I'm going through my steno pad in which I have jotted down random thought kernels. I may never expand upon these or mention them again but here goes:
Did any of ask to be born? None of us are here in this life because we had a choice. A man and a woman (or maybe a test tube) got together and 9 months later, there we were.
That sort of fits in with another thought that recurs:
Do you ever simply get sick of all the daily repetition involved in just keeping body and soul (and family) together? Flossing, eating (eliminating what we ate!), exercising, taking care of a house, shopping, laundry, blah, blah, blah...obviously a very incomplete list.
Yet, if we were to actually die but then somehow miraculously be brought back to life, each moment, no matter how repetitious, would be precious - at least for a little while.
I guess the quest is to minimize the stuff we don't really want or need to do and make the rest as enjoyable as possible because once we're no longer amongst animate beings, moldering repose will be our only option and that doesn't sound like a lot of fun!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Great Book: Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille
Our daughter purchased a used book for me recently on a trip to southern NM. It's called Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille. I am savoring it.
This post isn't a book review but the synopsis is that she and her husband divorce and she buys 12 acres in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and builds a log cabin to live in.
In the midst of several weeks of big-time house maintenance (reroof last week and repaint this week) I just wanted to comment that even living in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing presents maintenance challenges.
She had to seal off the outside so mice and bats can't get in. This after a bat swoops across her face while she's lying in her sleeping loft late one night and mice leave droppings in her sugar bowl.
Also, the worry of fire weighs heavy on her mind in the winter. She's so isolated that she would have to fight any fire that started. A constant chore is cutting down cords and cords of wood so she can keep warm in the winter. I wonder if Thoreau touched on any of this in Walden Pond?
This book tells me that living off the grid in a log cabin in the woods would only multiply more chores of home ownership! Yet and still, I dream of a life more carefree of taking care of a house. What's the answer?
This post isn't a book review but the synopsis is that she and her husband divorce and she buys 12 acres in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and builds a log cabin to live in.
In the midst of several weeks of big-time house maintenance (reroof last week and repaint this week) I just wanted to comment that even living in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing presents maintenance challenges.
She had to seal off the outside so mice and bats can't get in. This after a bat swoops across her face while she's lying in her sleeping loft late one night and mice leave droppings in her sugar bowl.
Also, the worry of fire weighs heavy on her mind in the winter. She's so isolated that she would have to fight any fire that started. A constant chore is cutting down cords and cords of wood so she can keep warm in the winter. I wonder if Thoreau touched on any of this in Walden Pond?
This book tells me that living off the grid in a log cabin in the woods would only multiply more chores of home ownership! Yet and still, I dream of a life more carefree of taking care of a house. What's the answer?
Intriguing, Wild, Night Hiker
On Monday night, just as I got near the Christian Church parking lot, I saw a man holding a flashlight come striding across the lot. I waved hello and he immediately started asking me trail directions.
I thought maybe he was asking where the Mesa Trail is so I pointed out the way there but it turned out that he was asking about the south rim trail above Pueblo Canyon that starts from the Walkup Center and goes to behind Aspen Ridge assisted living.
He had a slight accent and may have been wearing a headlamp as well as carrying a flashlight. He had been walking along that rim trail at night, vertigo inducing even in the daylight, and then, not seeing where it came up, had bushwhacked his way up behind Sombrillo nursing home.
He looked young and I'm guessing he's a summer student working at the lab. I walked with him ever so briefly as he was going to give up the trail hike and walk back on the sidewalks in the same direction I was going.
I told him the trail he was on is very steep and it's best not to walk it at night and besides which, that's when animals come out to feed. I did admit to him, though, that in 25 years, I've only seen one mountain lion.
I would have liked to have gotten more details about his explores but it was late at night and I was alone so I said goodbye and crossed the street to continue my tame night walk. I did admire his being out there exploring late at night!
I thought maybe he was asking where the Mesa Trail is so I pointed out the way there but it turned out that he was asking about the south rim trail above Pueblo Canyon that starts from the Walkup Center and goes to behind Aspen Ridge assisted living.
