Saturday - 7/28/11
With no prior notice, an hour before I was due to leave to work the roofing crew shows up. I was not expecting them on this particular Saturday considering it's Memorial Day weekend.
I was more than a bit annoyed because I wanted to be here while the work was being done and be satisfied with what I was seeing. There were also a couple of things I was still working on that I wanted to get done before they started their thing. Also I was concerned that I would have to leave the house open to a bunch of strangers while I was not there to keep an eye on things.
But...what ya gonna do!?? With a deep breath and crossed fingers, I left the house open and went to work!
Pics to follow!
My Round House
Believe it or not, it's round!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Carport work has restarted
Friday - 5/27/11
The carport roofing guy has begun work. He worked pretty much all day and installed a temporary support wall, removed my previous handing work and dropped the original support beam. With a rented air conditioner lift (who know such a thing existed?), lifted the beam in place. It's now sitting on the new "Z" bracket he installed atop the wall which now supports the full weight of the roof and beam at that end.
One down, three to go....and no more support posts!
The carport roofing guy has begun work. He worked pretty much all day and installed a temporary support wall, removed my previous handing work and dropped the original support beam. With a rented air conditioner lift (who know such a thing existed?), lifted the beam in place. It's now sitting on the new "Z" bracket he installed atop the wall which now supports the full weight of the roof and beam at that end.
One down, three to go....and no more support posts!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Let there be (more) light!
Thursday - 5/26/11
When I contracted to have the metal roof installed part of the installation was to include three skylights, two in the Great Room and one in the center guest bath that has no natural light source at all. The main reason I wanted skylights is...just because....and I had two of them burning a hole in my pocket! About six years ago I came across two 25"x49" dual pane skylights at Lowes on closeout for $50.00 each. I had no predetermined use for them right then but couldn't pass up that kind of bargain so I snapped them up figuring I'd use them eventually. Such is the case now!
Three is a good number...but naturally the more I thought about it the more I figured I actually needed a fourth one to light the main entry hall. It's pretty dark there when you first come in and while I plan on changing out the entry door to one with glass in it, it would still be pretty dark. Sooooo....I decided to put this one in myself (don't laugh!).
I bought a 25"x25" light for the bath and then a 25"x49" for the entry hall. After checking my measurements multiple times I came to the conclusion that, given the way the roof joists run narrow to wide, putting the larger one up there was going to be impractical and probably overkill so I opted to go with the smaller one. It still gives plenty of light and is keeping with the size of the hallway. I'll have to take the larger one back and exchange it for another 25"x25". Need to do that before the sell the last one there!
They sure stick it to ya on these things. The skylight was only $79 on Memorial Day sale and you think you're getting a great deal until you read the box and it tells you that you also need to buy the required flashing kit for for another 102.00 and supply the wood for the frame, screws, and caulking. So what was a cheap deal ain't so cheap!
Here's to cutting a big hole in my roof!
I started early when it was still cool but the sun caught up with me and the shade up and moved over to the side. It started getting toasty up there surrounded by composition shingles. Still, it was manageable.
Finished (it only took all day)!
I built the frame out of 2x4, screwed it to the deck from underneath, installed the cross piece tying the newly cut roof joists to the joists on either side of it, trimmed and installed the flashing around the new frame, and then finally installed the skylight itself.
You might be thinking the flashing on each side should be covered with shingles and you might be right, however, there is a metal roof going down on top of all that so it wasn't necessary to completely cover the side flashing with shingles. The roofers will install their own flashing to when the roof panels are laid.
What a difference a hole makes!
There's light there now!
When I contracted to have the metal roof installed part of the installation was to include three skylights, two in the Great Room and one in the center guest bath that has no natural light source at all. The main reason I wanted skylights is...just because....and I had two of them burning a hole in my pocket! About six years ago I came across two 25"x49" dual pane skylights at Lowes on closeout for $50.00 each. I had no predetermined use for them right then but couldn't pass up that kind of bargain so I snapped them up figuring I'd use them eventually. Such is the case now!
Three is a good number...but naturally the more I thought about it the more I figured I actually needed a fourth one to light the main entry hall. It's pretty dark there when you first come in and while I plan on changing out the entry door to one with glass in it, it would still be pretty dark. Sooooo....I decided to put this one in myself (don't laugh!).
I bought a 25"x25" light for the bath and then a 25"x49" for the entry hall. After checking my measurements multiple times I came to the conclusion that, given the way the roof joists run narrow to wide, putting the larger one up there was going to be impractical and probably overkill so I opted to go with the smaller one. It still gives plenty of light and is keeping with the size of the hallway. I'll have to take the larger one back and exchange it for another 25"x25". Need to do that before the sell the last one there!
They sure stick it to ya on these things. The skylight was only $79 on Memorial Day sale and you think you're getting a great deal until you read the box and it tells you that you also need to buy the required flashing kit for for another 102.00 and supply the wood for the frame, screws, and caulking. So what was a cheap deal ain't so cheap!
