A (New) Roof Over Our Heads

Last Saturday we had our 23-year-old roof replaced. Some shingles had gotten slap-happy up there, others were ready to fly the coop, but most were just beaten down by the cares of life.

I can't say how relieved I was that Paul agreed to let professionals handle this job. Words can't describe the terror that grips me whenever he has been up there to clean out the gutters every fall. I mean autumn. I hate to use the word "fall" in this context. (Not to be dramatic, but my hands are shaking even as I type this.)

My typical response to his being on the roof is indescribable panic, manifested by a bossy but shaky voice, sweaty hands, a racing heart, and an irrational belief that if he really loved me, he would not get on the roof. I don't care what it costs, I don't care if other neighbors clean out their gutters themselves, you don't have anything to prove, I'd say. I will love you even if you break your neck, but I will never let you forget I told you so, and do you really want to live with that the rest of your life?

Since 1999 (when we moved here) Paul has been blocking his ears to my desperate pleas. But Mr, Rational, Mr. DIY, Mr. Get a Grip, finally relented this year.

We found an excellent roofing company, Lemus Roofing, recommended by Brian Y, whose advice we highly respect in the home improvement department. Jose Lemus and his team of about 7 or 8 guys showed up promptly at 8 and were completely finished and cleaned up by 4:30. I was so impressed. Twice I took chilled water out to them and asked, "Agua?" and they said, "Gracias." That's the extent of my Spanish, I'm afraid. Imagine if I were bilingual, I'd probably have been telling them to be careful, stay away from the edge, watch yourself on that ladder, yada-o-,yada-o.

They didn't use scaffolding, which scared me and surprised me. But I must give God the glory for calming my fears. When the hammering started, I said, "Paul, I'm outta here. I can't take this. My nerves are gonna be shot by 10. Give me a long to-do list, and everywhere you want me to go, I'll go." He told me there was plenty to do around here, he'd prefer I stick by. (Not what I wanted to hear, so I had to go to God and say, "Okay, I need to stay here. Help me. Help me not be afraid."

And I was amazed. I really didn't have any more panic. I closed the shades so there'd be no peeping Pablos. (Then I decided just to use the kids' bathroom which has no windows at all.)

Here are some shots during and after this not-so-harrowing-after-all project. We are rehabbing the whole exterior this year because it's in such bad shape. Siding has green growth on it, lots of dents, and the aluminum has faded to a dull beige. Downspouts are more like "down and outs"! Only half the windows work, so we get few cross-breezes. And before the new siding goes up, we're restaining the deck. Paul and the boys took turns pressure-washing/stripping it today. It's a 2-day, 3-man job that's now half-finished. We also hired real arborists, Manor Tree Service, owned and operated by Mike Connell and his son Alan, one of Ben's good buddies. Pictures below show Mike and Allan in action. That's why there's a woodpile on the lawn. They took down 4 trees that had outgrown their space and just become green shrouds for the house. If you click on any picture, you'll enlarge it. So the new roof color does show up, but so does the scariness of those amigos gettin' mighty close to the brink of ....well, at least an ER visit. More home improvement pictures coming!)