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Whats the worst you’ve ever seen?

nicks | Posted in General Discussion on April 4, 2007 05:48am

Today a roofer friend of mine told me about a roof repair job he had just gotten called out to where some idiot got lazy when re-roofing an old slate roof and litterally laid the 3 tabs over the old slate, nailed through them and called it good. I couldn’t believe it. (Not an April Fools Joke)

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  1. User avater
    JDRHI | Apr 04, 2007 06:00am | #1

    Revoke the roofers' license and foreclose on the homeowner.

    Roofer prolly not licensed anywho......maybe arrest him.

    But the homeowner replacing slate with asphalt doesn't deserve to own the home!

    Democrats.
    The other white meat.

     

     


    1. User avater
      CapnMac | Apr 04, 2007 06:10pm | #9

      Roofer prolly not licensed anywho

      Roofers is licensed?  Shoot, 'round here, it's a long shot that they all have current or valid DLs . . .

      Better than half the tear-off trailers are not licensed, can't imagine that the owners are much more organized <g>.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

      1. Hazlett | Apr 04, 2007 10:01pm | #13

         now--to be fair Cap,Mac--- the roofers may not be licensed------but they  ARE fully tatooed !,

         LOL. Stephen

        1. Piffin | Apr 04, 2007 11:09pm | #15

          That sounds like a great idea - getting roofers tatooed with their license number! That way owners can keep track of them;) 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          1. BryanSayer | Apr 05, 2007 05:21pm | #21

            License number, or inmate number? I guess either would work to keep track of them.

        2. User avater
          CapnMac | Apr 05, 2007 12:02am | #16

          the roofers may not be licensed------but they  ARE fully tatooed

          And "Piffin"-ed and blued, too <g>

          We will know the 'pocky'clipse in upon us [insert REM, "End of the World as we know it"), when the AHJ require trade licensing of, Drywallers and then Roofers (as that would only then leave concrete finishers <g>) . . .

          And, concrete finishing will be left last as it will be the hardest State test to write ("When patching honeycomb, how muchspit is required for good adhesion; When floating, is left or right hand preferred; Do "goKarts run better to maricachi music . . .")Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

  2. bobbys | Apr 04, 2007 06:12am | #2

    They must have used a nail gun im guessing, One time the BI stopped by and i asked him if he was going to check out the house down the street, 4 layers they put plywood over all 4 layers then new roofing, On 2x4 rafters



    Edited 4/3/2007 11:15 pm ET by bobbys

  3. seeyou | Apr 04, 2007 02:00pm | #3

    I've seen the 3 tab over slate trick, too. Also seen 6 layers of asphalt over cedar shingles. The 6" tall shingle mould should have tipped me off.

    http://logancustomcopper.com

    http://grantlogan.net/

    "We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart?"

     

    1. Hazlett | Apr 04, 2007 02:09pm | #4

       I have  found plenty of roofs with  3 tabs over slate---and interlocking shingles over the 3 tabs.

       not good practice----but you can hand nail through old, soft Pennsylvania slate quite easy. soft PA slate--3/16 " , worn out and tissue paper fragile after 50-60 years.

       not good practice---but not a tremendous architectural loss either.--most of these  have been in neighborhoods-------well lets say--low income neighborhoods. a new slate roof in those cases  simply not feasible.

      Stephen

      1. seeyou | Apr 04, 2007 02:16pm | #5

        Yeah, the one's I've seen were not over slate worth saving.http://logancustomcopper.com

        http://grantlogan.net/

        "We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart?"

         

        1. BryanSayer | Apr 04, 2007 04:47pm | #6

          But you saw them AFTER they were butchered with asphalt shingles. The question is, what was it like before?

          1. seeyou | Apr 04, 2007 05:03pm | #7

            They were shot like Stephen said. There wouldn't have been any need to put another roof over the top of them if they were still good. I've torn off many rotten slate roofs. I can usually salvage 1 sq per 10 trashed from the PA slate we have in KY. It wasn't that good to begin with.http://logancustomcopper.com

            http://grantlogan.net/

            "We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart?"

             

          2. BryanSayer | Apr 05, 2007 05:22pm | #22

            Where does the best slate for roof shingles come from? I know there are several sources, and colors too. But I never know what's what.

          3. seeyou | Apr 05, 2007 08:28pm | #23

            I seldom do a new roof with slate (mostly repairs) so I mostly get salvaged material, but the last that I bought was Vermont slate. Walter (slateman) can give you a better answer.http://grantlogan.net/

            "I bought a rickety, old worn out rocker at the second hand store for $7.00. I think his name is Eddie Money" - Red Meat

            "The last bar fight I got in got stopped because I was vomitting blood. Calm down, it wasn't mine" - Red Meat

          4. theslateman | Apr 05, 2007 09:46pm | #25

            Bryan,

            There are still some good sources of slate out  there, but you have to be careful too.

            Like Grant I furnish numerous sq's. of salvage slate for my own work,repairs and some full roofs. When I need new slate I usually get a black slate to mimic the slate that was quarried here in Maine. The best I've used is from Quebec,but sold thru New England Slate Co.

            For the colored slates try Taran Bros. Slate in Vermont.

