The Roof Situation To Date

A week ago, I shared my ceiling damage due to my leaking roof. Over the past few days, my roof has taken over my life trying to locate and halt the leak and determine a solution.

Thursday's massive storms that brought tornados to Southern Ontario also hit my region with a torrential downpour and severe thunderstorm. This confirmed the leak was not a one-time fluke, but a major problem to be dealt with as soon as possible. With the storm raging outside, I thought I could do nothing but place a bucket and towel beneath the ceiling and watch it slowly deteriorate. Then, I realized finding the leak would be much easier when it was actually leaking, so I grabbed my step-ladder and ventured up into my attic.

I'm not claustrophobic, but to say I'm comfortable in a tiny attic would be a stretch. Luckily, I didn't have to look long and with my flashlight and head up in the attic, the leaks quickly became visible. Yes, that is right - LEAKS, as in plural, with an "s", multiple.






Clearly, my south roof is done. The water is going right through the shingles, through the plywood and into my house.






So, now I have two options.

I can hire a roofing company to replace it. I called one Friday, and when he came to look at it, he fixed the really bad holes (bonus!) free of charge. He (and I) thought this would buy some time until I could fix it. Turns out it's even worse and with yesterday morning's rain, it leaked yet again. He left me a quote for $4200 (after tax) for the whole roof. I'm going to get another on Monday to compare against.

My other (possible) option is to coax my dad and brothers to help me replace the roof. Okay, I'll be honest, they will probably do most of the work. I promised to help as much as I could, even if it just means feeding them, buying beer and loading up the old shingles for the dump.

I gathered some material quotes today while at Home Depot buying stuff to temporarily patch the leaks. So far, my costs are around $2000 for shingles, new plywood, tar paper and eave protector. Home Depot has this handy worksheet to help calculate costs also. It is suggesting a cost of $2800-3400. The only significant cost I haven't considered is disposal of the old shingles. Whether I rent a dumpster, or use the back of a truck and take them myself, there is still going to be a disposal fee.






So the budget for this.. is not really existent! How frustrating it is since I was finally starting to feel like I had some control! I will be spending the next couple of days figuring out the dollars and cents, then will need everything lined up to start at the end of the week! Look for an update next week, hopefully with a new roof!