Here's to cutting a big hole in my roof!
Finished (it only took all day)!
You might be thinking the flashing on each side should be covered with shingles and you might be right, however, there is a metal roof going down on top of all that so it wasn't necessary to completely cover the side flashing with shingles. The roofers will install their own flashing to when the roof panels are laid.
Fascia Boards
Wednesday - 5/25/11
Started to work on the inside but got to thinking about the new roof and how it might be the best time to remove the fascia boards before the roof is installed. They're also a couple of the eaves covering panels that are rotted out and need to be replaced. Those are comprised of simple plywood sheeting and 1x2 trim pieces.
At first I thought about removing the fascia and eaves entirely leaving it bare decking and roof joists. I'm sure there's a name for that style but it escapes me at the moment. It would look...okay-ish...with fresh paint up there.
However, since I want to insulate the interior with closed cell expanding foam, the gap at the top of the stucco wall between the roofing joists would have to be closed up so you couldn't see the ugly backside of the foam. There's way too many of them to deal with so I will leave the eave covering up there and repair the ones that need it and install new fascia boards around the perimeter. It's gives it a better finished look anyway! ;-)
Started to work on the inside but got to thinking about the new roof and how it might be the best time to remove the fascia boards before the roof is installed. They're also a couple of the eaves covering panels that are rotted out and need to be replaced. Those are comprised of simple plywood sheeting and 1x2 trim pieces.
At first I thought about removing the fascia and eaves entirely leaving it bare decking and roof joists. I'm sure there's a name for that style but it escapes me at the moment. It would look...okay-ish...with fresh paint up there.
However, since I want to insulate the interior with closed cell expanding foam, the gap at the top of the stucco wall between the roofing joists would have to be closed up so you couldn't see the ugly backside of the foam. There's way too many of them to deal with so I will leave the eave covering up there and repair the ones that need it and install new fascia boards around the perimeter. It's gives it a better finished look anyway! ;-)
Monday, May 23, 2011
The carport beams arrive
Tuesday - 5/22/11
The carport i-beams arrived today. At 24'9" long by 8" high, they are big and heavy.
So much so, the driver told us to step back and he just shoved them one at a time off the side.
No sooner than he did that, he was back in his truck and GONE! I guess they only deliver, they don't help.
I helped the carport building guy stow them under the carport but all the while I'm thinking to myself: Isn't that what I'm paying you to do? When we finished, even he disappeared and didn't show up again until Thursday to tell me he wouldn't be able to start until Friday.
It's always something with these guys!
The carport i-beams arrived today. At 24'9" long by 8" high, they are big and heavy.
I helped the carport building guy stow them under the carport but all the while I'm thinking to myself: Isn't that what I'm paying you to do? When we finished, even he disappeared and didn't show up again until Thursday to tell me he wouldn't be able to start until Friday.
It's always something with these guys!
The Tree
Friday - 5/20/11
I had the occasion to hear some chainsaws buzzing away up the street. I could see through the trees some guys working on a pretty big tree in the neighbors front yard so naturally it started me thinking of the oak tree between the carport and the street.
It looks pretty much dead to me. A shame really as it looked to be easily 100+yrs old. It's sad to see an established tree like that fading away. But, given I was investing quite a bit in the carport repairs and a new roof, I figured now is the best time to remove it rather risk it eventually crashing down on the house, the cars, etc.
I flagged the guy doing the main work and advised I had a tree that needed to be removed as well. He came down, checked it out and quoted me $900. Don't that beat all!! It was same amount I guesstimated on my own as the cost removing it.
They started Saturday and finished Monday late afternoon bringing it down from the top.
I now have probably 2-3 seasons of firewood.
He'll return later to grind the stump down and level the ground around it. Removing a tree sure makes a big visual difference. More light!
I had the occasion to hear some chainsaws buzzing away up the street. I could see through the trees some guys working on a pretty big tree in the neighbors front yard so naturally it started me thinking of the oak tree between the carport and the street.
I flagged the guy doing the main work and advised I had a tree that needed to be removed as well. He came down, checked it out and quoted me $900. Don't that beat all!! It was same amount I guesstimated on my own as the cost removing it.
They started Saturday and finished Monday late afternoon bringing it down from the top.
He'll return later to grind the stump down and level the ground around it. Removing a tree sure makes a big visual difference. More light!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Post Rapture
I worked on Saturday. Nothing happened. Or did it....I returned to work on Sunday. Is that heaven or hell?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Committed!
The Roof
The roofing contractor just left!.....with my down payment check for $5500. Ouch! He did leave a pretty red sign so I did get something for my money!
The work will start in earnest later next week.
The roofing contractor just left!.....with my down payment check for $5500. Ouch! He did leave a pretty red sign so I did get something for my money!
 |
| The sign...and the Boss ever dogging my trail! |
The work will start in earnest later next week.
