We’ve had some big winds in the last month or so, but I didn’t realize how big some of the gusts really were until Aly showed us a photo she’d taken out of the upper story of Shell Cottage. It showed the porch roof below the window damaged by wind.
I saw that I needed to do some roof repairs.
Wind damage, seen from the hillside beside and behind the cottage porch (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
On February 5th, I took down the extension ladder, which usually serves as a fire escape for the main cabin’s upper story, and hauled it, along with some tools, over to the cottage. There, with Aly holding my ladder steady, I climbed up and inspected the damage.
Luckily, things didn’t look too bad. The metal roofing had rusted somewhat, and strong gusts had torn it loose from the nails. Once it got a bit of leverage, each successive gust pried it up a bit more.
Thank goodness the ladder reaches the peak! (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger.)
I had a power driver and some roofing screws, so I went to work. I had a bit of trouble, because I didn’t have a good angle to bear down on the tool, helping it pierce the metal sheeting before driving home. Still, I reattached the loose sheets well enough. I also hammered down any nails I could reach. I addressed it from a couple of different angles, and soon had it mostly back in shape, save for a flap on the cap I’ll need to bend back on a later, warmer day.
Hopefully, these repairs will last until I can climb up from the other direction on a dry, warm summer day, shinny out to the end, and add a few more screws in strategic locations.
Mission accomplished, for now. I’ll secure it better, and reshape a few places come summer (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).