He had a slight accent and may have been wearing a headlamp as well as carrying a flashlight. He had been walking along that rim trail at night, vertigo inducing even in the daylight, and then, not seeing where it came up, had bushwhacked his way up behind Sombrillo nursing home.
He looked young and I'm guessing he's a summer student working at the lab. I walked with him ever so briefly as he was going to give up the trail hike and walk back on the sidewalks in the same direction I was going.
I told him the trail he was on is very steep and it's best not to walk it at night and besides which, that's when animals come out to feed. I did admit to him, though, that in 25 years, I've only seen one mountain lion.
I would have liked to have gotten more details about his explores but it was late at night and I was alone so I said goodbye and crossed the street to continue my tame night walk. I did admire his being out there exploring late at night!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
House Painter Here This Week
The house painter started yesterday morning. So far, he's been prepping the board and batten siding. It's taking a while since we so neglected the paint. He says the prep of the lap siding will be easier. He seems to do a thorough job preparing which will ensure a good paint finish.
When he first came yesterday, even though he had told me he would sand, caulk and paint the area that our insurance company says is snow-damaged, he expressed the opinion, with spouse concurring, that it should really be replaced.
I panicked and called the handyman - the only contractor, of many that came out, who expressed any interest in the job - and left a message asking if he could come out this week to replace the damaged portion after all. Fortunately, the handyman was so busy yesterday that he couldn't call back.
Today the painter sanded away the loose parts of the delaminated, snow-damaged board and batten siding and has caulked the area to make it even. It's a small damaged area and I think the repair he did looks really good. I really think the idea of sanding, caulking, and painting to protect it from the weather will work out just fine and satisfy our homeowner's insurance. Yay on that one! I called the handyman this morning to say we're still going with Plan A first.
The sander that the painter uses is really loud. I hope no neighbors complain. He started a little before 8 am this morning. It will be good when the unavoidably noisy portion of the repaint is over with!
I have to laugh at the idea of sheltering in place if a disaster happens at the DP site clean-up! There's no way I can make this place air tight. Even with the doors closed, some dust from the sanding seeps in. Let's hope the boys don't stir up any buried plutonium waste during the DP site clean-up or I's toast! ; D
I don't need to go over to take care of daughter's kitty and garden today because they get back this evening. Their garden is sprouting nicely. Kitty is so sweet and cute but, man, for a tiny thing that seems to eat nothing, she's very prolific in the litter box department! Her food must have plenty of fiber!
Roofers never came out last Friday. I wonder - should we just wait until THEY contact us next week (he's out of town this week) or call Monday to check on the status of things? I hope they will promptly take care of the items they said they would and not punish me by making me stay home multiple days to wait for them to come out. Believe me, I want to be out of their hair just as much as they want me to be! ; D
When he first came yesterday, even though he had told me he would sand, caulk and paint the area that our insurance company says is snow-damaged, he expressed the opinion, with spouse concurring, that it should really be replaced.
I panicked and called the handyman - the only contractor, of many that came out, who expressed any interest in the job - and left a message asking if he could come out this week to replace the damaged portion after all. Fortunately, the handyman was so busy yesterday that he couldn't call back.
Today the painter sanded away the loose parts of the delaminated, snow-damaged board and batten siding and has caulked the area to make it even. It's a small damaged area and I think the repair he did looks really good. I really think the idea of sanding, caulking, and painting to protect it from the weather will work out just fine and satisfy our homeowner's insurance. Yay on that one! I called the handyman this morning to say we're still going with Plan A first.
The sander that the painter uses is really loud. I hope no neighbors complain. He started a little before 8 am this morning. It will be good when the unavoidably noisy portion of the repaint is over with!
I have to laugh at the idea of sheltering in place if a disaster happens at the DP site clean-up! There's no way I can make this place air tight. Even with the doors closed, some dust from the sanding seeps in. Let's hope the boys don't stir up any buried plutonium waste during the DP site clean-up or I's toast! ; D
I don't need to go over to take care of daughter's kitty and garden today because they get back this evening. Their garden is sprouting nicely. Kitty is so sweet and cute but, man, for a tiny thing that seems to eat nothing, she's very prolific in the litter box department! Her food must have plenty of fiber!