            A lot of the Chinese slate is terrible, and be careful with Buckingham.  If you buy the soft Penn. slates you'll regret it.

            Walter

          5. Hazlett | Apr 04, 2007 10:06pm | #14

             Bryan--- if ya want--send me a real world address and I will be happy to mail you a full PA. slate--- so you can see  what we are talking about.

             might be possible to PUSH a roofing nail through these with your thumb.

            stephen

    2. ptp | Apr 05, 2007 03:52am | #20

      "Also seen 6 layers of asphalt over cedar shingles. The 6" tall shingle mould should have tipped me off."We've done many of those. That's the kind of job where the 20 yard dumpster is overflowing with debris but you only put 18 square of new shingles on the place.

  4. Shacko | Apr 04, 2007 05:42pm | #8

    THE BREEDING POLICE HAVE FAILED AGAIN!!

  5. oldboot | Apr 04, 2007 07:04pm | #10

    years ago i showed a friend how to reroof his summer kitchen.well he got so good at it that when he got to the ridge....HE KEPT ON GOING !!!!it took him about 3 rows to wake up.now he teaches at u. of toronto.

    1. rez | Apr 04, 2007 07:09pm | #11

      Roar! and the only reason he stopped then was because the blood was rushing to his head from leaning down hill? :o)

      Parolee # 53804

      1. blue_eyed_devil | Apr 04, 2007 09:30pm | #12

        Didn't see it firsthand but....

        One of my carpernters complained that when he remodels, every little detail is a huge issue. He went and looked at a buddies job who built a porch as a side job and the guy just ran the plywood and let it land midspan....the ply edges just floated between the rafters. The shingles were lined up, not staggered.

        The guy had gotten payed in full!

        This was in a low/moderate income neighborhood....naturally.

        blue"...

        keep looking for customers who want to hire  YOU.. all the rest are looking for commodities.. are you  a commodity ?... if you get sucked into "free estimates" and  "soliciting bids"... then you are a commodity... if your operation is set up to compete as a commodity, then have at it..... but be prepared to keep your margins low and your overhead  high...."

        From the best of TauntonU.

  6. girlbuilder | Apr 05, 2007 12:55am | #17

    Just this week we repaired part of a roof for an old man who is an artist with bodywork and we're doing a labor exchange to fix up my trucks. He directed us to part of the roof on his house, wife has been complaining for years about the leaks. Said he's tried to fix it, but it won't stop.

    Go up there and we find 30lb. felt nailed down, that has shrunk and curled its been up there so long. All remnant of asphalt impregnation is gone. The plywood is rotted in spots and he took pieces of ice and water shield, cut in little squares and nailed them everywhere he could.

    We covered it with a metal roof, but he couldn't afford the cap and the other side was old asphalt shingles (about twenty years beyond their life), so we just placed some ice and water over the ridge, sticking to the other side. What gives? I just want my truck pretty, he just wants his roof to stop leaking. I could take pictures of that place and post them here, but I'm too embarrassed to say we'd work on such a wreck.

    There's no way to fix bad work without tearing it all down and that place is proof.

    1. timberline69 | Apr 05, 2007 01:21am | #19

      My uncles cottage. 85 years old. I've been reroofing that place since I was a kid. Everytime its done vast amounts of alcohol are consumed and shingles are nailed on with no rhyme or reason. He finally hired a roofing crew 3 years ago they peeled up 7 layers of asphalt shinges and a layer of wood shingles. Its amazing the roof held. He's not going to have to shovel the snow of the roof anymore.

    2. Piffin | Apr 05, 2007 09:33pm | #24

      "an old man who is an artist with bodywork "LOL, at first, I thought you were dealing for tatoos!;) 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. girlbuilder | Apr 05, 2007 11:27pm | #26

        I figgered that would rouse someone's attention when I wrote it, but I thought ah, what the hey, I was too lazy to change it.

  7. theslateman | Apr 05, 2007 01:00am | #18

    In my neck of the woods 100 year old slate still has a large percentage of reusable slates-better stone from the get go.

    I've never seen one roofed over with 3 tabs- slate are stripped and sold or saved for other repairs.

    We do have a half dozen soft Penn. roofs in our area, but none shingled over yet.

  8. Bowz | Apr 06, 2007 12:09am | #27

    Heard this one from a contractor at the yard this morning.

     Got a call a few weeks ago to look at a roof that had shingles blow off. Found out the installer nailed everything about 2" down from the top edge.

    Asked the owner "Who is the f#%&*g idiot who did this?"  Owner explained that he and his brother in law did it last fall.  OOPS!

    Bowz

  9. grpphoto | Apr 06, 2007 03:34am | #28

    Well, my worst is nothing compared to some of these, but I had a house built right after the Korean War. Had a leak in a valley and redid the roof. I found that the structure was T&G 1x6s. No felt. No flashing in the valleys. No edging. One layer of black asphalt shingles, apparently original, covered with a second layer of asphalt shingles. The second layer didn't look to be in real bad condition, but the crew had used only four nails for each. We get winds over 90 mph here.

    There were two or three shingles with 6 nails in them, all down at one corner of the roof. I could just see the contractor spotting the roofer doing that and raking him over the coals for wasting nails.

    George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

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