Interior work and roofing estimate
Wednesday - 5/17/11
Made headway today framing in the upper walls between the two bathrooms and the roof. I had to get creative in lining up the header attached to the roof with the wall below. I incorporated the weighted string method to insure the top plate lined up with the top plate on the wall. Awkward but workable!
I was making good progress until the roofing guys came back with their estimates. And then Pat, my Dallas and fellow Cedar Creek Lake property owner in the next sub-division friend came by for lunch. When I got back I tried to pick up where I left off but my forward momentum was lost. I quit for the afternoon to contemplate the roof work....and to do my laundry (somethings never change!). I was able to pick up again later in the evening.
The Estimate
The estimate came in just under $14k for the carport structural work and full metal roofing for both the house and carport. Not as much as I feared but also not for the cleaner looking tapered flat panel standing seam metal roofing I indicated as being my first preference. Their two estimates covered a standard composition shingle roof ($5420) and the metal roof ($10,170), plus, in both cases, the carport structural work ($3688).
I asked about the price of my first choice standing seam roof. They suggested that with all the roof deck leveling and prep work to support that particular roof style, I could double the metal roof price. Their arguments made sense but I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that they assumed I wouldn't go for it and thus didn't provide an estimate for it. I tend to think it was more likely they'd have to order special roof panels or have them made or, as in the other roofing guy, they'd have to rent the equipment as opposed to using stock materials they have ready access to.
I'm not opposed to the hip style, it just wasn't my first preference. I gave it due consideration and talked it through with my buddy Jens in Germany who went through his own nearly year long new house building project. He commented that when you're standing under it, a metal roof is a metal roof and you can't see it....AND...money not spent there is money spent elsewhere. True
So.... Unless you're specifically looking at it from the road directly in front of the house or someone points it out, you probably wouldn't notice it anyway.
The Decision
Sigh.....OK, hip style it is!
Made headway today framing in the upper walls between the two bathrooms and the roof. I had to get creative in lining up the header attached to the roof with the wall below. I incorporated the weighted string method to insure the top plate lined up with the top plate on the wall. Awkward but workable!
The Estimate
The estimate came in just under $14k for the carport structural work and full metal roofing for both the house and carport. Not as much as I feared but also not for the cleaner looking tapered flat panel standing seam metal roofing I indicated as being my first preference. Their two estimates covered a standard composition shingle roof ($5420) and the metal roof ($10,170), plus, in both cases, the carport structural work ($3688).
I asked about the price of my first choice standing seam roof. They suggested that with all the roof deck leveling and prep work to support that particular roof style, I could double the metal roof price. Their arguments made sense but I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that they assumed I wouldn't go for it and thus didn't provide an estimate for it. I tend to think it was more likely they'd have to order special roof panels or have them made or, as in the other roofing guy, they'd have to rent the equipment as opposed to using stock materials they have ready access to.
I'm not opposed to the hip style, it just wasn't my first preference. I gave it due consideration and talked it through with my buddy Jens in Germany who went through his own nearly year long new house building project. He commented that when you're standing under it, a metal roof is a metal roof and you can't see it....AND...money not spent there is money spent elsewhere. True
So.... Unless you're specifically looking at it from the road directly in front of the house or someone points it out, you probably wouldn't notice it anyway.
The Decision
Sigh.....OK, hip style it is!
Roofing and interior work
Sorry folks, didn't realize I let three days pass without a post.
Monday - 5/16/11
Since the carport renovation is on hold pending the outcome of the roofing company's review and estimate, I went back to working on the inside.
Entry Hall
I pulled down the ceiling joists in the entry hall and the two halls that wrap around the fireplace exiting out into the Great Room. It sure makes a big difference removing the low 7' ceilings. When you first enter the front door, rather than feel like you're in a cave, you now enter into a space with a vaulted ceiling.
The square opening you see with the brick chimney in background will be covered over and making a great place for some artwork that will draw the eye upward. It's the logical place to install the access panel for the AC deck but haven't committed to that yet. I'm also considering adding one or two small skylights to this section of the roof to provide natural light but there's a double studded support joist running down the center that has to be considred. We'll see.
I'd really like to take the ceiling all the way to the roof but with the mechnicals deck being right in the middle of the house, I'm limited by AC, water heater, and general wiring requirements. Duct work has to cross over both sides to get to each room so that's going to limit how high I can actually take the ceilings on either side. I'll know more when I have an AC contractor come out to give an estimate on a new attic based system. They can tell me what size ducts have to be and how much space to leave to allow the components to cross over unseen.
By the end of the day, the roofing company's carport 'expert' still had not come out so I stopped long enough to pop off an email to the sales guy that came out earlier. I cc'd the owner in this time too. Boy, that generated a response. The sales guy was on the phone within 15mins apologizing that his guy had not made it out there. They must have called him away from the supper table because he showed up about 40mins later with his family in tow. Now there's service!
