Nothing but respect for the roofers

[DAKSY]

Susan & I did the roof of our A-Frame by ourselves back in 05. 24/12 pitch. 35 square of 30 year Architectural Grade Shingles. Roof brackets with planks every 4 feet. Peak is 37 feet from the ground. She humped em up to the first bracket plank. I brought em to where I needed them & nailed em down. Took us 1-1/2 months working every night after our day jobs & on weekends...I did the ridge vents & cap shingles straddling the roof at the peak. Legs were at a 60 interior angle for so long that I couldn't ride my Sportster for a couple of days. Actually burned my inner thighs from the heat absorbed by the black plastic ridge vent. I will admit that I was in the best shape of my life since Basic Combat Training in 71...

 

[Hogwildz]

The tarpaper is a vapor barrier, and acts as a second defense to any water infiltration that could occur. Not much of a defense, but better than none. Also, if you ever have to tear those shingles off in the far off future, you may need top replace the plywood again, as the new shingles may end up sticking to the plywood, taking parts of the top layer of the plywood while attempting to remove the shingles. Get yourself the ridge vent, but it will be ineffective with no eave ventilation in the soffit area. And yes, if you get the ridge vent & venting at the eaves, remove the fill vents and fill in over them.

 

[Pallet Pete]

That looks great ! Nice job. I spent a summer hauling shingles up ladders in high school and thought nothing of it then but now I would be crying by the end of the day lol !

 

[Hogwildz]

And yes, roofing is a thankless job. In the trades, they are the least respected, yet cover up more of other trades oopses than anyone on the site. The consumers have even less respect for them, as they are always so "dirty" and "trashy" looking. Yet many folks would never even think of spending a day in his shoes. What was true back when I was in the trade, was a majority (not all)of roofers were alcoholics &/or drug addicts, and most every one fell at some point. I may have been considered one of the prior, but was lucky enough never to have fallen. Even taunted it at times, but was very lucky to have never fallen. Even while walking a ledge while sedated on Quaaludes or valiums. Fun times yes, lucky times absolutely, paying for it in the future, sure am, but never a boring moment back then.

When you see a crew up on a roof and it is 90+ degrees outside, remember its 120+ up there with no relief in site. Doing it for 10 hours or more a day. And if you aint' sweaty and dirty as hell, you ain't working much, and won't last long at that job. A young man's job for sure. And one that will remind you of having done it, each and every day when you wake up and crawl out of bed with a new stiff spot, or ache that is there for the remainder of the ride.

Still, stupidly, I'd do it all over again. With a smile on my face. Both stoned, and sober.

Kudos to you for experiencing it, and giving credit that is surely due, but seldom acknowledged, appreciated or thought of.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Blowing insulation into a hot attic crawl space in summer is right up there with the No 1 worst jobs.
Spent a few hours jack hammering concrete out yesterday,another job i wont be doing much longer at 56.

 

[Jags]

I have done enough roofing to know that I respect the folks that do it for real. I have one building that needs a new roof currently. I may do it myself, but I am betting that it will be the last one I do.

 

[Hogwildz]

I have done enough roofing to know that I respect the folks that do it for real. I have one building that needs a new roof currently. I may do it myself, but I am betting that it will be the last one I do.

If I was closer, I'd help. I do miss it at times. Mostly the metal work, but also some of the roofing itself. I have my house to do, but it is not needed yet. Not sure i I will be able to by the time it needs it or not.

 

[Jags]

If I was closer, I'd help. I do miss it at times. Mostly the metal work, but also some of the roofing itself. I have my house to do, but it is not needed yet. Not sure i I will be able to by the time it needs it or not.

I could only wish, Bro. I could use your expertise on this one....

 

[Realstone]

If you end up installing a ridge vent you may want to remove the other vents up high on the roof that you have. Cold air could end up coming in those vents and out the ridge vent. You want the cold air to come in down low. So basically by installing two vents up high you could make the soffit vents useless...

That's useful, thanks. Going to look at ridge vents today.

Now thats a real DIY. Hawsome. Worst job I ever had was clearing that clogged toilet in the Burger King....

Thanks! About that clogged toilet, Mike Rowe might agree with you.

 

[btuser]

I did roofing for a little bit after college. Everything people say is true, but the money can be real good so don't feel too bad for those guys. Start at 6, stop at Noon, then come back after 4 and work till dark. It's often more than 50% of a building's facade, something I didn't appreciate before I started. My last roofing job was a 3 story barn with a gambrel roof line 50+ square with 3 dormers on each side. 3 layer of asphalt over cedar shakes (don't ask) had to come off, then we re-decked it, then 40 yr 3 tab (heavy) asphalt shingles. Me and one other guy, all ladders, safety lines were not part of the standard lexicon at that point.

Everyone should have to do it once, just to appreciate it.

 

[TMonter]

Chose not to go with architectural shingles? Given that they are easier to install that will be the route I go when I do mine in a few years if I don't go with standing seam metal.

 

[BrotherBart]

I was a hot roofer after high school. Bucket man back before they had the thing to pump the tar up to the roof. In Texas summers. Made enlisting in the Army a real easy decision.

 

[Hogwildz]

N

I was a hot roofer after high school. Bucket man back before they had the thing to pump the tar up to the roof. In Texas summers. Made enlisting in the Army a real easy decision.

Nuttin like 500-600 degree tar splashing on your legs & arms. I got the "spots" too. We had the pumper with the pipe up to the roof, and on smaller jobs or complex areas, yes the old rope & wheel with buckets. Was not too bad after we got the boom that had the hinged end to swing over the roof. Before that, the boom sucked.
Tar on a sunny summer day is not enjoyable at all. Especially after sweating your nuts off for 10 hours or so and all the salt you sweat out is dangling in big rehardened chunks from you armpit hairs, crease of your neck, shoulders etc. I was amazed the first time that happened. Thats alot of sweat!

 

[bluedogz]

1 winter as a roofer made me grateful... but not so grateful that I didn't spend 6 months as a tent fumigator in a Florida summer. Hogz, I thought I was the only one who knew about what we called "sweatactites"!

 

[Hogwildz]

1 winter as a roofer made me grateful... but not so grateful that I didn't spend 6 months as a tent fumigator in a Florida summer. Hogz, I thought I was the only one who knew about what we called "sweatactites"!

LOL, nice terminology. I had then things every day in the summer, especially after getting off a hot roof job.