Wednesday, July 15, 2009

A beautiful day at the Bolt Hole

Temperatures warmed up nicely to around 75 degrees this afternoon. That's still below the average high for this date but I'll take it.

The warm temperature, strong sunshine and light breezes made for a hot time on the tin roof of the garage. I fashioned a patch in one area where the previous owner had done a half-assed job and I'm hoping my full sheet of metal will stop the worst of the leaks. The previous patch was made from three 18" long pieces that were shingled atop a full sheet but did not reach all the way to the peak. That let lots of water and other debris plenty of room to get underneath. If the weather quacks are correct, I may find out if my patch works tonight and tomorrow.

I also pulled a few dozen loose nails--many with lead washers--from the front half of the garage roof and replaced them with newer rubber-washered ring-shanked nails and then added a dollop of roofing tar over any cracks I came across.

It was hot on that roof. Like working on a reflector oven with the sun bouncing back at me from the silvery metal.

Oh, and I found out where the snakes were hiding. I had a pile of metal roofing set off to one side of the yard from a shed I tore down and replaced. I used one of them for the patch and had to shift through the rest to select the best; i.e. the one with the fewest holes. The ten or twelve sheets housed four garter snakes and a nest of large red and black ants. Only one of the snakes had any size to it. Three were barely a foot long and not much thicker than a fountain pen. The fourth was closer to two feet in length and about an inch or inch and a quarter in diameter. I shook them out and sent them slithering into the brush nearby.

Clouds moved in at sunset so maybe the forecast of rain tonight and tomorrow is accurate.

1 comment:

JihadGene said...

Stay warm! I guess I shouls tell you to stay dry really. Enjoy it as best you can up there.