Work on the Greenhouse Resumes

Not that we haven't been talking about it, but it took the alignment of several factors to get back to working on the greenhouse. The main reason was problem solving, second was the heat, and lastly, Dan's knee. Of the heat, it seems logical to work early in the morning while it's still cool out. Except that because of our humidity, our mornings are incredibly dew drenched until about lunchtime. Dan wanted the roof completely dry before attempting anything. 

The problem solving involved the upper section of the roof.

This section of the greenhouse roof is made from repurposed doors and windows.

He carefully researched adhesives and sealers, all of which claimed to be super effective and excellent. Which they weren't, so that there were micro-leaks when it rained. The trouble was, it was impossible to tell where they were coming from. No dripping when it rained, just tell-tale wet spots on the dirt floor inside the greenhouse. I said, 'it's just a greenhouse,' but that didn't satisfy Dan. So after a lot of thought and research, he decided to cover them.

He's never been real keen on those clear corrugated roofing panels, although we used them to good effect for the milking room skylight. And now, they're flimsier than ever, so that was another hesitation. In the end, it seemed the most cost effective idea.

The day after he got them installed, it rained.

View of the rain from inside the greenhouse, looking up.

The floor remained completely dry! So that was a relief. And, I don't think it looks all that bad.

Early morning shot of the greenhouse roof covered with dew.

Next is covering the gable ends. Then it's on to wall trim and paint. And then we can get on to the interior. 

Work on the Greenhouse Resumes © Sept 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Greenhouse: Roof Done!

It's been almost two months since my last greenhouse blog post. Progress has been slow for a lot of reasons. One reason was my sewing room, which started as a rainy day project. Then Dan kept going to finish his part of the project (he doesn't like having too many unfinished projects on his plate). A tree fell on the fence and had to be dealt with (more on that soon). And seasonal chores, of course, such as pasture work and harvesting our small patch of wheat.

Anyway, here it is.

Our heavy rain last week (over 4.5 inches in less than 24 hours!) tested it out. No leaking! That's a relief. Walls are next.

Greenhouse: Roof Done! © June 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Greenhouse Roof Progress

In my last greenhouse progress blog post, we were dealing with a setback because one of the roof windows was accidentally broken. Attempts to find a replacement were unsuccessful, but it was a double-paned window and only one of the pieces of glass shattered. I finally asked Dan if he could  use the remaining sheet of glass anyway? Here's what he did.

The remaining glass with frame and adhesives removed

With new trim

Happily, it worked quite well.

Installed. View from below.

It's the window in the middle.

Unfortunately, we had a hard rain before the sealants could cure, and much of it washed away. So, that has to be done again, plus trim between the windows needs to be added. It's a slow go at the moment because we're working on planting, but at least some progress has been made

Greenhouse Roof Progress © April 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Greenhouse: Progress on the Roof

Continued from "Greenhouse: Starting on the Roof."

I have a couple of progress pictures to share.

Sealed and partially painted.

How it looks from below.

A couple of you asked about using wood framed windows for the roof. I passed those questions on to Dan, who said he mulled over the same concerns. But when he was a kid, his folks bought a 3-acre nursery with a huge greenhouse and it was build entirely with wood framed glass windows. It stood the test of time, so he went with it as well.

The wood window sashes you see in the photos have one side sealed by the manufacturer (they say, "this side exterior") plus they take the paint (a good quality exterior trim paint) well. Dan is using DAP Window Glazing to seal between the windows because that product works well with wood and glass.

If the weather cooperates, I hope to show you the bottom portion of the roof soon. Dan has different windows to work with, so their installation will be different too. 

Greenhouse: Progress on the Roof © Feb 2023

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Carport Repair: New Roof

With all the rain we've had, progress on re-roofing the carport has been slow. Any time we have a few days without rain, Dan gets busy and finally the new roof is on! You may recall where we left off.

Snoopervisor Sam performing an inspection.

Bracing to stabilize the roof rafters was first on the job list.

The next step was roof battens (purlins) to screw the roofing panels to. What to use for them prompted one of our "time versus money" discussions. Dan looked through his stack of boards by the sawmill but didn't have many of consistent depth. The length and width of the boards could vary, but if they aren't the same depth, the new roof will have dips in it. We have a new "crop" of fallen pines thanks to the waterlogged ground, so should he drag them through the woods and mill new boards for battens? Or would it be more expedient to buy them? After consulting the piggy bank, we opted to buy them.

The most economical choice was grade-2 decking planks.

Dan orders the metal roofing panels cut to specifications from a small local company. It's actually cheaper to buy them that way, rather than buy standard length panels from one of the big-box home improvement stores.

There are three sections to the roof and Dan spent a day on each.

Then new fascia.

Then the gutters and drip edge.

Done!

I think Dan is planning to replace the old siding next.

 Carport Repair: New Roof © March 2019

by Leigh  at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Carport Repair: Extending the Roof

While I've been blogging about mushrooms, cheese, and baby goats, here's what Dan's been up to.

Diamond joint

Snoopervisor Sam performing a strength test.

It's level!

Snoopervisor Sam performing the final inspection.

The next step will be the metal roofing panels, but we're heading into a long stretch of rainy days so it may be awhile before it's weather friendly for that. (Click here to continue.)

 Carport Repair: Extending the Roof © Feb 2019

by Leigh  at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

House Project Phase 3: Trim, Gutters & Paint

Phase 1: Back Gable End
Phase 2: Pantry Roof
Phase 3 checklist:

• trim
• gutters
• paint
• attic vent fan cover

Tah-Dah!

Now, Dan's eyeing the carport as his next project.

House Project Phase 3: Trim, Gutters & Paint © Dec 2018 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

House Project Phase 2: Pantry Roof

Please take a few minutes to click here and answer

my Research Question. Thank you for your help!

Phase 1 was installing the siding on the back gable end of the house. Phase 2 was dealing with the leak in the roof.

Photo from last spring, when we first discovered the leak.

Down came the gutter and old fascia board. With the fascia board gone Dan could see that the ends of the rafters were in bad shape. To assess the extent of the damage he cut away a section of the roof.

You can see why the roof was sagging in the first photo.

This happened because the builder didn't extend the edge of the roof out far enough. That meant rain water could leak behind and underneath.

Fortunately they were only rotted at the ends. He didn't have to replace them entirely (which would have meant tearing up the entire roof). He just needed to sister in new ends.

Then he put back the section of roof he removed, and a new fascia board was added.

Then it was on to the roof itself. The leak was caused by the way the roofer installed the shingles. An asphalt shingle has a series of flaps with cutouts separating the flaps.

Asphalt shingle

The first row is started at the edge of the roof, and they are nailed in place above the cutouts. The next row goes on top and is supposed to cover the nails.

Properly installed asphalt shingles.

Whoever installed our pantry roof left nails exposed through the cutouts.

The most logical fix was to cover the entire roof. For that we chose metal panels. Dan considered a number of ways to do this job, but finally decided that simplest was best. And quickest!

You can also get a glimpse of Dan's solution
to that odd angle on the roof - he boxed it out.

These are the same metal roofing panels we put on the barn, but the pantry roof is steeper, so Dan had trouble walking on them. No traction. To put on the ridge cap he used a rubber-backed runner rug to keep from slipping and sliding. It worked very well.

Also a "boot" for the bathroom vent pipe.

The next day we got two inches of rain. The roof was secure and snug.

The last step will be painting the fascia and siding, and then putting the gutters back up. Happily, the forecast calls for sunny, mild temps over the week or so to get that done.

House Project Phase 2: Pantry Roof © Nov 2018 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/