More Roof Work.

'Monday 31st of July 2017

Sunday was a day off from the workshop - family stuff and buying at a car boot - lovely.

Monday - a quick trip to Chesterfield to collect 6 rolls of roofing felt in my poor little car ( 200 kgs ) !!

First job was to trim the front edge flush to the first joist - then cut and fit the edge trim with mitred corners.

Next - I finished the first layer of underfelt.

Now ! - I had to carry full rolls of cap sheet up the ladder on my shoulder - Neil made it look easy the other day - not easy for me !! - 35 kilos - I made it - 5 times !!!.

Don't tell my orthopaedic surgeon !!

The cap sheet went on well - half the roll at a time - it stayed right on track - perfect.

I ran out of gas and had to run out to collect some - then the rain beat me at around 7 pm.

The last full roll has been cut to width but not laid yet.

That leaves just the last cross sheet - right at the front, to cut and fit to complete the cap sheet.

I will still have to cut and fit the edge cap sheet right around three edges to finish the roof completely.

The second quality felt that I have used is pretty good - just faults with the mineral chippings - a bit sparse on one sheet and the joint strip a bit narrow on the others - no big deal - the felt itself is really thick - well reinforced - no damage.- I have saved £250 by using it.

The weather is a bit mixed for the next day or so - I'm not sure when I will get it finished - I need the roof to be completely dry to lay the felt.

U tube helped me to learn a great technique with the torch - just the right amount of melting - no hot spots this time.

You can see the area with less than normal chippings on the right - it looks wet.

The cap sheet seems to drain well - so far - so good.

I'm not sure when we are going to Blazer - I will try to get the felt complete before we go if I can - dependant on the weather.

Mike

Water tight !

Saturday 29th of July 2017

No rain until this evening so - off with the big blue tarpaulin ( useless ) sweep off the small puddles and let it dry out in sunshine.

I marked out and trimmed the roof boards to give a six inch overhang.

Then I tilted the bandsaw table and cut 2 x1 slate lath to edge the roof with a slope for the felt to run up. - this will keep the water on the roof until it runs off the back edge.

With that screwed in place I checked the roof over and found the front edge to be a bit low - so I cut and fitted packing strips to the front edge - under the roof boards to sort it.

A trip out with Jackie - then I got ready to lay the first layer of under felt.

Neil helped to carry the heavy rolls up the ladder and then I set to using a technique that I saw on U tube that seemed very good at keeping the roll on the right track as you torch it on.
It worked !!

8 strips - parallel to the back edge - overlapped 3 inches all done by 9 pm !!

It started raining as I cleared up - WOW !!

I need more underfelt for one last strip - so I covered that with thick polythene for the heavy rain due last night.

This morning a bit damp on the roof - bone dry inside and the roof was dry in about an hour - I am well pleased.

I need to collect more felt - then maybe lay the top coat on Monday - no rain !!

Getting there.

Mike.

Family Weekend

Saturday 22nd of July 2017

No chance of any progress with the workshop this weekend due to family commitments.

Rainy weather this week has stopped me doing anything in the evenings - taking the huge tarpaulin off for just two hours and then putting it back on is not easy - so nothing happened this week.

Jackies brother Ian arrived from Canada on Wednesday - so evenings have been busy socialising.

Jackies brother Barry arrives today at 18.00 from Denmark and this his is first visit since February - it is the first visit to see his house since I took over the renovation job.

I have been flat out this week progressing the bathroom makeover.

Today Jackie is going to help me - cleaning the house ready for Barry's visit and we are sure Barry will want to show it off.

Tonight we are guests at Jackie's brother Andy's 60th birthday extravaganza - which is why all the family is gathering - so no chance of working on the workshop today.

Sunday - we will be at Barry's - showing him the progress with the renovation - I hope he likes it !!!

Regarding the workshop -

My plan is to trim the roof boards to size - then get the first layer of torch on felt applied as soon as possible.

It will be water tight then.

Then - when Barry goes back to Denmark next week - we can suspend the projects and have a holiday for most of August - if the weather is good ? - back on Blazer for a couple of weeks.

I will update the Blog when there is any progress but it will be next weekend before I can realistically do anything.

Mike.

Getting Ready For Rain.

Tuesday 18th of July 2017

Heavy rain forecast for Wednesday - so - dug out my 9 metre by 7 metre tarpaulin and tied it on tight.

It will help to keep the roof boards dry for the felt job on Saturday if all goes well.

No other progress today - Mike.

Roof Sheets Finished.

