Shingle Envy
I live in a "mixed" neighborhood. At least it used to be mixed..... we are definitely on the way to becoming pretty middle-class. What makes me happy about that is that I no longer wake up to the sounds of inebriated neighbors leaving their weekend parties at 4:30 a.m., we no longer dodge broken beer bottles on the sidewalk, the police drive by less frequently.
What makes me sad about the transition is that the police drive by less frequently, I feel like a snob for liking the middle class better, and a bit of sadness that we can't just live together.
But on to the topic of the blog. Shortly after buying this house, it became painfully clear that the roof was in very bad shape. (I came home from work one day to find that the soffit and fascia had fallen off one side of the house. I hired someone to redo it, and he came off his ladder shaking his head. The rafters were so badly rotted that there was nothing to attach new soffit and fascia to.)
AFter a few years of research and freaking out over the cost of such a project (old house, steep roof) I secured financing and got it done. New rafters, sheeting, the whole nine yards. While we were at it, I got them to change the roofline to give me more room on the 3rd floor, and added a half-bath up there.
I chose shingles with the longest possible warranty - if I have to spend this much money, I want the most possible bang for my buck.
My next-door neighbor is a semi-self-employed contractor who does home renovations. He recently took a job with the roofing company that supplied and installed my shingles.
Like the proverbial shoe-maker's children without shoes, my neighbor's house is in a sad state. He has covered much of it with vinyl siding, but has not made it to his roof yet. The blue shingles are missing in large patches, revealing old wooden shakes. The blue shingles are frequently found in my flower beds or sidewalk after a good rain.
When we meet outside and have our neighborly chats, he rarely fails to turn and look proudly at my shingles. He tells me who made them (I have no idea,) how extensive the warranty is, and that his employer is the only company in this city to carry this particular product.
I'm happy that he's so pleased with my shingles.
Shingle envy.
What makes me sad about the transition is that the police drive by less frequently, I feel like a snob for liking the middle class better, and a bit of sadness that we can't just live together.
But on to the topic of the blog. Shortly after buying this house, it became painfully clear that the roof was in very bad shape. (I came home from work one day to find that the soffit and fascia had fallen off one side of the house. I hired someone to redo it, and he came off his ladder shaking his head. The rafters were so badly rotted that there was nothing to attach new soffit and fascia to.)
AFter a few years of research and freaking out over the cost of such a project (old house, steep roof) I secured financing and got it done. New rafters, sheeting, the whole nine yards. While we were at it, I got them to change the roofline to give me more room on the 3rd floor, and added a half-bath up there.
I chose shingles with the longest possible warranty - if I have to spend this much money, I want the most possible bang for my buck.
My next-door neighbor is a semi-self-employed contractor who does home renovations. He recently took a job with the roofing company that supplied and installed my shingles.
Like the proverbial shoe-maker's children without shoes, my neighbor's house is in a sad state. He has covered much of it with vinyl siding, but has not made it to his roof yet. The blue shingles are missing in large patches, revealing old wooden shakes. The blue shingles are frequently found in my flower beds or sidewalk after a good rain.
When we meet outside and have our neighborly chats, he rarely fails to turn and look proudly at my shingles. He tells me who made them (I have no idea,) how extensive the warranty is, and that his employer is the only company in this city to carry this particular product.
I'm happy that he's so pleased with my shingles.
Shingle envy.
posted by Carlotti at 6:57 AM
2 Comments:
sure beats the idea of a couple of geriatrics admiring one anothers' shingles on a ward somewhere....
Clearly wit is in the Kelher genes.
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