Showing posts with label Slate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slate. Show all posts

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Ackerman Visit Part 2

Ever since the garage roof was damaged, Steve has been researching slate roofs, gathering tools, and scheming how he was going to get it accomplished.  But before the roof could be fixed, we had to find some slate.  After months of researching on Craigslist and contacting people to get measurements, we finally found some slate that was the right size for our roof.  So one day, Steve and I went on an adventure and drove to a farm on the outskirts of Columbus to get the slate.  As we approached the farm, it was a complete set-up for one of those horror movies where the couple is never heard of again (roaming chickens included), but luckily this was a legit place and we survived with 50 pieces of slate in hand.

So a few months ago, Steve was able to replace some of the lower slate on the roof.  He would just stand on the ladder and could fix the places he could reach.  However, he could only fix about 3 pieces and had about 4 left but were too high to reach.

These next pictures are from over the summer.  I thought I'd posted about this part earlier, but didn't so for the completion to make sense, I had to add in this section out of date:

(The slate that we got from Columubus was bigger than the tiles on our roof.   So Steve had to buy a slate cutter in order to cut the pieces to the right size.)

(Here is an upclose shot of the damage.  You can see some of the wood poking through from under the damaged section.  Steve had to cut pieces of flashing to cover the wood before he laid slate over it.)

(Steve working on the rows he could reach by the ladder.)

(Here you can see the 2 pieces he replaced on rows 4&5 via a ladder.  The slate was lighter than the others, which drove me crazy.  The color of the slate is dependent on the area it was mined.)

(So we came up with a solution to the lighter tiles -- spray paint them!  This is how our garage looked for the majority of the summer up until this past weekend.  You can now see the tiles towards the bottom that were darkened with the paint (the dark patch up to the left was done by previous owners).  We tried several different was to extend the ladder for Steve to fix the upper tiles, but nothing worked.)

He did some research and decided his best option was to by hooks that would attach to a ladder and then hang the ladder over the top of the garage.  I hated this option but made a compromise -- as long as someone else was here to help him (and take him to the ER when things went wrong), he could by the hooks and attempt the process. With his parents coming for the weekend, and a great weather forecast, Steve seized the opportunity and convinced his dad to help out.


(Getting the "hook ladder" on the roof was quite the challenge.  There are wheels on one side of the ladder, that help you push it up to the top of the roof.  Then you have to flip the ladder so the hooks catch.  The ladder was pretty heavy and it didn't just roll straight up like we planned, and it ended up being over the damaged section.  Then Doug & Steve had to shimmy the ladder over.  A couple of tiles up at the top got cracked, but hopefully they won't break all the way off :-/.)

(Steve first wanted to test the strength of the hooks by climbing all the way to the top.  I think I was the most panicked during the process, but even Doug declared Steve shouldn't go all the way to the top.  The sun was about to go down, so we just left the ladder attached to the roof overnight.)

(Even though the rule was that someone else was supposed to help him out, I did end up being his spotter and handing him tools as he needed them.  Once he was up there, he realized that there was more damage than he thought, and that a lot more wood was exposed.  He did a pretty great job of covering all the wood and putting in the new tiles.)


(Our garage roof is finally fixed!!  What a HUGE check mark off that list!  Steve agrees that the extra help was needed in getting the ladder on and off the roof.  He now thinks he can fix some tiles on the top of our 3 story house, but Doug had my back and put a ca-bosh on that idea -- thanks Doug!)

In Steve's words -- roofers have a very dangerous and tiring job.  He definitely underestimated the job, but is thrilled that it was a success.  We also learned a lot from the whole process and know how to do it easier the next time.  (Hopefully there won't be a next time anytime soon!)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Spring Cleaning -- Outside!

Since we just moved into our house (I think it still counts after 5 months to say you still just moved), the inside of our house doesn't need any spring cleaning (except for those areas that haven't been cleaned yet from moving. . . ); however, our yard and exterior of the house are in dire need of some attention.  Steve and I have both been busy working on various outside projects.

Steve has a few outside projects that will probably be an all-summer deal.  First off, he has been intently researching via books and internet about slate roofs.  He found a place in Columbus, OH that carries slate tile that we will be visiting in the next few weeks in order to buy some tile to repair the garage.  He has purchased several slate tools and is anxiously awaiting the new tile in order to fix the roof.  I am not a fan of this whole idea.  I'm okay with him fixing the garage since it isn't that tall; however, there are some tiles on the house (3 stories up!) that need to be fixed that Steve wants to do.  by himself.  on a ladder.  I am not a fan.

