Therapeutic roofing

After a great start in the brilliant early summer, my roof painting project, the project-R has not taken off as much as I'd have liked.

Today after a month of non-roofing, finally the conditions were right AND I felt motivated. I was going to work on roof only till lunch time. But the conditions were so good and with encouragement from my friend DH, I decided to continue in the afternoon. It was hot and hard work, but therapeutic and grand at the same time. …

I still need to remove lots of rusty roof nails, treat the rusty spots and replace with nail screw, before I can start painting. I finally learned to do it in somewhat systematic way. Now and then when my back became stiff or arm aching, I'd stand up, stretch and enjoy the view 😉

Project-RMore photos of my roof work today and before are in the photo album, Project-R. Click on the thumbnail on left to visit.

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  1. Could be just water vapour from shower or bath, maybe you need a vent in your bathroom… The steam will come the easiest way into your loft so thats probably why its in one place…

  2. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    maybe you need a vent in your bathroom

    I suppose I do. Another expense! 😥

  3. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    just leave the window open

    That's what I do. 🙁

  4. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    is the roof insulation damp underneath the hole?

    Felt slightly moist but may've been my imagination. It wasn't outright damp.

  5. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    Is there evidence of water running down the timber?

    I couldn't see the condition of the timber very well. But it didn't feel damp either.

  6. Hmmmm, unless you can find the cause, you will always have the problem, is the roof insulation damp underneath the hole?

  7. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    is there roofing felt under the iron?

    There was black building paper, but the part under the hole has been disintegrated. There's the timber frame straight below it.

  8. It may be running down the underneath of the roofing iron from a location higher up… Check the ridge integrity directly above the rust area…

  9. I suppose I'll have to climb up into the roof space at some stage to investigate.Meanwhile I'll need to finish off the spots I put the rust converter on yesterday. Thanks for your help, DH. TTFN.

  10. Oh no! Is it possible to call in a handy-man or roofer to help with just this one part? Maybe get some professional advice as to where the moisture is coming from and what to do about it? :confused:What a pain, though…

  11. Thanks, Deb. I suppose if I get really desperate, I'll have to call in someone. Regardless I do have to climb up into the roof space and take a look. As DH said, I need to find out where the moisture is coming from. If it's the moisture from the bathroom, it'd be a very very gradual process and hopefully a patch up with another layer of iron should see it through until next repair & paint time. If the cause is a relatively new source of moisture, maybe a slight leak at inconspicuous spot, then a repair, even done professionally would not last long, so I'll need to find it. At least climbing up into the roof space is not weather dependant :p I just have to burrow ladder from my neighbour. The trapdoor is inside a cupboard, which have to be clear out before I put the ladder inside. Another pain 🙁

  12. The trapdoors are usually hidden away and quite small here, I am used to much larger and accessible ones so you can hide all of your junk in the loft space.. :yes:

  13. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    so you can hide all of your junk in the loft space.

    Maybe I should carry all the junk I've stored in the trapdoor cupboard up in the roof space so the way would be clear all the time :DI'm actually considering buying a ladder. It's been on my DIY wishlist for over a year. Considering I'm doing more DIY in last year or so and my neighbour is also a handyman himlself and would use his ladder quite a lot. It's probably the time I got my own. Hmmm. A decision time.

  14. Originally posted by arduinna:

    maybe there is a problem of compatible metal too ? Any pictures MM ?

    Only galvanised iron sheeting is involved. The problem is under the iron sheet and not visible. I have a picture of the hole but it doesn't show much. :(Anyway I've patched up temporarily and the roof should be weather tight for time being.

  15. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    Roofing is NOT always therapeutic

    No, but there are many active people around … I was going to tease you when I saw you had a problem … Keep investigating, maybe there is a problem of compatible metal too ? Any pictures MM ?

  16. Thanks for the info, Olivier. I really appreciate it. :)I do use a so-called rust converter, which contains zinc and is supposed to stop or even reverse the oxidation process. I've been using it on other rusty spots, after scraping out the loose flaky bits. My problem with this particular area is that the corrosion is coming from inside. However if I can reach the affected area from inside and somehow apply an anti-rust treatment in the confined roof loft space, I'd prefer to use a non-volatile substance. So your product may be better in such a situation. :)BTW I published another post with your favourite, collages (yes, plural :D) Take a look if you like. 😉