Unfortunately, he was more of a carpenter and couldn't speak at all about steel requirements. Still, I'm impressed that someone showed up at that hour.
Tuesday - 5/16/11
I had a second roofing company come out for an estimate.
He looked like the "Pop" from a Mom & Pop family run business. I wasn't impressed. The first roofing company's guy was all over the roof with his tape measure and pad of paper, making notes and drawing a diagram of the roof, the cupola, the carport cover, etc. This guy did the proverbial look past his thumb at the house, took my word for it that it was some 40' in diameter, hemmed and hawed that he'd have to rent equipment from a Houston supplier in order to install a tapered roof, etc. He made no effort to pull out a ladder or do anything to validate my comments or what he could see and then proceeded to tell me he'd get me a quote. He came and left within 15mins.....and was out of the running before he even got back to his truck. Nice website though!
Bathrooms
I removed the low ceiling joists in the two bathrooms giving both rooms a greater sense of volume. It's going to be nice.
Closets
I opened up the closet walls in the Master Bedroom.
One down, two to go. All of the closets had 30" doors on them making them very dated, claustrophobic, and just plain impractical to use. Given that each bedroom is pie shaped, you have to think outside of the box and get creative to maximize the available square footage. My plan is to open each closet to it's maximum width and have custom cabinetry with drawers and hanging space installed. This will maximize the available storage space and eliminate the need for dresser type furniture leaving essentially just the bed and nightstands.
Back to the carport.
The first roofing company came out again today, this time with their metal carport expert (different than the last guy). He offered some pretty good suggestions, first and foremost was that he didn't see a need to tear down the structure and start over. That's good news because I had already come to that conclusion on my own. There's a lot of good framework up there and I'd hate to just throw it away!
He suggested replacing the beams I was trying to beef up with a six inch steel I-beam that would better support the weight across the 24' span. I offered a suggestion (OK, I got it from the other roofing guy) about "hanging" the I-beams from the wall on a steel "Z" bracket rather than pass them through the wall which would require additional framework inside the wall cavities. He liked that idea as it puts the weight of the carport structure on the top of the wall where it's structurally more sufficient and given the place is gutted, it's currently visible and easily accessed.
I approved of the plan and they left to complete their estimates.
Monday - 5/16/11
Since the carport renovation is on hold pending the outcome of the roofing company's review and estimate, I went back to working on the inside.
Entry Hall
I pulled down the ceiling joists in the entry hall and the two halls that wrap around the fireplace exiting out into the Great Room. It sure makes a big difference removing the low 7' ceilings. When you first enter the front door, rather than feel like you're in a cave, you now enter into a space with a vaulted ceiling.
 |
| Hallway roof left |
 |
| Hallway roof right |
By the end of the day, the roofing company's carport 'expert' still had not come out so I stopped long enough to pop off an email to the sales guy that came out earlier. I cc'd the owner in this time too. Boy, that generated a response. The sales guy was on the phone within 15mins apologizing that his guy had not made it out there. They must have called him away from the supper table because he showed up about 40mins later with his family in tow. Now there's service!
Unfortunately, he was more of a carpenter and couldn't speak at all about steel requirements. Still, I'm impressed that someone showed up at that hour.
Tuesday - 5/16/11
I had a second roofing company come out for an estimate.
He looked like the "Pop" from a Mom & Pop family run business. I wasn't impressed. The first roofing company's guy was all over the roof with his tape measure and pad of paper, making notes and drawing a diagram of the roof, the cupola, the carport cover, etc. This guy did the proverbial look past his thumb at the house, took my word for it that it was some 40' in diameter, hemmed and hawed that he'd have to rent equipment from a Houston supplier in order to install a tapered roof, etc. He made no effort to pull out a ladder or do anything to validate my comments or what he could see and then proceeded to tell me he'd get me a quote. He came and left within 15mins.....and was out of the running before he even got back to his truck. Nice website though!
Bathrooms
I removed the low ceiling joists in the two bathrooms giving both rooms a greater sense of volume. It's going to be nice.
Closets
I opened up the closet walls in the Master Bedroom.
Back to the carport.
The first roofing company came out again today, this time with their metal carport expert (different than the last guy). He offered some pretty good suggestions, first and foremost was that he didn't see a need to tear down the structure and start over. That's good news because I had already come to that conclusion on my own. There's a lot of good framework up there and I'd hate to just throw it away!
He suggested replacing the beams I was trying to beef up with a six inch steel I-beam that would better support the weight across the 24' span. I offered a suggestion (OK, I got it from the other roofing guy) about "hanging" the I-beams from the wall on a steel "Z" bracket rather than pass them through the wall which would require additional framework inside the wall cavities. He liked that idea as it puts the weight of the carport structure on the top of the wall where it's structurally more sufficient and given the place is gutted, it's currently visible and easily accessed.
I approved of the plan and they left to complete their estimates.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Roof Guy.