Since that's not something he can do until he gets the tile, he has switched gears to his 2nd project, which involves repairing some of the downspouts, creating correct draining grade around the foundation, and fixing some gutters.  We went to Menards (Steve's new-found favorite place) and bought some new downspouts that will be used throughout his project.  Most of the spouts just need some added joints at the bottoms, and of course angling spouts for proper drainage.  The most intense part of the project involves wrapping a downspout around a window in order to make the water flow away from the foundation (which we know is a big issue buy the condition of the basement walls and water that we find on the floor).  I don't understand most of this endeavor (like the "how" it will be executed.  Talk to Steve for more information).

(A lot of the gutters are in bad shape.  Steve hopes to be able to bend it back himself and not have to replace the gutters.)

(In the backyard, there is some sort of clay tile drainage system.  We have no idea of the system is clear and working properly or if it's all clogged and causing more trouble.  We are just leaving that as is; although, Steve is going to fix the downspouts to connect to the system properly.)

(In one corner of the house, the connection between the gutter and downspout is nonexistent.  That piece just sways in the wind.  Steve tried to reconnect it once, but it wouldn't stay.  He has purchased a new joint and will properly connect it.)

Originally, there were downspout pieces buried underneath the landscaping in one corner of the house, but the downspouts weren't connected.  Steve dug those up and has come up with a new plan.  He is going to shorten the downspout (pictured) and will create an angle with a joint connector and lay another downspout off of the angle which will take the water away from the house and put into the yard.  We'll do before and after pictures of this process when that project gets executed.)

(Another thing that needs to be done, besides fix the gutter, is to clean all the gutters.  Especially now that all the helicopter seeds -which I detest and will talk about later -- have fallen.)

His 3rd project involves parching up the mortar in between all the bricks. Awhile back, he had bought some mortar and tools and was going to do it the old fashioned way, but on a whim (and again a trip to Menards) he found mortar in a tub that goes on easier.  He did a little area, but the color doesn't match at all.  The mortar in the tube (and from the bag) are grey tones, whereas our house has a beige mortar.  After some quick research, he has discovered that houses pre-WWII were made with a lime-sand-cement mix; whereas post WWII, they dropped the lime & sand.  So, now he's back to square one on that project and has to decide the next course of action.

Lastly, Steve now has a lifelong project of yard work.  He is definitely missing the yard work from TN (we mowed maybe 1x per month in summer because the grass was bizarre and mostly weeds).  Our yard is the saddest yard on the block.  It is full of dandelions and has obviously not been taken care of.  Steve has had several people stop and ask if he needs help (for $$ of course).  Steve hasn't decided yet that that is the necessary route.  After some research (have I mentioned how great Steve is at researching stuff before executing?), he decided to buy some weed killer/lawn fertilizer pellets and a lawn spreader.  He has done one application so far and we are awaiting the results in the next week or so.  His mowing record for this year is already up to 2.

(Our dandelion graveyard or our front yard)

My work has been focused on the landscaping and plants.  Last week, I spent 2 exhausting days outside weeding in the main area of the landscaping.  I filled up 3 lawn bags full with all the weeds I pulled.  I can't believe how many weeds there were, it was very deceiving how the landscaping looked and what was thrown away.  I also moved a flowering bush to a different location ( I think I may have killed it in the process, but the verdict is still out on it), planted the azalea tree Steve's parents bought us, and replanted the window boxes.  I still have a couple more sections in the front landscaping and the entire back to do, but I'm waiting on the wind to die down and the temperature to go back up to continue in that endeavor.

Landscaping Before Weeding:

(Those are rose bushes surrounding some sort of tree that starts the path from the driveway to the front door.)

(Here you can see the weeds on the left, the right side has been weeded (which is why you can see dirt under the bushes).  I think that was bag #1 on the right.)

After the weeding:

(Yay!!  Weeds are gone! )

(Here is a closeup of that tree and rosebushes from the "before" picture.  You will have to disregard all the *expletive* helicopter seeds everywhere.  We will eventually cover the dirt with landscaping fabric (already purchased) and then cover with mulch.  We are waiting on all the stupid helicopter seeds to fall before completing the landscaping.)

(Yay for clean landscaping!!  I still have to do all the weeding on the right side of the sidewalk.)

(I was afraid the flower box would look so puny-- which it does -- compared to the window.  However, once those little flowers start growing, some are supposed to be between 2 - 3 ft tall!  Ha ha, we'll see how they hold up in window boxes.)

(We have 2 window boxes, one on the big fancy glass window in the front and the other under the kitchen window on the side.  Steve and I are not flower experts (although I pretend to be) we didn't know what species of plants would grow well together or hold up well in the flower box.  All I knew was to get plants according to the sunlight specifications.  We'll see how we did in a few months. . .)

(Closeup of the flowers.  I have already forgotten the flower names.  I'm horrible at flowers.  I think the blue one on the left is either a peony or pansy (it was one of those).  The purple ones I know are snap dragons.  There is also a green one all the way to the left that was a mixed variety and we have no idea what color it will be (it may also have been a snapdragon).  I really don't know.  We just chose what looked neat according to the sunlight specifications.  