  17. Update on the roof situation:1.I've bought the ladder! :yes: Shiny, tall and relatively easy on my purse :yes: Will probably appear in my next My choice of weapon series :D2. I went up into the roof loft space. Very tight. I'm a small person but it was still tight squeeze to see any area other than under the centre ridge. 3. I could not detect any sign of moisture inside. I couldn't see the problem area directly. Couldn't even stick my head in! But I could feel for the timber near the area and was dry. The building paper and wire netting were also dry to touch.My conclusion is the cause was not likely the moisture from within the house. Probably there were a small gap between this roofing iron sheet and the ridge cap above that have let a tiny amount of moisture in, which would have trickled down under the particular rib of corrugated iron and accumulated the spot where this sheet is laid over the top of the lower sheet, and formed a narrow pocket with the roofing cement/filler sealing the join.Now that figured. I'll go get myself lunch and cuppa. :coffee:

  18. Good stuff, now you know the problem you can apply the solution, just a matter of sealing the ridge (silicon sealant will work reasonably well on the interior)

  19. I wouldn't call silicon a long term solution if exposed to sunlight, I think it degrades with long term exposure to UV…Best thing to replace lead is…. lead 😀

  20. So far I've done all ridges and 2/3 of the corrugated sheet covered area. I hope another couple of days should be enough to finish this stage. Then next stage will be wire blushing and filling gaps with silicon sealant. The lead flashings off the ridge capping are also damaged, quite badly at places. I wonder if filling with silicon would be good enough or I should put the aluminium plumber's tape over it.Isn't roofing fun 😀

  21. Thanks, DH. It looks I've used an incorrect term. What I referred to as "flashing" before was actually the "Soft edge depressed over corrugate" in (A) CORRUGATED PROFILE. The flashing itself is made of galvanised iron but the soft edge seems made of lead and can easily been torn or detached from the flashing itself.

  22. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    I wouldn't call silicon a long term solution if exposed to sunlight,

    Will be painted over. would it still be not good enough? The other option is to use the Flashtac. Either case the patches will be painted over.I think the lead flashing could have come as a part original ridge capping

  23. Whoa… it's getting very technical in here.Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I went up into the roof loft space… it was still tight squeeze to see any area other than under the centre ridge… I couldn't see the problem area directly. Couldn't even stick my head in! But I could feel for the timber near the area…

    And a little claustrophobic…

  24. I thought you had shimmied in from the trap door. If you weren't the whole way in, maybe not so claustrophobic.Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    But I've got a stiff neck

    Reading about all the DIY work that you've been doing has been making me sore and achey… kind of a sympathy thing. 😀

  25. Originally posted by debplatt:

    And a little claustrophobic.

    I wasn't. The trapdoor was still open. :DBut I've got a stiff neck 🙁

  26. Wear goggles and gloves, that stuff gets hot and sparky, watch out for sharp edges on the underside of the cut too

  27. OK. I've actually bought a 1800×870 roofing iron sheet. I've also borrowed an angle grinder (!) from my DIY neighbour. It'll be close to the edge of my DIY comfort zone. Going to be interesting 😉

  28. Thanks, DH. I gave it a go for about 20 seconds and have given up! 😆 It's definitely outside my comfort zone. Also my hands are not strong enough to hold it steady and all I was doing was making burn marks on the metal! :pMy neighbour has also lent me a pair of sturdy metal cutting scissors. And I'm making a lot better progress with it :lol:Will keep you posted. 😉

  29. Angle grinders are not easy to control unless you work them the right way, they have a habit of running off and doing their own thing 😀

  30. Done!The edge is very untidy, but will be hidden by the silicon filler I'll be applying when I install it. If it's going to be still too jagged, I'll put the flashtac weather proofing tape on top. :DOriginally posted by darkesthour:

    they have a habit of running off and doing their own thing

    It sure did. I've got a couple of photos of beautiful burn marks :pOriginally posted by debplatt:

    Angle grinders sound scary to me.

    It was. I handled the chainsaw alright, but AG was a lot worse. Chainsaw does not emit shower of red hot iron sparks! Originally posted by darkesthour:

    Jabberwockies

    Eh? :confused:

  31. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    Fearsome beast

    It was worse … :whistle:

  32. Originally posted by darkesthour:

    Jabberwockies are worse..

    Jabberwockies are wusses… if you happen to be wielding a vorpal blade. :knight:

  33. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    Use your force, DH

    And if not that, use your mass times acceleration… Oh, wait!

  34. Originally posted by debplatt:

    You have to make one …. with an angle grinder.

    Use your force, DH 😉

  35. True, but where do you get one these days? All of the old hardware shops are closed :awww:

  36. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    without pathological fear of height

    that would not be me 😀

  37. Originally posted by studio41:

    Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    without pathological fear of height

    that would not be me

    😆

  38. I tamed the beast!! :yes: :yes: :yes: A piece of instruction from my powertool guy at my hardware store as to how to hold it correctly was all I needed to master the angle grinder! Yay! The roofing is therapeutic again :happy: 😎

  39. Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

    I tamed the beast!!

    Awesome!!!… But I thought that you were done with this part… :confused:

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