Roofers never came out last Friday. I wonder - should we just wait until THEY contact us next week (he's out of town this week) or call Monday to check on the status of things? I hope they will promptly take care of the items they said they would and not punish me by making me stay home multiple days to wait for them to come out. Believe me, I want to be out of their hair just as much as they want me to be! ; D
Friday, June 11, 2010
If I Ruled My World
If I were allowed to live as I wish, I'd (not in any particular order
and certainly not a complete list):
and certainly not a complete list):
turn off lights in rooms I'm not using
cancel the cable,
force myself to use a computer just once a week to save untold hours
of my life,
read more,
listen to less news,
sleep more,
sort through all my possessions to get rid of clutter,
buy a futon to use instead of a bed,
live as simply and bare bones as I could except for anything to do
with maintaining my health,
live in a quiet condominium with all outside maintenance taken care of,
buy the longest lasting, greenest (in regards to energy use) personal
possessions, car and home appliances that I can find,
visit the national parks a lot,
do my best to stay away from contractors or, baring that, find ones
who aren't intimidated by my "thoroughness"
Waiting for Roofing Crew
Let's face it - they're not going to come out on a Friday afternoon
when they have stayed all week in an apartment in Los Alamos and are
eager to end the work week and get back to their lives. But, the
roofing company owner told me they would call if they're coming out
this afternoon and left no option open that they would call to tell
me they won't be here.
when they have stayed all week in an apartment in Los Alamos and are
eager to end the work week and get back to their lives. But, the
roofing company owner told me they would call if they're coming out
this afternoon and left no option open that they would call to tell
me they won't be here.
It's so hot in the house - 84 degrees. I'm doubly hot because I've
worn my long pants and long-sleeved shirt inside all day rather than
changing into shorts and a T shirt. The roofer said the ridge vent
would make the house cooler but I know better because I actually went
into the attic (he didn't never bothered) and saw only a few soffit
vents with light coming through - the rest are blocked by insulation
batts.
The former owners of this house had also blocked off two of the
furnace's return air vents as well as covered over the crawl space
vents. We reversed all that but would need to call out an insulation
contractor to remedy the soffit vent blockage. I sometimes wonder
what the former owners were thinking in blocking off ventilation.
After repainting the house, I doubt I'll ever want to do another
thing to it unless we have some plumbing issue. I wish we could move
into the senior condos at Oppenheimer Place. Maybe they wouldn't be
perfect and there would be other issues but at least I'd have the
satisfaction of saying adios to this house. Ungrateful as it sounds
when there are people in the world who would be so happy to have even
an old house like this, I'm done with it and want to move on! I
don't want to spend my senior years taking care of a failing body, a
decrepit old house and a gopher-hole-riddled, weed strewn backyard! I
feel trapped, not in control of my life, and I want to get out of
here!!!!
Roofer Says I'm Thorough
Note on subject line: When he said I was thorough, I don't think that it was a compliment! More driveling details below:
The roofer came out today. I first showed him the photos where an 8" section of the ridge vent cut is covered only by shingles. He wasn't impressed and asked in a sullen way why that bothers us. He says it won't leak (even though there's an 8" long hole on each side of the ridge that's only covered by the ridge shingles). Not happy with his attitude, I asked him if he considered that good roof workmanship and he never really answered but instead impatiently told us he had a meeting at noon and didn't have much time. This when his "late morning" turned into nearly noon by the time he arrived! Even so, he did deign to go up on the roof (swinging the ladder perilously close to my parked car!)
After his inspection, he agreed to have his crew come out to extend the VentSure on top of the 8 inches (but not extend the ridge cut) and over to the the last 6" of the roof. This will also serve the purpose of making the ridge line look uniform from north to south. As it is now, the last yard or so of the ridge steps down a few inches because the VentSure material ends. I was fine with the unevenness until I went into the attic and made my discoveries.
I also showed him the photos of the woodstove chimney taken from inside the attic which show gaps letting daylight through that are sealed only with clear caulk. He in a smart-alecky tone asked if I wanted them to use dark caulk!
