This project was previously discussed here.
projects
Slate Roof
We are currently working on a project to replace a slate roof on a turn of the century home in Rochester, IN. It has the original slate on it, though it has been patched in places over the years. We have been surprised at just how badly the existing slate has deteriorated. We had anticipated taking the slate off shingle by shingle with some breakage, but what we’ve ended up with are pieces not much greater than a couple of inches in diameter and the rest even smaller if not out right disintegrating into a fine powder. It would appear that a good hail storm would have removed most of this slate without our having to touch it!
Another thing of interest we have found is that the fasteners and flashings are galvanized in lieu of copper. We were aware that the cap flashings were not copper, but we had anticipated the other flashing to be copper. That would have been the standard for the era. Instead, the flashings are fairly thin galvanized sheets, generally cut into small pieces. The nails are gavanized cut nails. The cut nails have held up well, but most of the flashings have deteriorated and begun to rust where they have been exposed to the elements.
The turret in the picture above has slate in reasonable condition, so it was determined to leave this portion of the roof untouched. The cutting of the individual slate pieces with the constant changes in size as the turret reduces in diameter would have been extremely time consuming – probably taking nearly as long as half the rest of the roof. You can see some of the existing flashings around the base of the turret. Where these flashings are deteriorating, we will installed galvanized step flashings that we can slip under the existing starting course of slate.
The slate is being removed using a Slate Ripper. This is a versatile tool that slides up under the slate and is used to rip through the nails. It has sharp hooks to accomplish this and is designed to actually cut through copper nails. With the galvanized nails, it has generally pulled them out. This tool is used during slate installation to repair slate pieces that get broken in the process. It can also be used on completed roofs to help replace damaged slate shingles. The process is similar to when you remove the nails during demolition. The Ripper also works as pry bar to lift the shingles when you slide the replacement into place.
Installation of slate is not a quick process. On this roof we are installing random width slate in two different colors using a 70%-30% mix of purple and green. This further complicates the installation, but should make for a great look! I will post more pictures here or on our website when this project is completed.
A Garden Court for Culver
I was asked to write an article for the Culver Citizen explaining a little about Garden Court and the positive reasons for bringing one to Culver as well as the obstacles preventing the project. It was printed in the paper last week along with a sidebar I wrote giving a little description of the umbrella group that is Garden Court. I have copied the article and sidebar below:
Crane Day
Tuesday was Crane Day in Monterey. We shut down the 6000 block of Main Street for a few hours in the morning as we lifted the roof panels into place for the First National Bank of Monterey(FNBM) Annex project.
The panels are 2′ wide by 40′ +/- in length making them somewhat unwieldy to handle, but minimizing the number of splices required. Fewer splices will mean less maintenance over the life of the roof.
The crane was set up in front of the bank and we closed the street for several hundred feet in both directions. Forklifts were used to maneuver the panels around to where the crane could pick them up. The lengths made the use of a spreader bar and tag lines necessary. We reviewed safety issues with our crew and our Safety Officer, Will Pearson, went down to make sure things were done correctly. We took extra effort to contact all the affected businesses so they were aware of the situation. The Town of Monterey took advantage of the situation and cleaned the street while we had it shut down. It ended up only taking about three hours in the morning so we were done and the streets were open before the noon “rush hour”. It was St. Patrick’s Day after all!
We are installing an BMC MR-24 Roof on this building. FNBM already has this roof on the last addition and has appreciated its weathertightness and low maintenance. The conditions we have on this building allow us to install the panels with limited splices and only two roof penetrations. This should be an exceptionally tight roof as well.
MR-24 qualifies as an economical and environmentally sound solution due to the use of recyclable material and its design allowing minimal heat transfer. We installed two layers of insulation for a total rating of R-38 in the roof.
We are also installing MR-24 over an existing area of flat roof on the existing bank building. this should solve some leak problems they have experienced as well as providing some additional insulation. The MR-24 has a somewhat reflective finish which will help reduce heat gain in the summer.
Update 4-2-09: Jeff Kenney at the Culver Citizen picked up this post and reprinted it. Hey, we’re almost famous!
Happy New Year, 2009!
Happy New Year to everyone! We all have high hopes for what the new year will bring, despite the somewhat depressing news brought to us by the national media. Personally I want to take a positive attitude and look at last year’s slow down as producing some pent up demand for some growth! I can’t say that my crystal ball is any better than yours, but keeping a positive attitude can’t hurt.
2009 is a bit of a milestone for Easterday Construction Co., Inc. too. The early history of our company is bit sketchy, but our earliest record of completed work is the dedication stone on the south side of the Culver Elementary School Gym which says the gym was built in 1929 by Russell L. Easterday Construction and Supply Company. That would have to be one of the earliest incarnations of our company which puts us at 80 years old this year!
At the time of construction, the gym was the High School Gym. Through changes over the years, it has served as a Jr. High School Gym and now the Elementary School Gym. The Adminstration is currently considering renovations including roof work, changing the interior floor plan, installing new bleachers and building an addition on the west side to correct problems with the existing locker room. The gym is located across the street from our office in Culver. We look forward to the opportunity to participate in this project if it moves forward.
I met Judge Wendall C. Tombaugh late last year to discuss a project at his home. It was interesting talking to him as he is a former Culver resident (moving away in 1929) and knew of our company from those days until today. It’s always interesting to hear history of our Company from the perspective of those on the outside. It’s also interesting that his recollections back date our beginnings even further. First hand accounts are getting harder and harder to come by.
I’ve kind of rambled here, but here’s wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year!
Kevin