My Roof and the Herd Of Wild Horses On It

The next time you go to a horse racing track, lay your head on the ground next to it.

Actually walk out into the middle of the track in the middle of the race.   You will have an idea of what the sound is like in my house at this very moment.

The chaos started at 7:20 Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 with a phone call.

It turned out to be that the roofer was warning us that our "demolition" would begin today.   One minute later, a white Ford F150 Work Truck pulled into the swale and two guys were hanging out.   The phone call stopped and I was cheerfully told that Charlie Fox the Roofer was saying that work would start today.

Well.  There goes the chance to get "caught up" after the holidays!

We were ejected from our driveway shortly thereafter by a giant truck with black metal panels on the side, and a host of other trucks and other people.

I was helpfully warned by Julio, who appears to be the Foreman or the Project Manager, that "It was going to be loud when work starts".

Having given them access to the yard, work started shortly thereafter.

8:00AM to be exact.   Literally exactly at 8:00AM.

Let the fun begin.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

They slapped some old plywood on the roof as a guide and began throwing pieces of my old roof tiles down it into the back of that big black sided truck.   Standing on my porch you would see bits of terracotta fly into the truck with a slam.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

The dog immediately decided that today was "Nope" and tried to find a quiet corner.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

Remember those horses running by?  They were joined by someone who took a giant commercial clothes dryer and tossed some 2x4s, old bricks, and probably a dead body in there and turned it on.   All over the top of our heads.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

Rack began to shuttle back and forth between the bedrooms and his crate in the living room before deciding that sitting in front of the couch where he could watch me might be the best idea.  "Best" is relative.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

It will be an interesting few days.  Friday will be cold (69 as a high) but dry.  Saturday will be wet and cool, Sunday will be seasonable with passing showers.   All that rain is not welcome.   Our old roof was beginning to drip as it was.  Missing the tiles means that the house will go from an occasional drip when the winds were just right to an expected torrent.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

They're shoveling all sorts of things off the roof into the backyard, so who knows, Demolition may end earlier rather than later.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

I'm soldiering on here at the house.  Since the office has moved and is under construction, going to the Board won't cut it and I'd need to take the dog with me.  I'll grab the Noise Cancelling Headphones and maybe some earplugs on top of it.   As for Rack... Sorry buddy, you get to listen to it too.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

At least it is a good week for it.  The hangovers have ended for everyone by now, even if you are like me who only rarely drinks, and it's a short week.  Not everyone has geared up for the rigors of normal routines.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

Besides, we'll have a choice between an "orange" that looks more like a peachy terracotta, or a patterned variegated terracotta roof with no leaks.  That roof will be brought up to "Miami-Dade Hurricane Code" so we'll get a hefty discount on our Hurricane Insurance when it is done, and our roofer, Charlie Fox comes with a good reference.  We're leaning toward the variegated terracotta.  It will look nice for a year or three then we'll be muttering about having to "get someone up there to clean that damn roof".

BANGBANGBANGBANG

If you'll excuse me, I just heard something vibrate loose and fall in the Florida room... Oh, that was nothing, just old tar falling onto everything, including my backup laptop.  Now I can see the sky through my roof.

BANGBANGBANGBANG

If we get a shower, it's going to be a wet disaster.  I've got to move my gear today...

BANGBANGBANGBANG

By the end of all that banging, the tarpaper was on the roof.  This being Florida, even in the dry season, we could have a small shower that won't even show on radar.  These "Sub-Pixel" storms float in off the ocean, drench your backyard, but not your front yard, and move on to your neighbor's yard.  It may just water one potted plant before dissipating. 

None of that happened.  It remained clear into the night.  Overcast, but clear.   Ok, so it's Florida, and not only the weather is weird down here.

The inspection happens tomorrow.  There is a large aluminium ladder bolted to the house.  I suspect that is for safety and anti-theft, but either are good ideas.  They'll look over the roof to make sure it passes code and then the fun can begin again.

Bolted ladders.  What will they think of next?