The woodstove chimney flange is so dented and battered that it doesn't fit tightly now. Filling the gaps with caulking is really only a short-term solution, especially in the sunshine we get in NM. He said his crew will put three courses of tar and granules to seal off the woodstove chimney.
He said his crew will call if they're coming out this afternoon which means I get to wait all afternoon for them. If they don't come out today, they may not be here for another week because he's going out of town next week.
The ABC Seamless Gutters estimator was out today and he wondered why the vents and chimneys weren't replaced with the reroof. I mentioned this to the roofer at one point in response to something sullen he said and he asked pointedly if the ABC guy was a roofer. He could have simply given me some good reasons why it didn't need to be replaced.
Even when I asked if he thought that we as homeowner's would be wise to replace them, I didn't really get an answer. He was generally giving us answers that weren't really answers and seemed defensive. I was honestly wondering if they needed replacing and not challenging him in any way but he was on the defensive.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the water-tightness of the woodstove chimney now. It has never leaked before. I hope smoke doesn't pour out of it when we fire up the woodstove this winter. The roofing crew was really rough on the furnace and woodstove chimneys and the hot water heater vent. One time on Tuesday when I looked at the roof, the furnace vent was cockeyed although it looks straight now.
It's funny how his attitude has changed now that we have paid him off in full. Before it was that he's "loving my questions". Now it's that we have taken up so much of his time in comparison to other customers - (a paraphrase but that's the gist of what he told us). Later I told him that there was another way we weren't like the rest of his customers - we paid him right away! His wife had told us they've had trouble collecting from some customers.
When I told him, getting peeved at his sullenness and defensiveness, that I was surprised that he didn't come at the end of the day Tuesday to inspect the roof, he told me he was up on our roof 3 times during the job. I thanked him for that and told him I hadn't known. He says he can tell a lot from the street. I told him, though, that it gave me confidence to have him go up on the roof today and inspect it.
He said he has done 100 roofs with his present crew. But, in my mind, he's the final arbiter and the one who ultimately will pay any water damage claims in the next 7 years.
Although he did mellow somewhat at the end, his attitude toward us today makes me wonder how it will be if we need him for warranty service in the next 7 years. After that, I'd hire someone else. If any one asks me to recommend him, I'll tell them all the good (considerable) but be honest about the other issues including what he did to address them.
Do I really need a house? Maybe I could live in my car and then I'd only have to deal with the service department at auto dealerships! Hmmm...that's scary too!! Maybe I could live in a box - boxes don't need much maintenance - just find a new one when they break...
The roofer came out today. I first showed him the photos where an 8" section of the ridge vent cut is covered only by shingles. He wasn't impressed and asked in a sullen way why that bothers us. He says it won't leak (even though there's an 8" long hole on each side of the ridge that's only covered by the ridge shingles). Not happy with his attitude, I asked him if he considered that good roof workmanship and he never really answered but instead impatiently told us he had a meeting at noon and didn't have much time. This when his "late morning" turned into nearly noon by the time he arrived! Even so, he did deign to go up on the roof (swinging the ladder perilously close to my parked car!)
After his inspection, he agreed to have his crew come out to extend the VentSure on top of the 8 inches (but not extend the ridge cut) and over to the the last 6" of the roof. This will also serve the purpose of making the ridge line look uniform from north to south. As it is now, the last yard or so of the ridge steps down a few inches because the VentSure material ends. I was fine with the unevenness until I went into the attic and made my discoveries.
I also showed him the photos of the woodstove chimney taken from inside the attic which show gaps letting daylight through that are sealed only with clear caulk. He in a smart-alecky tone asked if I wanted them to use dark caulk!
The woodstove chimney flange is so dented and battered that it doesn't fit tightly now. Filling the gaps with caulking is really only a short-term solution, especially in the sunshine we get in NM. He said his crew will put three courses of tar and granules to seal off the woodstove chimney.
He said his crew will call if they're coming out this afternoon which means I get to wait all afternoon for them. If they don't come out today, they may not be here for another week because he's going out of town next week.
The ABC Seamless Gutters estimator was out today and he wondered why the vents and chimneys weren't replaced with the reroof. I mentioned this to the roofer at one point in response to something sullen he said and he asked pointedly if the ABC guy was a roofer. He could have simply given me some good reasons why it didn't need to be replaced.