Monday 17th July 2017

After a session at Barry's - trying to complete the bathroom - I got home around 16.00 and although it was 75 degrees outside I got straight to it.

I recut the last sheet that I put up - already marked out - then fixed it with about 18 screws.

I then fully screwed down the last 6 sheets that went up yesterday -about 120 screws -  the impact drill was really hot to the touch !!

All done for 18.30 - tired out.

Mike. 

The Roof Is On !!

In Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th of July 2017

Great weather this weekend - warm - no rain - perfect for working outside.

Saturday - I finished all the graduated firring strips on each joist - checked them and found the front left hand corner joist very low - the cantilever was made wrong somehow - so - remade it - now correct !!
Then I cut all the remaining 6x2 roof joist to make the cantilever overhang - over the back fence and trimmed it with a 2 x 1 - it worked out really well - I cut the angle steeper than the main roof to improve the rain run off and the length of it deposits the rain 5 inches beyond the back fence.
The overall roof length is now just less than 28 feet which gives me a little spare all round to trim to size once the roof sheets are on.

We also managed to squeeze in a visit to Morley Gala - a small gala - but good - Classic cars - real ale - we met lots of friends and family - great !!

Sunday - early start 05.30 - too early to make any noise so - tidied up my tiny workshop to the point where I can actually get in there and some of the bench is useable !!

First - I finished off the rear cantilever by fitting tension straps to the top edge to improve the strength.
Then - I fitted temporary props under the cantilever to hold it up until the roof sheets are on.

A quick run to Screwfix to pick up 400 screws for the roof sheets and then I had to work out how on earth I was going to get half a ton of OSB sheets 40 metres down the garden and then up onto the roof on my own !!!

Scott was working this weekend when I asked but pledged help next weekend.
The grand kids are all usually busy with mates or girl friends so no point in asking.

First - I tested the one wheel sheet transporter - FANTASTIC !!
It worked great - no effort - easy to steer - just the job.

Then I placed a very stout wooden garden chair at the side of the workshop and lifted a sheet onto it so that it leaned onto the workshop the long way up.

I climbed onto the chair and managed to lift the sheet while slidding it up and over the roof edge.
Once it got higher than half way I flipped it up and slid it onto the roof - easy - manageable - amazing!!

The sheets are finished with a slippy coating of some sort which make them really easy to slide into place.
I decided to lay a row at four sheets wide on the cantilever to help support it and make it easier to bend the sheets where the roof slope changes a bit.
Then- I changed to two sheets wide for the remainder of the roof.
It did involve a bit of trimming which surprised me and I think it might be that the joists bent slightly at the centre noggin - but no problem.

Sheet after sheet went up - then a wonderful Sunday roast dinner - then more and more sheets until finally at 9 pm - THEY WERE ALL UP AND IN POSITION !!!

Most of the sheets are fully screwed down - 60 mm no. 10 screws every 16 inches - but the impact drill was making so much noise that I changed to the other battery drill and just put a few screws in the the last 5 sheets until a better time to make noise.

So - they are on - 3 mm gaps between then for expansion / swelling - they are flush with the back edge - overhang the sides by about 9 inches and the front by about 2 inches - perfect.

I will mock up the side cladding to tell me how much overhang I really need then mark it up with a chalk line - screw a guide batten on - then trim it with the circular saw.

I plan to cut a 2 x 2 timber on the diagonal and fix that to the long edges on top to keep the rain water on the roof until it gets to the back edge- then I will run the roofing felt up the slope and trim it at the top.- that timber will also give me something to hang the facia board onto.

I am very pleased with the roof at this stage - no bounce at all as I walk about up there - nice and strong - plus it appears nice and flat - no bumps from high joists or bent timber - amazing really.

The weather is good - Monday and Tuesday - so I better get cracking in the evenings and get it trimmed - fully screwed down and covered with the big tarpaulin before the rain on Wednesday.

A big week for me at Barry's - he makes his first visit on Sunday to the house since I started work there at the beginning of February - I would like to finish the bathroom make over and also finish the painting on the stairs if we can - plus a big clean up - Jackie will help on Tuesday.

Next weekend - it would be great to get the first layer of roofing felt on if I can - mabe with Scott helping - but we have a big family party to go to on Saturday afternoon / night - Andy's 60th birthday extravaganza !! - we will try - I have the materials and tools for torch on - just need a bottle of gas.

A great result for the weekend - I surprised myself!!

Mike.

