New Roof

7 A.M. and still dark outside. The roofers arrived and my car was still in the driveway so I had to scurry outside and move it. They immediately set up and started to remove the old roof and eavestrough, 2 weeks late but there's been a lot of rain holding up their other jobs so I'm not complaining.

The old roof was only 12 years old, guaranteed for 20 years by a company that has since gone out of business so there goes my guarantee. I noticed last year that there was a lot of black grit on the front porch but thought it had been knocked out of the eavestrough by wind or horrid squirrels so I ignored it. Then this summer a friend of my daughter told me my shingles were disintegrating and I took a closer look. Yup, brown patches among the black shingles!

Being a wary, senior consumer, I got roofer names from neighbors and took a few phone numbers out of the phone book, making sure they were insured and bonded and had a nice big ad (I figured that fly by night roofers wouldn't pay the big bucks for a large ad). Only one roofer showed up to give me an estimate but it matched what my neighbor said the roof would cost so I signed the contract. The job would be done by September 30th. Well, roofers can't work in the rain so it's 2 weeks late but they're here and they appear to be doing a nice neat job of dismantling the old roof.

I'm proud of myself for handling some of the major jobs that have sprung up since my husband passed away. Dennis would have been the one hiring roofers or furnace people if he was still here. He'd know exactly what was needed and how much it should cost. I know nothing but I always get informed opinions from friends or family before I sign on the dotted line.

When you own a house things have to be kept in repair or the house will decay around you. I happen to believe strongly in preventative maintenance, too, and that means I have to keep ahead of impending trouble. The roof isn't horrible but it did need replacing soon and my line of thought is that having a new roof will be a good selling feature when I do sell the house in a few years.

The eavestrough, soffit and faschia (not sure I spelled those right) are being replaced, too, because they're simply old and crappy looking. The house should look pretty good when all is done and I will never again have to worry about the darned roof because I'll be out of here before it needs doing again.

Next Monday the side of the house is being waterproofed so there's a lot of expensive repairwork being done this fall. My line of credit is taking a beating but it will all be worth it when the house is sold. In the meantime, I get to enjoy the brand new roof and dry basement. Seems logical to me.