Newly Minted Roofing Experts

We are so grateful for the pause in rain. We woke to a pleasant morning, and Phil headed out to install the last two pieces of plywood. I started the beef kidney soaking in lemon juice and the beef heart marinating in oil and vinegar for tomorrow's dinner, then went to join Phil. I started the lengthy process of sweeping the plywood clean. Because of the texture of the plywood, and because there have been muddy shoes, various accidents involving stepping in not quite cured sealant (Joe told me a long story about how he accidentally made a footprint in a specific spot), insects curious and deceased, sawdust aplenty, and several days of detritus from various tubes and containers, the push broom was effective but slow.

About the time I was done with the first 10' section, Phil was ready to start the rubber membrane.

Before putting the rubber down, we rolled out rosin paper, which looked like 3' wide paper bag material. This slipsheet allows the rubber membrane to expand and contract with heat and cold, without wearing on the rough plywood. It was amazing how just the right amount of (almost unnoticeable) wind would overturn the carefully placed paper in the few minutes before rolling out the heavy rubber.

The structure itself is about 1000 sqft, and with the overhang, the roof surface is just under 1300 sqft. Providentially, our 27x48' roof was ideally suited for three rolls of 500 sqft rubber membrane: three 50'x10' sections. They are ridiculously heavy, so happily the delivery guys loaded them right on the roof with their little boom truck. I managed to roll them over while sweeping, but just a bit of rolling made me need to stand and pant. Phil rolled them, and even adjusted them a few inches by lifting, but that was minimal.

We rolled out the first 500 sqft, enjoying the satisfaction of just rolling the tube off the end of the roof—with only about two feet extra, it would have been silly not to. Then we had to adjust the rubber all the way down, because ideally both ends would have a foot of overhang, not two feet extra on one end and no extra on the other. We picked it up foot by foot, sort of like eliminating a wrinkle in a bedsheet by microadjusting all down the bed. The sun had been overcast when we began, and we knelt on the rubber as we worked our way down the roof. But midway, the sun came out, so by the edge of the roof, we could hardly pick up the hot rubber, wishing for cotton gloves or anything to cut the burn.

We took a break then, and enjoyed the cool interior. Even at midday, the sun came to just the base of the footer on the south wall, but didn't come in at all. Perfect!

The next two sections of rubber went down much more easily. We figured out how to make sure the beginning was properly positioned, avoiding the microadjusting later. We overlapped the two joints by the prescribed 5", which gave Phil exactly the right amount of overhand on the cantilever to cover the soffit. Not an extra inch, but exactly the right amount.

We went in to cool off then. I read to the boys and fell asleep.

I wouldn't have expected sweeping and rolling to be so strenuous that I required a 90 minute nap, but that was what it took.

When I went back, Phil had made good progress on the first joint. First, he rolled back the upper edge, then used a little sponge applicator to put industrial rubber cement on both overlapping edges, bottom of the top edge and top of the bottom edge. Then he put down serious double-sided tape on the bottom edge, and, without removing the backing, used an adorable roller to roll both across and along the tape, to make sure it adhered firmly. Next, he flipped the top edge onto the double-sided tape, without removing the backing. Then while I pulled the backing, Phil pushed the two edges together, preventing air bubbles as much as possible. Then roll the edge with the roller, across and along. Done!

After the second joint, we cleared off everything not longer necessary. Then Phil threw up the rest of the onsite insulation. Eventually we'll have a double layer, but this is intial protection to protect the surface from punctures.

The last step that Phil worked on was putting on metal batten strips along the vertical edge, screwing the rubber membrane into place.

He started off trying to do so from a ladder (screw driving is easier when standing), but the perimeter is too uneven, so he ended up lying flat on the roof while screwing in the batten strips. He finished a bit more than a third by nightfall, when he was feeling woozy from the fumes, probably dehydration, and the up and down.

But this was a good day!

And on this fourth anniversary of our arrival on the farm, perhaps the most obvious sign of progress is the 28 week, 3 day belly. I'm pretty sure I've delivered with a 42" waist at some point in the past, so it is a bit humorous to respond, when asked when the baby is coming, "Oh, sometime in October!"

And Abraham and Joe ask almost daily if my tummy will get even bigger, and when they hear that I have hardly begun to grow (as the baby is about a quarter of its delivery size now), they stand about five feet in front of me and ask if my belly will get that big. Hopefully not, dear sons. Hopefully not.