Roofing-2004

by Dave Sullivan (written in 2004)

Steve asked me to post pictures from this year's roofing project, so here is a pictorial report showing the project from start to finish. The pictures were taken mostly by Barb and Wes Sullivan.

  • The last time we replaced the beach cabin's roof was in the late 1980s. In this archival photo, you can see Bill on the roof top. This roof lasted only about 15 years because shingles kept blowing off the cabin. Not wanting to repeat prior mistakes, we made several changes this time:We applied a 1/2-inch layer of plywood to make sure all nails would hold.

  • We bought a better architectural grade of shingles so each shingle would be thicker and less likely to tear.

  • We used six nails in each shingle instead of the usual four.

  • We applied a daub of Blackjack to all shingles on the north slope. Because the north slope never receives direct sun, its shingles do not self-seal to each other.

Getting started: By the time this picture was taken on day two, Bill and I had already stripped off the old roof and begun applying plywood. Also, a delivery truck had dropped off all the necessary shingles on the roof -- a real time-saver.

Roofing the back porch. Bill applies the first layer of tar paper.

Mick and Karen work below, while Dave prepares to cut a shingle to length. Gwen appears to be talking to Ian (not shown), who is working on the north side.

Getting inspiration from our mascot: While not technically a part of the roofing project, we took the time to replace the cabin mascot. Our original puffin was made from plaster and had begun to dissolve in the coastal rain.

The new puffin is made from concrete and should only require periodic coats of paint to stay presentable.

Play time. Mary plays with Patrick, her sheltie companion.

Roofing the north side. Bill and Ian cut a strip of felt paper to length before attempting to attach it to the steep north slope.

Dave and Gwen appear to be taking a break while Mick shifts position.

Ian and Currin (Mick's friend) continue working up the slope.

Starting the south slope. Bill uses a roofing nailer to attach a shingle.

Bill applies plywood while Gwen attempts to unclog the roofing nailer.

Dave, Bill, and Nancy work their way up the slope.

Finishing the south slope. Dave, Gwen, and Ian work on the last few rows.

Bill finishes the final ridge line while Gwen talks with Ian.

Wes Sullivan paid for the project: roughly $1900 in materials. Here he tells Dave how proud he is of the way everyone came together to complete the roof project.

All but finished, the new roof lacks ridge caps which weren't in stock at Home Depot. They will be installed later in the summer.

Later that same summer ... Bill, Nancy, and Barb enjoy sitting on the deck at Bill's Siletz cabin.