I live in Oregon and worked for a roofing company for 1 1/2 long years. I quit after being fed up of feeling like I’d been through a rock crusher after each day of work. Plus I dislocated my shoulded two times in three weeks on the job.
Now after reconstructive shoulder surgery, and three years of not roofing, or even thinking about it, my father-in-law calls me up and wants me to re-roof his house in Virginia. Hurricane blew off shingles on his 35 sq. 8/12 house.
I’m thinking about doing it, but have no idea if there are any diffrerences between west coast roofing and east coast roofing that I need to know about. The house is about 50 miles east of Richmond and he wants a 40 yr laminate. I plan on storm nailing to avoid any other blow offs, but what other regional things, if any, do I need to know?
Jeffrey
Replies
Virgina is well supplied with bugs. Biting bugs. Probably better roofing when it's cold, or be lunch for the bugs.
Joe H
35 square on an 8/12 pitch. You live on the West Coast and job is on East Coast. Besides travel costs,and transporting and/or renting of roofing tools ( roof rippers, air nailers, compressors, hoses, ladders, roof jacks, planking, plus drop cloths, dumpster/dump truck rental, landfill dumping fees) you will need proper scaffolding around site perimeter, and/or safety harnesses or else face wrath of inspectors.
Long and short of it....an injured wing....3 year lay-off from that type of work.....Hey buddy, even if this guy is your Father-in-law...best thing you can do for You, and for Him.....is pass this one by!
Offer to help him review contractor bids over the phone so as to try and steer him away from being ripped off with sky high bids ( You should have enough knowledge to already know what a job of this magnetude calls for both in materials and labor pricing). Helping to guide him toward making the right decisions ( if you feel comfortable enough in doing so) would be as far as I would go in your case.
An 8/12 is too steep to casually walk on...and 35 square is a large residential roof. Plus, how many layers are there for initial tear-off? You might be handling 70 square worth of shingles for disposal purposes. The steeper a roof is, plus the higher it is off the ground, makes for a job that is just that much harder to do. In these situations, you want several experienced guys who are not afraid of heights, are sure-footed, and can work without being told what to do. An experienced roofing crew is what you want in this situation......one man ( yourself) trying to direct a few of your Father-in- Laws well meaning friends( drinking buddies) is only gonna end in disaster....the very least being some heated arguments over who was supposed to do what or who is or isn't "carrying his own weight," and at worst with someone falling off the roof and getting seriously hurt. It's also very possible that you could re-injure your shoulder once again...or someone else injure their own.
Yeah...sorry to beat a dead horse....but you are only asking for trouble on this one.
PAAAAAAAAASSSSSSS IIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!
Davo