The Joys of Home Ownership

How about me? I'm ready for you to come to Columbus and do MY roof.

Needs it, sigh. Neither of us know enough about it to do it ourselves, though, so saving up to have it done properly.

Be safe up there!

Raking leaves, sweeping the lot, cutting down overgrown brush, fixing a clogged sink, etc.

A home is an investment. When did you last replace the roof on your IRA?

If your roof isn't to steep it isn't to bad. Of course it depends on what is up there already. If you have two or more layers of shingles up there already you have to tear it all off and start over. If you only have one layer up there you can just shingle right over the existing roof which makes it much easier. If you need any tips I'm practically a professional by now... unfortunately.

Tico, you have that yard looking good enough for a BBQ now?

Ah, but jp, it's YOUR roof.

You bet. I'll put some salmon on the grill ... you bring some beer.


Did you use a 3-tab shingle?

You got that right roger... it may suck while you're doing it but it sure feels good once it's done.

Tico, I know just the brew to go along with a little grilled salmon... I'll be over around 6.

No 3 tab for me... I used 30 year architectural shingles:

We've got to shore this old girl up. It's a three story split level and half of her is on a hill while the other half rests on...whatever. All I know is the half on 'whatever' is sinking and we've got to stop it before she splits in two.
We got an estimate about two years ago. $15,000.

Oh... that is a doozy of a job, eoe. Sounds like something you should leave for the professionals to do. How fast is it sinking?

We worked on extending a paved brick patio. I am a reasonable if slow expediter and hod-carrier, but I'm not so good at placing bricks evenly in sand.

We have to re-roof this year, too. Those architectural shingles look nice.

Oh yes. It's a cable-lock piling system thing they want to do. My hubby is pretty handy but I don't think he can jack this house up.

It's not sinking too fast but we've been here for six years and you can see that the small splits in the bricks are a little wider each year. Yikes!

Pifka, why would you place bricks in sand. Whatever it was, you mean you didn't pour a footing?

Don't forget the ice dam membrane (or is that the damn ice membrane.)

Nope, no footing. <shrug> I dunno. I just do what the boss says. It is surrounded by brick garden walls and concrete foundations. The area is carefully cut down to some arcane point using a flat-head shovel and leveled. Then weed fabric is set down and covered with a few inches of cleaned sand. Then the bricks are laid out, then the sand is swept between 'em. That way it is semi-permeable, I guess.


The first one looked like this when it was finished:




The second one (which is supposed to be like a second drop of rain plopping into a pond and meeting the first) looks like this in its partly finished state:

Roger, as Piffka knows, one can have a reasonable patio by placing headers securely - for example with long stakes every three or four feet, screeding a sand base to level, and then positioning bricks tightly within that framework. It's not something that will hold up as well as a concrete base course with deepened footings and bricks mortared on top of that, but it still works in many situations.

Pretty patio, Piffka!

Yes, looking good... (and the walls work as headers, or better than headers)

It works quite well. And drains the water through the bricks. The key is getting very fine sand to sweep on top.

Looks very nice, Piffka.

Tico's right about the fine sand...helps keep the whole thing nice and even..