The Tennessee building believed to have been built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s is having the roof replaced by historic restoration carpenters Jonathan Ferrell and Brian Prather.

The small rock fortress is believed to have been owned by early settler Valentine Sevier. He built it for his family to take refuge in during Indian attacks.

Red Cedar for the Roof

Farrell and Prather became interested in the project since they make oak shingles and the roof was more than likely built with native wood. Native to the area was cedar, oak, cypress and chestnut. Due to the cost of supplies, Ferrell and Prather chose to use hand split red cedar from Canada.

Ferrell said “it’s the prime wood species for shingles. It’s got a better insulation rate factor than most modern materials. They’re hand-split and they’re completely waterproof. The splitting of the shingles make them waterproof. It raises the grain of the wood and makes it to where water won’t soak in.”

30 Year Roof

The carpenters are hoping to get the new roof finished soon, they are waiting for a 22 foot long timber beam that Farrell and Prather will hand hew themselves. The red cedar shingles are expected to last up to 30 years if kept well maintained.

The New Mexico Cibola County District Attorney’s and county manager’s office is having a problem with the roof leaking. Recent snow storms have left a large amount of water on the roof and it is draining into the offices.

13th District Attorney Lemeul Martinez recently removed all the furniture and electronics out of his office due to the water problems. Some of the staff has been temporarily relocated to offices in Sandoval and Valencia Counties.

Canales Not Draining Properly

The problem seems to be that the canales (drain spouts protruding through the parapet, or low wall) on the roof are freezing at night preventing water from draining off the roof properly. The water is backing up and pooling on the roof and finding ways to leak into the building.

Approximately 5 years ago the roof received a major renovation that cost taxpayers $300,000. The company that installed the roof gave a 3-5 year warranty on workmanship and labor. The roofing products have a 10 year warranty.

Only Part of the Warranty Viable

Since the original roofers are no longer required by their warranty to repair the problems, Cibola County Manager Scott Vinson is hoping to get an area contractor to access the roof problems. Firestone manufactured the roofing material, a rubber membrane that stretches with the heat and cold. An Albuquerque firm, National Roofing will be performing the warranty work on the material.

Vinson said “The damage to the building is not significant, most of the damage is to the sheetrock, ceiling tiles and carpet in the interior of the building that will be repaired by the in-house work crew and we will make sure that the manufacturer is held accountable for the costs of that work.”

James Wirth bought the home that the 18th president and military commander, Ulysses S. Grant and his wife rented from April 1860 to August 1865 in Galena Illinois. In 1865, when Grant returned from the Civil War as a hero, the citizens of Galena gave him a larger house on the east side of town, now a state museum.

Wirth knew he needed a new roof in late July when the home had considerable leaking. He wanted to keep the house historically accurate, built in 1853 or 1854 it originally had a cedar roof. Later on it was replaced with a metal roof that lasted until the mid-1990’s and then again replaced with cedar. The house is covered with shade from many large trees, making it difficult to maintain the cedar.

501 (c)

Wirth turned the home into a tax exempt, nonprofit status. He sought out companies that would give tax deductible donations for the roof repair and recognize the historical significance of the home.

He researched and found a treated cedar shingle with a 50 year warranty, specially treated to prevent decay. Watkins Group and Anbrook Industries donated some of the shingles and sold the rest to Wirth at a discount. Western Wood Preservers donated the treatment of the shingles and BeeAre Holdings offered a reduced shipping rate.

Local Companies Stepped Up To Help

Waukegan roofing donated the work and installed the cedar shingles; they also provided the additional materials needed to complete the work such as the nails. The dumpster was provided by Montgomery Trucking and Cole-White Tree Service provided a fork lift to remove the bundles of shingles from the trailer.

Wirth said he is grateful to all the contributors and hopes to open the house for tours soon.

The three contractors are looking at $71,340 in fines and penalties for failing to enforce fall protection standards and also for violating other safety rules on the job. The office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the contractors did not provide scaffold guardrails, stair handrails or provide sufficient safety training for their workers.

The three New York contractors had 21 alleged violations; they are Arberia & Associates, K&G Haxhari Construction and Mondi Construction, Inc.

Workers were observed at a site in the Bronx working at 24 feet above the ground without proper scaffolding, OSHA also found electrical, tripping, training and scaffolding hazards.

OSHA’s area director Diana Cortez said “the absence of required guardrails exposed these workers to potentially deadly or disabling falls of more than two stories. While it is fortunate no one fell, workplace safety cannot be left to the whims of fortune.”
The contractors have 15 business days to comply or contest the findings or meet with the area director.

Terry Anderson, president of TRA-MAGE in American Fork Utah recently received his second patent for roofing products created with safety in mind, the ‘Snow Bracket” and most recently, the “Ridge Riser”.

