Living under an oak tree in Dallas, TX - looking at the world from the rooftop

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/22/14/26/sweeper-1687444_960_720.jpg
Dallas, Texas
September 24, 2018 5:39pm CST
It looked like it might rain anytime today or not. I got out and ;picked up and carried the step ladder and leaned it against the side of the roof to get a closer look at things. First thing I did was remove some cracked paint from one fascia board and scraped the paint with my fingernails because I did not have a lot of time. Rain seemed imminent. But, as luck would have it, it never rained, but only got lots darker and more cloudy. As I started to paint that board, after removing the lose paint the mosquitoes began to bite. I went back down and sprayed Off spray mosquito repellent. Then I took the ladder around the front and did some looking. One board was rotted at least 8 inches from the edge and I had to remove most of that then there was an obvious hole where pesky rodents might get in under the roof and bed into the attic. I could not let that happen. Lucky I had several pieces of 90 angle folded sheet metal in 6 inch lengths. I had to use a heavy duty metallic chrome covered 3 inch tape to hold two pieces of sheet metal while standing and balancing myself on the metal ladder. It took me about 2 hours to finish that project. I had to paint over that area twice and it is only there temporarily until I get a contractor to replace a few 1 X 3 fascia boards, the upper and lower, directly under the metal flashing at the edge of the asphalt roof shingles. After all that, my wife told me I was taking too long and the job I did was pretty ugly and was afraid it basically looked like a crazy loonatic did that repair work. On that note, I came in and cleaned up for lunch. After cleaning up ad sitting a few minutes I had to go back out and finish the painting over that sheet metal and tape over that and then I figures, What the Heck? I need to get up on the roof now, with a broom and sweep off all those old broken branches, and when I got up there I saw millions of acorns filling the valleys on both ends of the roof. It was a lot of sweeping and managing not to fall to my death from the roof. All those dirty broken branches and acorns looked as if they were deliberately placed there by the squirrels as they danced on the roof thinking they own the place. The final nail in my coffin was when I walked along the roof near the end of the front and there was a bit of give underfoot. Yep. Most likely a heavy branch had fallen from a wind breaking it about a year before we had the bedroom ceiling repaired from the last roof leak. Fortunately so far, the rain hasn't gotten through. But I will not walk on that area of the roof by chancing fate. There were several low lying branches within arm's reach and I knew my job was not entirely over. Tomorrow I will get up on the roof with a telescoping pruning sheers and a pruning saw and get to work at cutting back some of those Pin Oak branches before the wind or the winter pours out snow on the limb and makes it drop right on top of the roof. So, all in all, it's been a pretty busy afternoon. Did I mention that I hate squirrels?
4 people like this
6 responses
@xander6464 (40879)
• Wapello, Iowa
24 Sep 18
At least the day is finally over.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (40879)
• Wapello, Iowa
25 Sep 18
@lookatdesktop Yeah, cheaper and better. I hope tomorrow goes well with it.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
Another day of survival in the end times. I know one thing, roof work is tedious and there are many mooks and crannies on a roof like ours. Those little acorns managed to get into the corners of the asphalt shingles edges so I will probably have a good bit of work on hands and knees, using a fine bristle brush to remove them all, after cutting back some branches. I hate it but it is cheaper to do it myself than to pay someone else to do probably more roof damage by stomping around. And if a roofer fell off I would have to deal with the insurance and all that. Better I get up there and take my good time and do it all myself.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
@xander6464 Well, It's tomorrow and I got up on the ladder to further inspect the fascia boards on the East side of the roof and the landing boards. There was some separation and warping that made it necessary today at least, to put forth the effort to fill in the gaps, and paint the entire edge of the roof all the way across. This and while at it, there were both mosquitoes as well as flies and even a moth that appeared that all seemed to be attracted to the paint. I guess latex paint has some kind of sweet odor to the insects. Or maybe it was just me. Off spray don't work that well. I still got bit some. Some of the roofing fascia boards and some landing boards might need replacing. But, since I ain't got the money, I had to improvise using silicone caulking and latex exterior paint. At least one edge of the roof is painted good enough. Glad we don't live in a 2 story house.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Sep 18
You're a better man than I. I won't get up on our roof. It's too high and the angle is too steep.
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@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Sep 18
@lookatdesktop I think waiting is a wise course of action.
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• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
@DWDavis , I agree, Thank you.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
Well, the acorns underfoot is enough to make up for that. I never realized so many acorns could accumulate in the valleys of the roof. Now that I know, I will have to get back up there and cut back some branches but I think it will be best to wait until Winter so the branches will not weigh half as much then as they do now.
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@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
24 Sep 18
It sounds like you did a nice job with your temporary repair. Good luck tomorrow.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
Thanks. Being 60 going on 100 makes it a bit more difficult because I have basically slowed down a lot over these past dozen or so years. Lazy? Me? no, just older with a bit more wieight to carry and back muscles tend to feel the pain more than when I was a young whipper snapper.
@wolfgirl569 (95190)
• Marion, Ohio
24 Sep 18
You got a lot done and glad you did not get hurt. DeVil cat keeps the squirrels under control here. She had one for dinner a couple of nights ago.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
24 Sep 18
Hmm. My best friend's dog likes to kill squirrels and has the official nick name of Chief 9 Squirrels. By now, the number may be around 12.
@rakski (112925)
• Philippines
25 Sep 18
Wow, so you did a repair in the roof. nice!
1 person likes this
@rakski (112925)
• Philippines
25 Sep 18
@lookatdesktop for sure.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73444)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Sep 18
I have to say you have been busy and better you than me on that roof I am terrified of heights. Hop you can get all those branches cut. Aww and I feed the squirrels that climb the palm trees here.
1 person likes this
• Dallas, Texas
25 Sep 18
I don't mind them so much, only if they try to chew on our roof or edges of it or try to get into the attic. The Oak Tree, the Pin Oak Tree, that is, is about 75 years old now and I hate to cut at it, but winds and winter ice can break branches and if one falls on the roof we will basically have no roof or at least have hell to pay if that happens. So Hi HO Hi HO, It's up the roof I go, to cut and cut and fall on my butt, Hi Ho Hi Ho Hi Ho Hi HO.
1 person likes this