{ I'LL HUFF AND I'LL PUFF AND I'LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN! 2 }

…as we mentioned on a previous post, we are now fully hurricane proof.  so, we redid all our inspections, sent them in to our insurance company, crossed our fingers…  and sure enough, we saved $1,000!

…excuse us while we do the happy dance!

{ THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD: AFTER }

...we are so giddy!  after 2.5 weeks, our roof is finished.  it is exactly what we had envisioned and the roofers did a phenomenal job.  all we want to say is: “TADA!”

…don’t be surprised if you pass by and catch us on the sidewalk smiling at it.

{ THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD: DECISIONS }

...a new roof demands decisions:  who do we hire?  is that the right price?  can we actually afford that?  do we fix the fascia ourselves?  what about the porch? what color should the drip edge be?  do we install gutters?*  …and the much discussed:  what roof covering do we want? and what color should it be? 

…we knew we wanted simple clean lines and the best possible quality.  so, after contemplating a standing seam metal roof, we happily opted for flat cement tile.  the flat tile provided the clean look, was slightly better for our wallet, and more in line with the house’s integrity and Mr. Ungaro’s vision.  next was color; for us, there were only three options: white, charcoal, or somewhere in between; the latter being the favorite.  in spite of instantly envisioning a gray roof, we still outweighed our options. 

…although white was the original tile color and also highly energy efficient, South Florida weather and abundant vegetation are not favorable to white roofs.  they require a great deal of maintenance, which meant having to pressure clean the roof every six months to avoid fines from code enforcement.  charcoal roofs on the other hand, excel at hiding dirt and are absolutely beautiful, but are not at all energy efficient in this area.  leaving us—not surprisingly—somewhere in between…

…for the most part—in South Florida—flat gray tiles are not popular; and solid gray roofs are even rarer.  gray roofs, almost always, have what I call “variation” in color and roofers call “blend.”  after explaining what we wanted, we were given these two samples: stone mountain blend and natural gray.

…the difference in the samples was so minimal that few people (mostly architects) would notice or even care.  however, the slight variation ranges from tile to tile, so as a whole the roof could potentially look like this: 

 ...photo courtesy of http://www.monierlifetile.com/

…so, even though stone mountain blend sounded fancier, we knew our decision to stick to natural gray would be just right!



*answers form above:  Istueta Roofing.  it is, if you want good quality and service.  barely.  no, let the pros do it.  let them handle that too.  white.  still under debate. 

{ FROM THE PROS 1 }

...although we are hands-on, do-it-yourselfers; have our own, inventive, ingenious, do-it-all, version of Holmes (Leslie’s Dad); and awesomely supportive friends who are willing to lend a hand in exchange for cold beers and hearty laughs*—there were several improvements we just could not do ourselves.  so, after endless bids, these are the highly qualified professionals we chose to carry out our vision:

Roof:

ISTUETA ROOFING

RICHARD AMADOR

305-266-1011

http://www.istuetaroofing.com/

Electrical:

BI-US ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC

WES MUELLER

954-815-7309

http://www.biuselectric.com/



Mechanical (A/C):

JJ AIR CONDITIONING

JORGE JACOMINO

305-281-5444

Garage Door:

A-QUALITY GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS, INC.

JOE GONZALEZ

305-256-1438

http://www.aqualitygaragedoors.com/

…before you ask, there are no kickbacks for this, we are just truly impressed with their level of service and professionalism and wanted to give them some well deserved recognition. 

*special thanks to the Wintersesss, the Heckosesss, and Michael Guarino

{ THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD: PROGRESS }

...progress!

{ ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD: BEFORE }

...as we suspected and our pre-purchase home inspection positively confirmed, our roof’s life is rapidly coming to an end. 

permits on record show that:

·   the main roof (hip) is at least 34 years old, although portions of it may be older;

·   according to the 1977 permit the tile color was white, although it’s current state will neither confirm nor deny that.  the color is now absolutely undetectable;

·   the flat portion (garage) was redone in 2000; and

·   there were endless fixes and patches over the years—although, considering the array of tile colors and sizes that currently exist (whatever was on sale at the time we presume) and the bucket of roof paint in the garage, many of those were not permitted.

and our eyes told us that:

·   the endless fixing and patching did not succeeded at deterring leaks which caused extensive sheathing damage (particularly at the hip-flat joint) and minor drywall damage;

·   there is fascia and soffit damage caused by time, water, and termites;

·   the screen attic vents are long passed their life expectancy;

·   the soffit in our porch needs to be completely replaced; and

·   judging from the droppings and nests in our attic, we have tenants!

we also found out that the previous owner had an outstanding fine from the city for not pressure cleaning the roof. 

all of the above = we need a new roof!