The Ridge Riser enables air to flow through the eave line, move upward and out the vent at the roof ridge. This flow of air cools the attic lowering the cost of air conditioning. It also prevents ice dams by preventing hot and cold spots on your roof.

Passed Wind Tests in Florida

“One of my reasons for coming up with this Ridge Riser® design was because the accepted way to attach roof tile to a ridge is dangerous. A roofer toe-nails a 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 to the peak of the roof, wraps some black roof paper around it, then nails the tile to that. In a wind storm that wood and tile easily blows off. If you’re in the vicinity when this happens, you’d better watch out.” Mr. Anderson said.

Snow Bracket

He received the patent for the Snow Bracket in 2006, designed to keep snow and ice on the roof and not falling off and hurting someone underneath.

Both systems can be used together in a snowy climate to keep your home safer. To learn more about the products you can visit their website at www.tra-mage.com

A new software has been developed that will take some of the anxiety out of having your roof repaired or replaced. EagleView Technologies has created a program that gathers areal roof photos and creates a 3-dimensional image of the roof complete with pitch, colors and shapes. Giving the homeowner confidence knowing the true measurements of their roof when it comes time to get bids or insurance estimates.

The tool uses information from public and private records to generate the image of the roof. The software makes a model of the roof creating measurements, and then a technician reviews the model and the images and emails the customer with a report. The report usually takes one day to complete and costs anywhere from $20 to the more complex roofs at $80 or more.

Difficult to get Accurate Measurements with a Tape Measure

It is not as easy as it looks to get up on a ladder with a tape measure and get precise roof measurements. Both roofers and Insurers are using this service to create accurate measurements that all can agree on. Insurance companies tend to minimize roof dimensions and roofers have a tendency to over bid on the measurements.

EagleView, a 3 year old Seattle company, states that almost 20,000 contracting businesses and 25 large U.S. insurance carriers have used their service. The sales team expects to double that amount and add more roofers and insurers.

The Forward Operating Base at Athgar in the Zabul Province Afghanistan, gets a new roof built by Virginia Army National Guard 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The dining area of the bunker, previously exposed to the harsh weather conditions, was covered up on November 6th.

The two Virginia guardsmen that started the project are stationed at Athgar as communication equipment operators alongside Romanian and Afghan troops.

Bunker Built Into the Side of a Hill

Part of the base is built into the side of a hill and is so remote that building supplies had to be flown in by helicopter as sling loads.

Double stacked sandbag walls and plywood gussets for stability; the bunker roof now has 2×6 rafters and 1 inch plywood. The dining area is now comfortably protected from the elements.

Americans and Romanians Forming Friendships

Romanians joined in by day 3 and enthusiastically helped with the construction, making connections with the American’s while building up the roof.

Continuing on with improvements, troops are waiting for insulation to be airlifted in so they can make the remote base a little more comfortable.

The Yellowstone County Museum just outside of Billings Montana, will be receiving an update of a new metal roof. The museum was originally a cabin built in the late 1870’s by Paul McCormick, a firefighter and entrepreneur.

No one knows how old the shake shingles are that currently cover the cabin, so it will be getting a new red metal roof, hoping to protect the museum’s artifacts it for the next 50 years.

Remnants of an Old Sod Roof

Yellowstone County Museum director Chris Weldon thinks there may be an old sod roof under the shingles. He finds burlap strips between the ceiling logs and piles of dirt on the museum floor.

The museum holds artifacts from the Yellowstone Historical Society, Parmly Billings Library and collections from pioneering families.

Besides the roof remodel, other upgrades include new stain and seal for the log cabin exterior. A wireless security system was installed and cameras in every public room. New steel fire escape doors replaced the wooden doors and new fire and smoke alarms were installed.

In 1893 the cabin was moved to 31st street in Billings as part of the McCormick family home as a place for social gatherings in the back yard. In 1954 the cabin was moved to its current location and opened as a museum in 1956.

In Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, (built over a cave) in the town Jesus was born in, will be getting a new roof. The Palestinian government initiated the renovations, getting the 3 Christian churches that inhabit the building to agree on the repairs.

Funding is being provided by the Western backed Palestinian Authority and international donors. The roof repair is estimated to cost about $2 million, and the overall cost of the renovation at about $15 million.

Water Damage

The roof will be the first part of the church to be renovated. Iron beams precariously held overhead and ancient wooden beams that are rotting and crumbling are the most urgent repairs. Water has been entering the building, causing more decay and ruining priceless 12th century paintings and mosaics.

Roman Catholics, Armenian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Christian churches share the 1,500 year old building. In traditional practice, which ever group pays for and makes the repairs, that area then belongs to them. This behavior has kept the church in poor condition for centuries. No church willing to give up any section to another.

Centuries with No Renovations

No major repairs have been made to the Church of the Nativity in more than 150 years. The dire state of the church roof prompted the Palestinian government to step in and initiate the renovations while allowing the 3 inhabiting churches to keep their section of the church and their honor.