Sunday, April 24, 2011

Day 81 of 365 days of life on our small family far in the USA

Today is another rainy day. Yesterday the roof starting leaking in a whole new place and there is no way to patch it. Now we have no choice but to replace the roof.  I called around to the hardware type stores and found out is will cost us nearly $16 dollars before tax for the plywood, it is near 1/2 size and is 4 ply which should last us a life time, but it will likely take more than 20 sheets of it.  However after compairing Homedept to Lowes (Lowes being my favorite store), I had to say that Home depot offered us the better long term deal.  They will deliever to us for $59.00 and if we spend $2500,they will send the info off to this place that decides how much more off they can give us on the price.  The problem with this was I was hoping not to spend that much...lol  For one thing I do not have it, and the other is, as far as shingles go; I could care what color they are, what type, I just want any over stock, left order, broken bunddles they have.  Retail is $60. for square I want to pay 40 or less.  Things add up quick when you are putting on a roof and its all about numbers. 

Estimate the amount of shingles you need for your roofing project.

In order to estimate how many shingles you'll need to re-roof your home, first you need to estimate the total square footage of your roof's surface. Just measure the length and width of each plane on the roof, including dormers. Then, multiply length x width to get the square footage of each plane. Simply add the square footage of each of the planes together to derive the total square footage of your roof.
For example, this shed roof has one roof plane. Simply measure length (l) x width (w):
L x W = 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.
This gable roof has two planes. So, multiply length (l) x width (w) to get the square footage for each plane, then add the two planes together to derive the total square footage of the roof:
Plane 1: 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft.
Plane 2: 120' x 100' = 12,000 sq. ft.
Plane 1 + Plane 2 = 24,000 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.

Roofing surfaces are measured in "squares." A  Roofing "square" is an area of roof which measures 100 square feet. 10 ft x10 ft. To determine the number of roofing squares on a gable roof, for example, simply divide its total of 24,000 square feet by 100. Which means you will need 240 "squares" of shingles to cover it. The most common type of shingle, called a three-tab or strip shingle, is generally packaged three bundles per square.
You will also need 240 squares of underlayment (tar paper is what we called this in the old days.) Underlayment usually comes in rolls of four squares each, so covering 240 squares would require 60 rolls of underlayment.
Be sure to add 10% to all of your material totals for trim allowance and not figuring in the valleys, lol.
What's your Roofing slope?

You will also need to know the slope of your deck. In order to determine this, measure the vertical rise of your deck in inches over a 12" horizontal distance. If this rise is 4", then your roof slope is 4 in 12. Roof slopes are always expressed with the vertical rise mentioned first and the horizontal run (12") mentioned second.

What if you have a steep roof?

To measure a steep roof, you will have to use an alternate method. To obtain the roof length, measure the exterior walls plus the overhang for the length of the house parallel to the ridge. Next, throw a rope over the ridge and mark it on each eave. This will give the width dimension to use in figuring your area. This should be done on each roof section containing a horizontal ridge.

Now how about nails?

You will also need to know the amount of nails needed. Generally you should use four nails per shingle. With regular three-tab shingles, that would require 320 nails per square. For high wind areas or when shingles are being applied to a mansard, six nails per shingle are required (480 nails per square). This is based on 80 shingles per square. Other styles of shingles may require more or fewer nails per shingle and may have more or less than 80 shingles per square. Refer to the application instructions on your shingle wrappers for the correct nailing pattern.



As of right now,we will not not for sure until we have the first few layers off.  I know we need to repair or replace trusses in the one section and I am very glad that Michael knows how to do this sort of work.  I tried to figure out how many squares of shingles I will need but the formula posted above is most useful when you roof only has a few l x w issues and that they are all the same from one part of the structure to the other, sadly this is not the case.  This is a house surely built by one of the famous jack's cousins and I am quite sure he did not have a measuring tape.
So at the moment we are gathing resorces and prices and making a plan, I forsee a silver tea set and spoons leaving a a roof coming...lol  I just want to thank g-d for making silver so much money that the few pieces I currently own , may be enough for a new roof.  I can make tea in a clay pot and use a glass suger bowl, steel spoons, but can not make tea properly with out a roof...lmao.


In other parts of our world, I am still finishing up school work and counting down the days till freedom and all of its joyful sweetness is upon me.  It is hard to celebrate bing freed from slavery, while being a slave to ones work.  I hope to fix this some how in my world and in my life. 
We planted tomotes plants the other day, 4 Mr. Stripies, 4 millions, and one early girl so far.  I replanted peas, as we are now gettting fresh yummy peas each day and with all of this rain our radishes and betts are doing very well, i will replant the next rouand today and hope to get the corn in as well.  I planted onions below the tomoates, I hope it helps keep pests off of them.  Elijah and I got he first cucumbers in the ground, we planted four good size plants and I hope the rain with exselirate their growth.  I still have to plant carrots, which seem to elude me, every time I go out to plant.  Our first four spinch plants are ready to harvest, I planted four more behind them and will try to plant more again behing that to have a continuous crop.  I guess I should plant some swiss chard as well. The wild spinch, dandalinons, and other wild greens of the garden are in prime and I am thinking of cooking some more on monday night...the last batch was yummy.  on our lands we have the most lovley curely dock growing this year, that rain has made it and the wild garlic the very best we have ever had and I hope to use both to cook through out the season. the garlic is so plentiful I will be able to store some this year in olive oil for winter use and that makes me very happy, we use a lot of garlic and I am not a big fan of powered food.  Our other herbs are coming along nicely, our sage is lovley and I bought a varrigated sage to replace the sage we lost this winter.  Our chocolate mint, over powered the other mint...lol I still have spearimint in another place so that is ok I guess.  Our other herbs seem to being doing well too.  Our cactus should flower and give use fruit this year. 

Anyway more rainy, stomy weather on the way...so I have to get the chores done and the school work done.
We have more baby birds hatching...and got to go out and take care of them .
Love you all and hope to write again tonight, if the weather holds.

Be Blessed dear ones,Shekhinah, Michael and all the kids and critters on Mahanaim Farm

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