Even when I asked if he thought that we as homeowner's would be wise to replace them, I didn't really get an answer. He was generally giving us answers that weren't really answers and seemed defensive. I was honestly wondering if they needed replacing and not challenging him in any way but he was on the defensive.
I don't have a lot of confidence in the water-tightness of the woodstove chimney now. It has never leaked before. I hope smoke doesn't pour out of it when we fire up the woodstove this winter. The roofing crew was really rough on the furnace and woodstove chimneys and the hot water heater vent. One time on Tuesday when I looked at the roof, the furnace vent was cockeyed although it looks straight now.
It's funny how his attitude has changed now that we have paid him off in full. Before it was that he's "loving my questions". Now it's that we have taken up so much of his time in comparison to other customers - (a paraphrase but that's the gist of what he told us). Later I told him that there was another way we weren't like the rest of his customers - we paid him right away! His wife had told us they've had trouble collecting from some customers.
When I told him, getting peeved at his sullenness and defensiveness, that I was surprised that he didn't come at the end of the day Tuesday to inspect the roof, he told me he was up on our roof 3 times during the job. I thanked him for that and told him I hadn't known. He says he can tell a lot from the street. I told him, though, that it gave me confidence to have him go up on the roof today and inspect it.
He said he has done 100 roofs with his present crew. But, in my mind, he's the final arbiter and the one who ultimately will pay any water damage claims in the next 7 years.
Although he did mellow somewhat at the end, his attitude toward us today makes me wonder how it will be if we need him for warranty service in the next 7 years. After that, I'd hire someone else. If any one asks me to recommend him, I'll tell them all the good (considerable) but be honest about the other issues including what he did to address them.
Do I really need a house? Maybe I could live in my car and then I'd only have to deal with the service department at auto dealerships! Hmmm...that's scary too!! Maybe I could live in a box - boxes don't need much maintenance - just find a new one when they break...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Roof Detox
After I went to daughter's house to take care of kitty cat and garden while she's out of town, I drove over to the Mitchell Trailhead and walked south on the Perimeter Trail. I started at 3:50 pm and it was hot! Think sauna, think hemorrhagic heat stroke, think hot buttered brains! Needless to say, the trail wasn't crowded! ; D
Lots of pretty buckthorn bushes in bloom. At least I think they were buckthorn. Really, I can see a plant or flower more fully if I don't worry about the name. Going uphill out of the north fork of Pueblo Canyon, I enjoyed the spicy smell of pink NM locust flowers. Such a pretty flower - such lethal thorns!
On the way back to my car, I could see smoke to the north of Guaje Ridge. Probably it was from the South Fork fire near Polvadera Peak that broke out this afternoon. Spouse says he heard on KOB TV channel 4 that there is a fire in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I was trying to verify that on the station's website when - whoosh - the world went black and we had an hour long power outage.
Fortunately, when the power went out, I was typing this in Blogger which constantly saves so I didn't lose what I'd already written.
Tomorrow is such a joy - in the morning, ABC Seamless Gutters, Comcast and the roofer are all coming out.
Spouse's injured left ribs are feeling better.
Lots of pretty buckthorn bushes in bloom. At least I think they were buckthorn. Really, I can see a plant or flower more fully if I don't worry about the name. Going uphill out of the north fork of Pueblo Canyon, I enjoyed the spicy smell of pink NM locust flowers. Such a pretty flower - such lethal thorns!
On the way back to my car, I could see smoke to the north of Guaje Ridge. Probably it was from the South Fork fire near Polvadera Peak that broke out this afternoon. Spouse says he heard on KOB TV channel 4 that there is a fire in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I was trying to verify that on the station's website when - whoosh - the world went black and we had an hour long power outage.
Fortunately, when the power went out, I was typing this in Blogger which constantly saves so I didn't lose what I'd already written.
Tomorrow is such a joy - in the morning, ABC Seamless Gutters, Comcast and the roofer are all coming out.
Spouse's injured left ribs are feeling better.