Friday - 5/13/11
Since the roof leaks in a couple of places in the house and definitely in the carport area and that the purpose of repairing the carport structure was to prepare for a new roof, this morning I decided to schedule a professional roofing company to come out for a quote and to get their opinion on the carport matter. To be sure, I called one that deals with carports as well as residential roofs.
While waiting for the salesman's visit, I went back to working on the inside of the house. When he showed up that afternoon, I showed him around and explained what my aspirations were and requested three quotes;
I also inquired about seamless rain gutters on a circular rooftop. Not sure it's doable given most guttering equipment is designed for straight edge roofs. In any case, I'm not convinced guttering the house and carport at all will be a wise decision from a future maintenance standpoint.
Large flat surfaces in a tree established neighborhood (as millions have endured) tend to collect debris like you would not believe. In addition to leaf blowing the yard in the fall, winter, spring AND summer (JEESH!), you have to keep a flat roof clear of debris or it gets heavy. If left unattended the weight can compromise the overall structure. Nothing like having your roof collapse on you! I had to clear my Dallas house carport several times a year just to prevent the gutters from clogging up. After about 10 years of messing with it, I finally removed the useless gutter entirely. It helped but I still find I have to get up there with a blower from time to time. What a PIA! So, I may just go without.
Drainage
A necessary concern with metal roofing is the water management aspect. If water comes off the roof in a steady flow with a composition roof slowing the flow a bit, with the smooth sluice like surface of a metal roof it will come flying off the roof fast and furious. Given my current water runoff concerns, regardless of which roof type I ultimately go with I'm going to have to install bigger diameter french drain to handle the runoff.
I also contacted the POA (Property Owners Association) president to inquire about improving the street drainage by digging a roadside trench. It looks like there might have been a runoff ditch but years of neglect have filled it in making it ineffective. I got some great cost saving suggestions, the main one of which was to contact the local governing municipality and see if they can do the improvements or at least provide the voluntary manpower. Essentially I pay for the culvert, they provide the manpower. Apparently it's something they've done in the past. I will check into that this coming week.
Anyway, that's pretty much we stand at moment. I had to leave for work so I don't know if the second roofing was able to make it over. I'll know more about the financial hit on Monday or Tuesday.
Let me just say it now in advance....OUCH!
Since the roof leaks in a couple of places in the house and definitely in the carport area and that the purpose of repairing the carport structure was to prepare for a new roof, this morning I decided to schedule a professional roofing company to come out for a quote and to get their opinion on the carport matter. To be sure, I called one that deals with carports as well as residential roofs.
While waiting for the salesman's visit, I went back to working on the inside of the house. When he showed up that afternoon, I showed him around and explained what my aspirations were and requested three quotes;
- one for a standard everyday composition roof, it being the least expensive option and a good baseline...(also the most blah),
 |
| Radial style |
- one for a standing seam metal roof in a radial format. The standing seams emanate equally from the cupola in a consistent pattern widening towards the lower edge. This will likely be the more expensive of the two metal options due to the custom nature of the panel forms.
- and finally, one for a hip style standing seam where each pie shape section of roof panels flow from the center straight down to the lower edge and where the panels butt up against each other at the sides of the pie shape, a cap. It's 'okay' but it tends to look a little...busy.
|
| Hip style |
I also inquired about seamless rain gutters on a circular rooftop. Not sure it's doable given most guttering equipment is designed for straight edge roofs. In any case, I'm not convinced guttering the house and carport at all will be a wise decision from a future maintenance standpoint.
Large flat surfaces in a tree established neighborhood (as millions have endured) tend to collect debris like you would not believe. In addition to leaf blowing the yard in the fall, winter, spring AND summer (JEESH!), you have to keep a flat roof clear of debris or it gets heavy. If left unattended the weight can compromise the overall structure. Nothing like having your roof collapse on you! I had to clear my Dallas house carport several times a year just to prevent the gutters from clogging up. After about 10 years of messing with it, I finally removed the useless gutter entirely. It helped but I still find I have to get up there with a blower from time to time. What a PIA! So, I may just go without.
Drainage
A necessary concern with metal roofing is the water management aspect. If water comes off the roof in a steady flow with a composition roof slowing the flow a bit, with the smooth sluice like surface of a metal roof it will come flying off the roof fast and furious. Given my current water runoff concerns, regardless of which roof type I ultimately go with I'm going to have to install bigger diameter french drain to handle the runoff.
I also contacted the POA (Property Owners Association) president to inquire about improving the street drainage by digging a roadside trench. It looks like there might have been a runoff ditch but years of neglect have filled it in making it ineffective. I got some great cost saving suggestions, the main one of which was to contact the local governing municipality and see if they can do the improvements or at least provide the voluntary manpower. Essentially I pay for the culvert, they provide the manpower. Apparently it's something they've done in the past. I will check into that this coming week.
Anyway, that's pretty much we stand at moment. I had to leave for work so I don't know if the second roofing was able to make it over. I'll know more about the financial hit on Monday or Tuesday.
