep posting photos! I want to see more.