Roofing is done

Last week we had two mornings when it wasn’t raining, so we used those times to finish installing the metal roofing. There wasn’t a lot left, but the last bits were tricky and dangerous to install, because they were at the end of the one story section that has a very large drop, and because it was no longer possible to climb back down on the strapping once the last piece was up.

We used a ladder hook on half of an extension ladder to work on the roof, but the ridge caps require the installer to straddle the peak of the roof without the aid of the ladder, so that part was quite scary. What really made it possible to finish this job was the help from two friends who are both like monkeys and have no fear of heights. The climbing rope tied to a tractor also came in handy.

I know of another couple who built one of these houses and used a cherry picker to install the roofing. That solution tempted me for a while. If I had worked alone, I might have used that method, or hired out the roofing to someone else. Working on the roof is really quite dangerous and I would urge anybody who’s thinking of doing this job to use the utmost caution and safety ropes.

But now that part is done (except for some screw holes that need some better sealant than silicone caulk). Now we can focus on getting the siding up and then working on the interior over the next few months. It’s obvious we won’t be living in the house this winter, but we feel that huge milestone has been passed and that the rest of the work, while still significant, won’t be as frightening or difficult.