Let me just say it now in advance....OUCH!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Carport to Flood Control!
Wednesday, 5/11/11 (continued)
Speaking of the weather, the day was pretty grey all day but as the day wore on it got warmer, more humid, and greyer. You could feel another storm brewing....tis the season I suppose. Sure enough a storm was moving in. I could hear rumbling in the distance.
I kept working on the flitch plate finally getting it into place and taking time to admire my work. Here are the pics I promised in my last post.
When I got it to the top, I raised it the rest of the way with the floor jack and bolted it into place.
I set about removing all but one of the center support posts and then finally slowly lowered the jack under the last post. While the flitch plate was doing it's job, I really started to have a nagging feeling that in spite of those plates, this was not going to be the column-less outcome I was hoping for, that structurally my beefed up beams were not going to be sufficient.
What I really wanted (and want) is that there be no support posts between the house and the street side edge of the carport, a 26' span. In spite of my best efforts, if there was ever a time to trust my gut, it's now when I have probably several thousands of pounds of lumber over my head just waiting for a reason to come down on me or some expensive possessions at some unanticipated moment. My gut was starting to tell me not to move forward.......
By this time in the afternoon, the thunder clouds started moving in and the rumbling started increasing in volume. Normal practice has been to work until about 8:30p or so when the sun goes down. I hadn't been watching the time but it was getting darker so I decided to listen to my gut, step back from the project again to gain a renewed perspective.
I closed up shop for the day. I started putting stuff away. Just about the time I finished the first rains started to fall, loud and heavy. And I watched it come cascading off the roof of the carport in a fairly consistent pattern across it's width....at least I did a good job of leveling the roofline.
I also watched it come washing across the street and cascade down the gravel entry area in front of the carport. Between that and the roof runoff, it really had no where to go except right at me standing under there.
It might sound like a calamity but in reality it wasn't. It was educational. Here happening live was the reason for the poor condition of the carport posts and the walls of the garage when I took them down. Poor drainage control. I stayed out monitoring the flow down past both sides of the house until the rain let up. By the time I went inside for the evening, I thought it was about 8:30p but jeesh!, it was only 6pm.
Thursday - 5/12/11
Thursday was such a dreary grey day that I didn't venture outside all day. I think I'm susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD as they call it. I lived many years in the NW and noticed it there. It's a pattern of not feeling motivated when it's a dark and gloomy day. Maybe crazy, maybe not....but no work accomplished this day....though I did spend a good part of it contemplating how I was going to move forward.
Speaking of the weather, the day was pretty grey all day but as the day wore on it got warmer, more humid, and greyer. You could feel another storm brewing....tis the season I suppose. Sure enough a storm was moving in. I could hear rumbling in the distance.
I kept working on the flitch plate finally getting it into place and taking time to admire my work. Here are the pics I promised in my last post.
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| I started on one side and walked it up back and forth |
What I really wanted (and want) is that there be no support posts between the house and the street side edge of the carport, a 26' span. In spite of my best efforts, if there was ever a time to trust my gut, it's now when I have probably several thousands of pounds of lumber over my head just waiting for a reason to come down on me or some expensive possessions at some unanticipated moment. My gut was starting to tell me not to move forward.......
By this time in the afternoon, the thunder clouds started moving in and the rumbling started increasing in volume. Normal practice has been to work until about 8:30p or so when the sun goes down. I hadn't been watching the time but it was getting darker so I decided to listen to my gut, step back from the project again to gain a renewed perspective.
I closed up shop for the day. I started putting stuff away. Just about the time I finished the first rains started to fall, loud and heavy. And I watched it come cascading off the roof of the carport in a fairly consistent pattern across it's width....at least I did a good job of leveling the roofline.
Thursday - 5/12/11
Thursday was such a dreary grey day that I didn't venture outside all day. I think I'm susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD as they call it. I lived many years in the NW and noticed it there. It's a pattern of not feeling motivated when it's a dark and gloomy day. Maybe crazy, maybe not....but no work accomplished this day....though I did spend a good part of it contemplating how I was going to move forward.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Ugh...the carport!
Wednesday - 5/11/11
I called Trico Steel and Pipe on the outskirts of town and then drove out there. They already had flitch plate material laying around (literally) and were able on the spot to punch out 9 holes in each plate. I wish I had the foresight to pull out my iphone and snap a couple of pics of the workers.... working the hydraulic hole punch. Pretty big equipment no doubt! They certainly made punching 9/16" holes in 1/4" steel plate look like childs play! In less than 20mins, I was driving home with two 6"x20'x1/4" steel plates wondering just how I was going to get them mounted and bolted down to the two beams.
Since it was just me, I had to get creative about how I was going to get that unruly 100lb (well is sure felt like it) flat and flexing plate up to the beam. Well, as they say necessity is the mother of invention. After nearly wiping myself out with an unruly plate, I devised a method upon which I could walk it up to the beam and then using a floor jack, lift it the rest of the way into place.