(So, as a kid I LOVED the helicopter seeds.  I would toss them in the air and run around as they fell.  They brought so much joy in my life.  Now as an adult, I HATE them with a PASSION.  These STUPID seeds are everywhere!!  We have 3 big trees on our property that are dropping them.  They drop on our roof, in our backyard, in our front yard, all over the driveway -- everywhere!  They manage to fly in when you walk in or out of the house, they stick on our shoes and go throughout the house.  I found one on my bedside table (which I was convinced Steve had placed there, but he said no) and one under a candle in our x-fireplace in our bedroom.  I HATE them.  I can't wait for them to finish falling!  I tried to sweep some up, but they stick to the pathway pavers and just flutter around from the wind.  Ugh.  I have a date with our leaf blower as soon as the last one falls.  Then someone has a date with cleaning them out of our gutters but I think we're gonna hire someone for that.)

(No that is not a random branch stuck in our yard, it's a tree!!  Steve volunteered through work to help prepare some trees to be donated and planted around Lima.  Because of helping with the project, he was given one.  We are the new owners of a tulip poplar tree (because we need another tree in our yard).  It'll be interesting to see how fast it grows.)

(Close up of our baby tree.)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

An Unexpected Experience

Yesterday, while painting some of the trim in the living room, I heard a loud thud, followed by the sound of something falling. I thought it had occurred upstairs in the house, but knew there wasn't anything important that would have fallen, so I didn't give it another thought.

I had forgotten about the noise when I saw the UPS truck pull up to the driveway. Knowing we had several boxes coming, I went to the door to meet him. I noticed that it was getting especially windy and that there were some tree limbs in the driveway. He made some comment about it getting nasty out really quick, that's when I remember the noise I had previously heard. I brought the boxes inside and went out to the driveway to see all the limbs, that's when I discovered this:





I went back inside and tried to contact Steve; however, his new job makes contacting him very hard. He has very spotty cellphone reception in the plant, so he just shuts his phone off. He hasn't been able to set-up his desk phone, so I have no number to reach him. He's also working shift hours, which involves being on the floor with the technicians and equipment. When he's not on the floor, he can generally be reached via email. Luckily, Steve's sister Ashley happened to be at the plant and was in an area with cell-phone reception. I told her the situation and she said she'd let him know when she saw him. I decided to go outside, take some pictures, and then email Steve.

(Our roof is made up of slate tiles, which is very expensive. However, if properly maintained (and no serious damage), they can last a very long time. Unfortunately for us, the tree limb incident falls in the catagory of "serious damage". There were about 5 or 6 tiles that broke.)


(Amongst the broken branches and limbs, are the shattered tiles.)


(Fixing those broken tiles is much harder than repairing regular shingled roofs. Because of the tiles, you can not walk or place ladders on the roof to make repairs. Before buying the house, we had a roofing company look at the house, and they explained that to work on our roof they'd have to rent a bucket to be able to reach the top. Luckily, Steve is tall enough that by standing on a ladder, he could reach the missing tile holes.)

After taking a few pictures, I went to go back inside the house, only to discover I had inadvertently locked myself out. Ooops. I had to contact Ashley again, asking for her to go find Steve. In the meantime, I walked over to our neighbors and visited with them until Steve was able to call me. He got to call it an early day (Well, not really early -- he is working 12 hour shifts right now, but he got to leave around the 9 hour mark). We reconvened back at the house, where clean up began.


Steve did most of the work (I was still chatting with the neighbor). He got all the limbs moved and swept the debris into random piles. I then put the piles in a trash bag while he worked on repairing the roof.


Most of the slate was obliterated. We were able to save a couple larger tiles (with some damage), but had to scrap all the rest.


Because it was cold out, still windy, and we don't have immediate access to new tiles, we had to improvise. Most of the tiles that were damaged were a top layer, leaving some older tiles exposed. However, there was one spot (probably point of impact) that the tiles had been busted clear to the wood on the roof. We improvised sliding aluminum foil under the intact tiles, duct taping the foil together, and nailing it into the wood. Hopefully, this will protect the wood short-term through the rest of the winter. In the spring, Steve thinks he will be able to put new tiles down himself. (Although, we're still debating on making a claim to insurance and having the roofing company do it. We are open to any suggestions and advice on this issue, since neither of us have dealt with anything like this before).

We are thankful that it was only a few broken tiles and on the garage (which is more easily accessible). Had it been the roof on the actual house, or even a larger portion of tree that had fallen, our tale would be much different. Hopefully, our trees, roof, and outside land will hold off on any more unexpected issues through the winter so that we can take care of them in the Spring. We already had a long list of outside work that needs to be accomplished. "Trim back trees" & "Fix slate" were just added to that lengthy list.