Landlady has been trying to get a local roofing contractor to commit to a project date for months now. Months. Guy's a flake; rarely answers calls, and when he does it's always with an excuse. But roofers aren't very thick on the ground around here, and this one had just what she wanted for the roof. We're now deep in Monsoon season, but we weren't when she started trying to get this guy on the job.
So day before yesterday the dogs alerted me to a truck pulling into the meadow. I'd met the guy once before when he measured the roof for the estimate. He showed up around 4:30 in the afternoon, and I wondered why on earth he'd bother driving all the way out here so late in the day. It seems, in trading text messages with Landlady, that he'd told her he was on his way earlier that morning, but - as he so often does - let other things get in the way. He brought one other guy and a trailer load of stuff, only battery-operated tools, no generator, no compressor, no nothing. They hung around for maybe three hours, accomplishing little I could see, and finally split.
Yesterday he came back, this time equipped and with a crew. They spent all day in the sun and got some work done this time, but even so - all day, five guys, and they were nowhere near done by dusk. Storm clouds were roaring in and I warned them the washes are saturated and every hole in the canyons is full of water. If it rains the washes will run, and I hope they brought camping gear. They pulled out shortly after - never did more than sprinkle.
This morning they showed up at six, and I don't know how close they are to done. Guess I should go find out, but - surprise! It's raining cats and dogs.
It's a very small house. Granted there were some carpentry issues they had to deal with first, but - sheesh! Ten man-days for a small roof? We erected and sheathed the whole damned thing in that much time, and we weren't pros. I've been around professional roofers. They come, they see, they conquer, they leave. These guys - I don't know.
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4 comments:
My cousin and I did most of the shingling on my Grandparents' roof and put down the tar paper prior to that. We had help from an uncle part of the time. It was a 3 bedroom home of pretty good size.
I think we were about 14 at the time.
Lamdlady could not get you to help on the roof? by the way, please post pictures of your stucco job when you do it!
Heh - I had to get help to do my OWN roof. I'm unsteady standing on a chair. I really hate roofs.
My cousin runs a two-man roofing crew,and some long time friends of mine hired him-in three days, he tore off the old roof,hauled it off, replaced some of the sheeting and put the new shingles down-this is a average three bedroom house. His "bidness vee-hicle" is a 1980 Chevy truck and trailer..
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