Now..., I normally have pics to support what I'm doing but I've been struggling with a computer virus for several days that I finally licked this morning with no more fake warnings, messages, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!! But it's left me momentarily without a recognized means of getting pics from my iPhone to the PC so please use your imagination for a couple of days till I get the answer to my problem.
By walking it into place, I mean I set up two 2x4s under the beam about 3' apart where the center of the flitch plate is. I slowly walked the plate up tilting it first left end and the right while placing screws under the plate for it to rest before moving the other side up. Sorta like sideways stair stepping. Once I got it high enough I placed a floor jack under the plate with yet another 2x4 and raised it up to it's final resting place against the outside of the beam. From there it was just a matter of drilling the nine holes and hammering the 8x1/2" bolts into place. Piece of cake! .... But....then....why do I feel a sense of unease and dissatisfaction (and it's not related to the weather)??
Next posting!
I called Trico Steel and Pipe on the outskirts of town and then drove out there. They already had flitch plate material laying around (literally) and were able on the spot to punch out 9 holes in each plate. I wish I had the foresight to pull out my iphone and snap a couple of pics of the workers.... working the hydraulic hole punch. Pretty big equipment no doubt! They certainly made punching 9/16" holes in 1/4" steel plate look like childs play! In less than 20mins, I was driving home with two 6"x20'x1/4" steel plates wondering just how I was going to get them mounted and bolted down to the two beams.
Since it was just me, I had to get creative about how I was going to get that unruly 100lb (well is sure felt like it) flat and flexing plate up to the beam. Well, as they say necessity is the mother of invention. After nearly wiping myself out with an unruly plate, I devised a method upon which I could walk it up to the beam and then using a floor jack, lift it the rest of the way into place.
Now..., I normally have pics to support what I'm doing but I've been struggling with a computer virus for several days that I finally licked this morning with no more fake warnings, messages, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!! But it's left me momentarily without a recognized means of getting pics from my iPhone to the PC so please use your imagination for a couple of days till I get the answer to my problem.
By walking it into place, I mean I set up two 2x4s under the beam about 3' apart where the center of the flitch plate is. I slowly walked the plate up tilting it first left end and the right while placing screws under the plate for it to rest before moving the other side up. Sorta like sideways stair stepping. Once I got it high enough I placed a floor jack under the plate with yet another 2x4 and raised it up to it's final resting place against the outside of the beam. From there it was just a matter of drilling the nine holes and hammering the 8x1/2" bolts into place. Piece of cake! .... But....then....why do I feel a sense of unease and dissatisfaction (and it's not related to the weather)??
Next posting!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Carport woes....
I finished working on right outside support beam with mixed results. As mentioned previously, I sandwiched the existing beam with 2x6" treated lumber the full length and bolted them on.
The beam rests on top of a hefty 6x6" treat support post at the outside edge of the carport.
Once everything was in place, I set about prepping for it's first test. I slowly lowered the last remaining mid beam support post to disappointing results!
The beam, while it held the weight, sagged a good 3" downward. I didn't get a picture of that because I didn't want to leave it sagging. I jacked it back up into place and replaced the temporary support post and then went off to contemplate my failed venture.
What I originally had planned to do was to install what is called a "flitch plate". It's simply a 1/4" steel plate that runs the entire length (or near the entire length) of the beam. It's bolted on at staggered upper and lower intervals down the plate.
When bolted down flat, the flitch plates can not bend downward across it's vertical flat width and thus adds a tremendous degree of support across it's length.
Alas, my failing is that I second guessed myself thinking (I shouldn't think too much) that the additional 2x6 lumber on each side of the existing beam would likely be sufficient and thus I bailed on the plan for the flitch plates. Oh contrare!! Perhaps the treated lumber was still to wet to make them stiff enough to support the weight of the span without bending but obviously not. Soooo....I will order the flitch plates tomorrow.
In the meantime, I moved over to the opposite side of the carport to begin working on that beam. I now have it also sandwiched with new 2x6's pending inclusion of the flitch plate. I do not yet have the 6x6 support post in place and will do that tomorrow as well.
The next stage will be work on the two interior beams as well as the removal of that ugly garage door.
The beam, while it held the weight, sagged a good 3" downward. I didn't get a picture of that because I didn't want to leave it sagging. I jacked it back up into place and replaced the temporary support post and then went off to contemplate my failed venture.
What I originally had planned to do was to install what is called a "flitch plate". It's simply a 1/4" steel plate that runs the entire length (or near the entire length) of the beam. It's bolted on at staggered upper and lower intervals down the plate.
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| Flitch plate. |
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| The two inside beams were already outfitted with them. |
Alas, my failing is that I second guessed myself thinking (I shouldn't think too much) that the additional 2x6 lumber on each side of the existing beam would likely be sufficient and thus I bailed on the plan for the flitch plates. Oh contrare!! Perhaps the treated lumber was still to wet to make them stiff enough to support the weight of the span without bending but obviously not. Soooo....I will order the flitch plates tomorrow.