Sorry about no photos - my main computer is still not online yet - wifi adaptor number 4 still not working but looking better - I am falling out with windows 10 !!

Preparation for the roof

Wednesday 12th of July 2017

A very busy week at Barry's working in the bathroom - but managed to sort out more materials for the next phase on the workshop build.

I ordered 14 sheets of 18 mm OSB3 - structural - perfect for what I want - Derby Timber Supplies again - £18 per sheet delivered - not bad.

I also ordered 144 metres of tanalised 2 x 1 sawn timber to be fixed vertically on the outside of the Tyvek membrane in line with the internal uprights.
This will be the mounting for the outer decorative cladding - when I can afford to buy it.
I am now thinking of 12 mm ship lap boards - horizontal - on the sides and front.
With feather edge fence boards on the back for cost.
The ship lap will take a paint finish well - Jackie would like it to match the summer house colour scheme - no problem.

It all arrived on Wednesday - 3 pm - the driver kindly stacked it at the side of the house out of sight from the road.

I will struggle to lift the sheets so I have made a one wheel device that the sheets will fit into and allow me to wheel them to the workshop - if it works !!
Based on a pneumatic barrow wheel - a design I spotted on eBay at £100 - mine cost nothing !!

So - I'm all set for this weekend - must bring my nail gun back from Barry's and buy enough 6mm x 60 mm screws for the roof.

I still have to finish the graduated strips on the joists and devise the cantilever section that will overhang the back fence before I can start putting roof sheets on.

I can't wait to get cracking.

Mike

Roof Work

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of July 2017

Sorry - still no photos - my main computer is still off line - this ipad will not load photos.

On Friday I went to my unit in Sheffield to collect my big bandsaw in the trailer - 150 kilos and six feet tall !

All went well with a little help from the guys in unit 5.

The journey to Derby went well - Scott, James and Kane helped to unload it and trundle it to the workshop on a small steel trolley on Saturday.

I assembled it but could not run it because it needs a 16 amp supply and my roll of heavy cable was locked in Neil's shed until Saturday evening.

When he returned - I made up a long lead and away it went - lovely.

To test it - I cut all the floorboard and skirting from Barry's into lengths for kindling and then chopped it all up - tidy.

Sunday - a late start - collecting 4 fire doors from Burton-on-Trent.
20.5 inches by 80 - to make double doors 41 inches wide - £15 each on eBay
They will be great for sound proofing - very heavy.

Plus - cleaning the area at the side of the house with Jackie

Then I set up a 12 foot run out table behind the bandsaw and cut the graduated strips for the roof fall
Each joist needs a strip fixed on top of it - starting at 95 mm and reducing by 5 mm each joist with nothing on the last one.
This gives a fall of 1 in 80 for rain to run off the back of the roof - over the back fence into what was once a ditch.
I managed to cut and fix over half of the strips in really hot sunshine - ( hard work ).
The bandsaw worked fine - still on the little trolley - with 4 wedges holding it in position.

Back at Barry's on Monday - the roof sheets arrive at 3 pm Monday.- 14 sheets of OSB3 at 18mm.
I also picked up 4 rolls of roofing felt from an ebay seller in Chesterfield - less than half price - factory seconds - but good!
4 more rolls needed to finish the roof.

Wall Boards and Tyvek Membrane

Sunday 2nd of July 2017

A big day today - 06.30 start - setting up ( quietly! )
Fitting 11mm OSB boards to the outside of the framework with 40 mm wood screws.
All full size sheets - left long at the top -trimmed to the roof fall angle with the portable circular saw.
14 sheets fitted - trimmed - cock up sorted - trying to use a string line on my own - missed !
700 wood screws !
All walls nice and plumb - solid - but still need bracing at the front util I build the front wall.
By 18.00 we were ready to fit the Tyvek membrane - Jackie helped - we managed to wrap two strips right around with no joints - a generous 7 inch overlap between the strips - all stapled on.
The spare was left at the top - I folded this over the exposed top edge and stapled it on the back of the sheet -,Great !!

All cleaned up by 20.00 - a long day - I was all in.

Roof joist firring pieces next - I need to find a way to cut them to 20 different heights ?
This will give a fall of 1 in 80 front to back for rain water run off.
Then it's 14 roof boards - 18mm OSB - HEAVY !!
Then two layers of torch on felt.

Sorry - no photos today - my new computer will not connect to the Internet and this ipad will not load photos to Blogger from the album !!!

I will post photos as soon as I can.

Good progress - better than I hoped - hard work !!

Mike.