Josh perches precariously on a ladder

Josh has been slowly turning an ugly duckling into a bonafide gem. His latest effort is ambitious – a new roof. Keep in mind that our homes (they were probably built by the same builder and are certainly the same vintage) are roughly 135 years old. Pretty much every job is like a box of Cracker Jacks. There’s a surprise in there somewhere… and this project was no exception. I was able to stick my head out my kitchen window and monitor progress which I’m sure Josh appreciated immensely. I tried to lighten the dreariness of the day the best way I knew how – by being a Wisenheimer. At first I thought Josh was telling me I was “#1″ but quickly realized he was destined for victory [over the roof].

Josh & George install scaffolding

Josh was being helped today by his friends Bill & Ted. (Their names have also been changed to protect their anonymity.) Here they are installing scaffolding so they don’t fall off the roof as they remove the old shingles. I’m only mildly scared of heights, but this was making me quite nervous. Actually, I’m not nearly as scared of heights as I am of falling to my death – so it’s really all about security for me. Clearly Josh, Bill & Ted do not share this fear.

Josh harnesses to the chimney

There was some level of safety exercised however. Josh lashed the fellas to the 135 year old chimney with climbing gear. I thought this was a great idea and it made me feel much better until I remembered the old Warner Bros cartoons where Wiley Coyote would similarly lash himself to a tree or a rock outcropping only to fall to the canyon floor followed by the large, heavy object to make two successive poofs of dust, one for Wiley and the other, slightly larger poof for the very heavy object that usually pushed him 10 ft or so into the Earth’s crust. Seriously though, who doesn’t get an audible chuckle from the image of Wiley Coyote walking away, disgruntled, with his mid-section bobbing like an accordion? Anyway, Ted is beginning the process of prying off the old shingles and removing the nails. This is a filthy, hard job and it makes a BIG mess.

Josh, Bill & Ted start making progress as the rain starts

The guys really got down to business peeling off the shingles. This is when Josh found the surprise in the Cracker Jacks. Much of the roof sheating and fascia was practically dust on the top side. He had previously checked the condition from the attic and it looked great – but the top side wouldn’t likely hold nails any longer. He’s also planning on rebuilding a lot of the Mansard hip (the steeply sloped sides). As you can see, Josh’s job just got a lot bigger, and a lot more expensive. His house is getting an entirely new roof.

Josh inspects his 135 year old roof sheating

Josh is inspecting his antique roof sheating. Look closely at the veins in his forehead as he comes to terms with the fact that he is now going to have to hoist large sheets of plywood up onto his roof. Don’t forget he has to pry all this old wood off first which will leave the inside of his house open to the elements until he can seal it back up. Thankfully, his tenant lives on the second floor.

Josh & Bill brave the Tempest

Suddenly, without warning (except for the weather report) the rain really started coming down. Who would have thought – two surprises in one box of Cracker Jacks! Luckily I had a huge tarp to add to Josh’s collection and the guys frantically started to cover up the house. This was no easy job. Check out the driving rain and the look of grit determination on Bill’s face. They got it covered up in short time and now it looks like some of the houses from back home in the Ozark Mountains.

A hairnet for the house

The only problem with the tarps is that they are like big sails up there on the roof. They all have to be tacked down with furring strips. The surface was then so slippery that they had to tack in strips of wood like a ladder to climb up and down. It’s like a big residential rubber.

Bill & Ted clean up the mess

This kind of job makes a nasty mess. The little grit from the old shingles gets everywhere and the material is heavy and cumbersome. It would be interesting if someone could come up with use for all the old shingles in the world.

More on this adventure as it unfolds.