In the meantime, I moved over to the opposite side of the carport to begin working on that beam. I now have it also sandwiched with new 2x6's pending inclusion of the flitch plate. I do not yet have the 6x6 support post in place and will do that tomorrow as well.
The next stage will be work on the two interior beams as well as the removal of that ugly garage door.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Carport repairs continued....
Returned from Dallas on Wednesday afternoon and launched immediately into pulling down more plywood ceiling panels so I could conduct a full check for structural problems. When the house was built, the builders used good quality 1/4" plywood with long nails. It made it a challenge to pry the panels down but I persevered....but not without the usual annoying aches and pains!
As somewhat anticipated I found two of the support beams contained significant termite damage in a couple of places. The full beams will not have to be replaced but there are sections that will need to be cut out and replaced with treated 2x6 lumber. There are four support beams in all stretching from the house to the street side edge of the carport which support the roof joists.
While the inside beam support posts appeared to be in good condition, there were problems with the outside ones. From the street, you could see the roof line dropped considerably on the left side. When I set about leveling that side of the carport the outside post was dangling a good 8" above the parking pad.
The right side wasn't much better. When leveled I found a good 4-5" gap at the top of the center post.
If I had to hazard a guess, a thick branch broke off the tree out front and came crashing down on the roof between center and street-side support posts. I'd hate to have been home when that happened!! Anyway, the force cracked the beam and drove the center post downward creating a noticeable sag in the side roof line where water would drain rather than down at the front. From the looks of the tree, I think it's dead and will have to be cut removed (sigh...probably an $800 job).
My carport plan is three-fold.
More carport details to come.
While the inside beam support posts appeared to be in good condition, there were problems with the outside ones. From the street, you could see the roof line dropped considerably on the left side. When I set about leveling that side of the carport the outside post was dangling a good 8" above the parking pad.
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| Lots of air down there..... |
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| Lots of air up there.... |
My carport plan is three-fold.
- Remove the existing center support posts so that the usable interior carport surface area is clear of annoying obstructions, and....
- Extend the street-side roof line an additional 24" so it clears the concrete parking pad by 20". This will involve moving the outside support posts 24" closer to the street and incorporating new support beams between the posts across the front of the carport area, and....
- Eliminating water collecting at the front of the house and carport by incorporating better drainage control. This will involve adding an 18-24" deep french drain directly under the newly extended roof drip line to catch the runoff from both the roof and the street. At either end of the carport pad, the drain pipe will turn towards the house and run downhill towards the creek were it will empty out.
More carport details to come.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
More garage.....
Monday - 05/2/11
I spent most of this rainy gray day pulling down more ceiling panels on the carport and then cleaning up the mess. I didn't want to throw all the debris on the flatbed just yet because I'll be needing it to transport the 26' replacement 2x6" beams I referenced earlier. So I moved all the panels out from under the carport area to keep them from getting in the way when I start to replace the beams next week.
I have to return to Dallas on Tuesday so no work for the the next couple of days.
Stay Tuned!
I spent most of this rainy gray day pulling down more ceiling panels on the carport and then cleaning up the mess. I didn't want to throw all the debris on the flatbed just yet because I'll be needing it to transport the 26' replacement 2x6" beams I referenced earlier. So I moved all the panels out from under the carport area to keep them from getting in the way when I start to replace the beams next week.
I have to return to Dallas on Tuesday so no work for the the next couple of days.
Stay Tuned!
Fridays...
Looks like Fridays have the makings of a regular yard day. I work late afternoons on Fridays so I tend not to want to get too involved in other projects and then have to quit so it seems the logical day for yard work.
This last Friday I spent about 4 hours with my trusty Troybilt push mower and the area looks great...but...I can see it being problematic if I were to pick up the three additional lots surrounding the house. It would be too much for a push mower. About 2 years ago I bought and restored to running condition a 1948 Ford 8N Tractor with finishing mower. It's currently at the Waco house and I use it to keep the area around the houses in check.
I've enjoyed it and it sure makes mowing larger areas quick and easy (except when that damned umbrella gets caught in the branches!) but it would definitely be overkill for use around the Round House given it's only one lot. It might still be overkill regardless of how many lots I pick up so I've given serious consideration to selling it once the Waco property sells and using the proceeds to pick up a John Deere riding mower like this one.
There's a neat two bag attachment that could go with it to keep the clippings and fall leaves from getting out of hand.
We'll see.
This last Friday I spent about 4 hours with my trusty Troybilt push mower and the area looks great...but...I can see it being problematic if I were to pick up the three additional lots surrounding the house. It would be too much for a push mower. About 2 years ago I bought and restored to running condition a 1948 Ford 8N Tractor with finishing mower. It's currently at the Waco house and I use it to keep the area around the houses in check.
We'll see.
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