Will Talk With Roofer Tomorrow
Here's some more things that I figured out today about the new roof:
I verified that the VentSure ridge vent cover stops 8" short of the actual end of the slot cut in the roof's ridge. That 8" is only protected with ridge shingles. Spouse held the ladder while I went into the attic.
It appears that a lot of the soffit vents in the attic are mostly blocked by the rock wool insulation batts that are pushed up against the vents.
From inside the attic, I saw that the flashing on the woodstove chimney is so battered and bent that I can see daylight between the flashing and the chimney. They have filled the gaps with clear caulk - a short-sighted solution sure to let rain run down the chimney onto the ceiling when the caulk fails.
The roofer said they would replace the small flashings that needed it. The replaced all the small flashings but they didn't replace the small flashing on the vent stack for the gas range. Seems dumb to replace all but one.
The other large flashings for the gas furnace chimney and the hot water heater vent also look battered. The roof is only as good as the flashings. I'm amazed that they'd leave the large flashings in the condition that they are in and not advise us to replace them or offer to repair them. I don't think they were that damaged before. Replacing the large flashings was not part of the original roofing job which seems imprudent and short-sighted. I thought a new roof would give me less worries about leaks but instead, it has added worries!
I'm sure that eventually, all will get taken care of but it's aggravating that it wasn't done right the first time!
I verified that the VentSure ridge vent cover stops 8" short of the actual end of the slot cut in the roof's ridge. That 8" is only protected with ridge shingles. Spouse held the ladder while I went into the attic.
It appears that a lot of the soffit vents in the attic are mostly blocked by the rock wool insulation batts that are pushed up against the vents.
From inside the attic, I saw that the flashing on the woodstove chimney is so battered and bent that I can see daylight between the flashing and the chimney. They have filled the gaps with clear caulk - a short-sighted solution sure to let rain run down the chimney onto the ceiling when the caulk fails.
The roofer said they would replace the small flashings that needed it. The replaced all the small flashings but they didn't replace the small flashing on the vent stack for the gas range. Seems dumb to replace all but one.
The other large flashings for the gas furnace chimney and the hot water heater vent also look battered. The roof is only as good as the flashings. I'm amazed that they'd leave the large flashings in the condition that they are in and not advise us to replace them or offer to repair them. I don't think they were that damaged before. Replacing the large flashings was not part of the original roofing job which seems imprudent and short-sighted. I thought a new roof would give me less worries about leaks but instead, it has added worries!
I'm sure that eventually, all will get taken care of but it's aggravating that it wasn't done right the first time!
I Am Not My Roof
More droning on about the new roof:
I got the ladder out early this morning - around 7:30 am. The alarm was set for 9 am since I didn't go to sleep until 1 am last night but the heat woke me up early. I looked at the two ends of the ridge vent from the edge of the roof and took more photos.
Up close, from the roof edge, I can almost believe that the end of the ridge vent on the north side coincides with the end of the ridge vent cut or it's within a few inches not a foot like I said yesterday.
On the south side, though, after reading more about how important it is to caulk the end cap of the ridge vent, I'm worried. There is no transitioning ridge shingles to cover the end cap of the ridge vent - it just abruptly ends and steps down to the last shingle above the eave overhang. I'd feel better it I knew it was very well caulked (caulking DOES need renewing from time to time) AND covered by a transitioning ridge shingle.
I get the feeling I was an idiot to let them cut the ridge vent because it has the potential to create moisture problems, which is what I was hoping to avoid, when there were none before in the attic.
I also read that the VentSure type vent is a cheap, fast solution because it can be nailed. It can also clog. I don't really know if we have soffit vents the whole length of the house, front and back. I know for sure the remodeled carport addition has them. The soffit vents and ridge vent work together - the intake air comes in through the soffits and takes heat and moisture out through the ridge vent. They need to be balanced in order to work together with an equal amount of vent space for both. I get the feeling that the ridge vent was haphazardly cut with no computation of how long or wide it needed to be in relation to the vent space of the soffits.
I really wonder when one day we try to sell this house if a building inspector won't flag the ridge vent as not in code and not even effective? I've given up, though, on the idea of calling out the county building inspector. The roofer said the estimate included a building permit but what if he didn't get one and what if the county inspector flags the ridge vent as not being in code? Forget about it!!
