Going Gray

Submitted by Ana White on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 21:01

The Momplex, she just got her hair done.

And now she's already going gray.

Step 1 Diagram
Step 1

Building the Momplex has been very different than building our home.

Unlike our home where we choose things that we like and can afford, at the Momplex we are choosing things that make sense.

You see, we hope Mom lives in the Momplex for a long long time, until she's 100 years old! And while she lives in the Momplex, we do not want her worrying about maintenance.

I think a nice house is a well maintained house. One that is properly cared for. And because Mom might be too old to get up on the roof and fix it (heck I am too!) in ten or twenty years, we went with the roofing that will last 40 or 50 years. And that's a metal roof.

And as I looked at all the colors of roofing, I asked myself, what color will I still like in 40 or 50 years? Barn red? Denali Green? Tahoe Blue? I could not be certain.

So we went gray.

Step 2 Diagram
Step 2 Instructions

With the metal roofing panels comes the trim and accessories. Here we have the ridge cap and rake flashing. I'll show you where they all go.

Step 3 Diagram
Step 3 Instructions

We also opted to add fully wrapped fascia - so Mom doesn't have to get up on a lift and paint the fascia in 10 years - and you also so here the drip edge.

Step 4 Diagram
Step 4 Instructions

It all starts by rolling tar paper over the plywood roof. This get's stapled down directly to the plywood. You start at the bottom and work your way upward.

Step 5 Diagram
Step 5 Instructions

Then the bottom drip edge is added

Step 6 Diagram
Step 6 Instructions

We actually also add the fully wrapped fascia underneath as well.

Step 7 Diagram
Step 7 Instructions

But then we took it back off because of how we plan to finish out our sofits (or the underside of the roof overhangs). We'll get to that in a bit - the sofits are now on order and should be here any day.

Step 8 Diagram
Step 8 Instructions

We opted for the exposed fastener system just because it was a $1000 less than the standing seam metal roof and with the height of the roof, you will never be able to see the difference.

Work is always easier done on the ground instead of on the roof. So the Ram predrills holes in the metal roof.

Step 9 Diagram
Step 9 Instructions

He's smart. he drills holes through all the sheets so the screws are attached in pattern, and saves time. No fun drilling every single sheet!

Step 10 Diagram
Step 10 Instructions

So the sheets are carefully hauled up to the roof on a Ram-made pallet and layed on the roof. And it's time to add screws.

Step 11 Diagram
Step 11

Aren't you glad we predrilled the holes in pattern?

Step 12 Diagram
Step 12

A string line is used to guide the bottom edge of the roofing panels to make sure the overhang is consistent all the way down.

Step 13 Diagram
Step 13

And by the end of the day, the front of the Momplex is fully gray.

The back, with the added roof over the garages, will be a little more work. We are going to save that for another day.

Step 15 Diagram
Step 15

And I just want to apologize to you for the lack of photos up on the roof.

Because this is as far as I venture on that roof.

And hopefully, this is as far as Mom will ever have to go too.

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