Roofing valley

[jack duren]

Good luck with it. I made a good living building houses by not paying anyone else to do anything except for paying a couple of helpers that no one else would hire. Just as you found with the pricing, I could build a house in 38 weeks for a little less than half of what I could sell it for. No getting around it being work though. Take every step to save steps but do every step the best you can.

When I was young (1976) and had one really good helper working for me, Charles and I put on 52 squares of shingles in one day including getting delivery that morning. He didn't stick with me though because I didn't work in the Summertime.

My first job was working with my uncles as a block layer. Carrying 8” and 12” block ain’t fun. 100 degree Alabama heat isn’t fun..

[Andrew Hughes]

[QUOTE=Tom King said

When I was young (1976) and had one really good helper working for me, Charles and I put on 52 squares of shingles in one day including getting delivery that morning. He didn't stick with me though because I didn't work in the Summertime.[/QUOTE]

52 squares in a day that’s incredible. You beat my record at around 40 without a helper all field work with a couple pipes.
I worked with a couple guys that could throw down but the quality was poor.
I keep my rows straight and shiners minimum. I became a journey man in late 80s mostly flat and M tiles.
Good Luck Jack

[Tom M King]

It was a simple 5:12 roof. Only one little gable intersected it as the roof over the entry porch. I always snapped every line. Charles was a great athlete in High School, excelling in every sport. Charles fed me shingles as I nailed them with a 1" crown pneumatic stapler. That was before anyone had seen a roofing tack pneumatic stapler. The only thing that slowed us up was having to stop to reload. He died from lung cancer in middle age because he was a smoker though. This was a new roof on one of my spec houses, so not like we had to tear off an old one. We were both proud of that day, and I never matched it again. The people who bought that house owned six McDonalds in a major city. It was only resold a few years ago.

[Tom M King]

Every house I built here had a daylight basement with the part underground built from 12" blocks. I always bought SoLite blocks but the saying back then was that a 12" SoLite block "ain't but so light". No bragging about how many we laid in a day, but I've laid my share of those too.

[Andrew Hughes]

It was a simple 5:12 roof. Only one little gable intersected it as the roof over the entry porch. I always snapped every line. Charles was a great athlete in High School, excelling in every sport. Charles fed me shingles as I nailed them with a 1" crown pneumatic stapler. That was before anyone had seen a roofing tack pneumatic stapler. The only thing that slowed us up was having to stop to reload. He died from lung cancer in middle age because he was a smoker though. This was a new roof on one of my spec houses, so not like we had to tear off an old one. We were both proud of that day, and I never matched it again. The people who bought that house owned six McDonalds in a major city. It was only resold a few years ago.

Here in California they outlawed the SPS wide crown stapler. I loved mine it could hold far more fasteners then a coil nailer the senco coil nailer were ok we used to tweak the guns for rapid fire. Good Coil nails were expensive. The shop I worked for bought cheap Chinese nails that would jam the guns. Most guys including me has several guns we modified to properly feed coil nails. It was frustrating couple years until manufacturers got their shit nails send back to them. They did figure it out eventually.
My first and second men I worked with all have passed too. So sad my last friend jimmy died not too long ago from cancer.
He loved his smokes. The carpenters union screwed his wife out of his pension. I’m still really upset.
Good Luck Tom

[jack duren]

I don’t think anyone around here uses a stapler anymore. I wanted to move up to 1 1/4 galvanized ring shanks around here and there rare..

[jack duren]

It’s also unusual after putting w-metal down tye valley with with mastic or ice/water should down each side of it. It’s an extra precaution..

[Andrew Hughes]

I’m on the west coast it’s not a detail I’ve ever seen on a install. I can think of two reasons why I wouldn’t do it one is water shouldn’t be leaving the valley metal. Only a valley full of dirt and leaves create that problem of water leaving valley metal.
The second reason if you ever had to chase a leak you wouldn’t want the valley metal bonded to the underlayment. It would create tons more work and cause the roofer that’s chasing the leak to cussing profusely. Women and children would run in horror.
Good Luck

[jack duren]

It’s an added Layer of protection whether you need it or not. I can the reasoning behind it especially on the coast lines..It sounded like something for a few dollars more I might just want..

[Tom M King]

The roof I was talking about with the stapler was in 1976. I don’t remember how many more years they were allowed here, but I don’t remember using it past 1980.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Those staplers had the same flaw that coil nailers have. Operator error. The fastener right in front of the worker is OK most of the time. As the worker reaches out the stapler or nailer is seldom held straight. It tips and does not drive true. Leaving a very poorly driven faster. We have a few roofers in town who will still hand drive all of the nails, if paid extra.

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[Warren Lake]

first two I did with pros and both hand nailed. Did mine Senco SN 40 think it was, better than hand nailing funnel tip straight and no jams.

[Ron Selzer]

Had my roof replaced last year.
2 Crews, 5 guys from Miller Roofing in Millersburg, Ohio came, tore off, new tar paper, weather shield, hand nailed(no air guns at all), 50 year warranty. One day and done.
No nails, trash anywhere when done.
Price cheaper than locals who sub Mexican's with all air nailers.
Had dump truck that backed up flipped two lids out as wings and then slid the bed back to the house, pulled a trailer that had an engine to drive it around thru the yard to get to another part of house, same bed on it. Put plywood down in yard to drive trailer on. Very happy with them.
I have not been able to get on roof for 10yr. Stopped after having knees replaced.
Ron

[Andrew Hughes]

first two I did with pros and both hand nailed. Did mine Senco SN 40 think it was, better than hand nailing funnel tip straight and no jams.

I can hand fairly fast. If the job is small enough it’s good practice and kinda satisfying.
When were talking hundreds of squares working along side other journey men and everyone is piece working we count wrappers. Only a fool would try to keep up with a nail gun and a seasoned roofer. Plus you won’t have any skin left on your knuckles after a hundred bundles comp shingles are about like 80 grit sandpaper.
Good Times

[Warren Lake]

absolutely enjoyed hand nailing when I did but I was under no time pressure. I had to do way more than just reshingle then did even more being a cabinet maker in a foreign land. Way overkill.

Id peg the shingles at about 16 grit as I have 24 for an auto file and think they are the same or coarser. I ripped jeans in hours then got Blaakladder pants that lasted. Hands bled looked like crap, sort of like a shaolin master where they hit wood and bags and pushups on knuckles. At the construction show easy enough to see who the roofers were. That Senco model was a joy. I was very lucky they no longer had it here and a US senco guy decided I was a novelty and did a really kind thing, he listened and had time and next thing had found me that model in the US and told the canadian branch to take the offshore one back and treat me special and they did.

There were some nice things about it, being terrified of heights was no help but it had to get done. I had some real crap to deal with cause of past bad humans. Lost weight and was strong as hell when the roof was done. At least till it went away