I feel like a hypocrite for telling the roofer that I thought they were wonderful and then grousing about things in this blog. Some aspects were wonderful - I liked interacting with both him and his wife and the crew was nice but I do see deficiencies in his operation. I mentioned yesterday that he didn't seem to come around much while they were putting on the roof and he didn't come to look at the final job at the end of the day. Yesterday, he declined to even go up on the roof to inspect it.
Other deficiencies that I see:
When I asked him the width of the VentSure ridge vent used (in our area, there are two available widths - 11 1/4" and 7"), he didn't know the answer.
To make the roof penetrations look like they did before with their bases coated with roofing tar and granules would have cost extra. Spray painting the bases was a cheap, fast solution.
He only replaced the small flashings and re-used the flashings on the wood stove chimney and furnace vent stack. I foresee that if the roof develops leaks around those particular flashings, he'll say that we'll have to pay to get the leaks repaired and the warranty won't cover that.
On a minor note, he didn't leave any leftover shingles for future repairs. Shingle colors change over time. He said he would bring some by - we'll see!
Anyway, I'm going to email that I'd like the south end of the ridge vent checked and ask if they could nail a ridge shingle over the end of the VentSure end cap.
I got the ladder out early this morning - around 7:30 am. The alarm was set for 9 am since I didn't go to sleep until 1 am last night but the heat woke me up early. I looked at the two ends of the ridge vent from the edge of the roof and took more photos.
Up close, from the roof edge, I can almost believe that the end of the ridge vent on the north side coincides with the end of the ridge vent cut or it's within a few inches not a foot like I said yesterday.
On the south side, though, after reading more about how important it is to caulk the end cap of the ridge vent, I'm worried. There is no transitioning ridge shingles to cover the end cap of the ridge vent - it just abruptly ends and steps down to the last shingle above the eave overhang. I'd feel better it I knew it was very well caulked (caulking DOES need renewing from time to time) AND covered by a transitioning ridge shingle.
I get the feeling I was an idiot to let them cut the ridge vent because it has the potential to create moisture problems, which is what I was hoping to avoid, when there were none before in the attic.
I also read that the VentSure type vent is a cheap, fast solution because it can be nailed. It can also clog. I don't really know if we have soffit vents the whole length of the house, front and back. I know for sure the remodeled carport addition has them. The soffit vents and ridge vent work together - the intake air comes in through the soffits and takes heat and moisture out through the ridge vent. They need to be balanced in order to work together with an equal amount of vent space for both. I get the feeling that the ridge vent was haphazardly cut with no computation of how long or wide it needed to be in relation to the vent space of the soffits.
I really wonder when one day we try to sell this house if a building inspector won't flag the ridge vent as not in code and not even effective? I've given up, though, on the idea of calling out the county building inspector. The roofer said the estimate included a building permit but what if he didn't get one and what if the county inspector flags the ridge vent as not being in code? Forget about it!!
I feel like a hypocrite for telling the roofer that I thought they were wonderful and then grousing about things in this blog. Some aspects were wonderful - I liked interacting with both him and his wife and the crew was nice but I do see deficiencies in his operation. I mentioned yesterday that he didn't seem to come around much while they were putting on the roof and he didn't come to look at the final job at the end of the day. Yesterday, he declined to even go up on the roof to inspect it.
Other deficiencies that I see:
When I asked him the width of the VentSure ridge vent used (in our area, there are two available widths - 11 1/4" and 7"), he didn't know the answer.
To make the roof penetrations look like they did before with their bases coated with roofing tar and granules would have cost extra. Spray painting the bases was a cheap, fast solution.
He only replaced the small flashings and re-used the flashings on the wood stove chimney and furnace vent stack. I foresee that if the roof develops leaks around those particular flashings, he'll say that we'll have to pay to get the leaks repaired and the warranty won't cover that.
On a minor note, he didn't leave any leftover shingles for future repairs. Shingle colors change over time. He said he would bring some by - we'll see!
Anyway, I'm going to email that I'd like the south end of the ridge vent checked and ask if they could nail a ridge shingle over the end of the VentSure end cap.
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