How To Shingle A Roof And Cost Estimator

Last winter the snow piled up on my roof as we had one storm after another in my area of the Northeast. Being cautious, I removed most of it with a roof snow shovel to get rid of the extra weight. However, some ice dams formed along the roof edge and water leaked on interior ceilings. I even tried to chip away some of the ice with chisel and hammer but that didn’t help.

In the spring, I called a few contractors to give me an estimate on roof repairs or roof shingle replacement. I knew that there were already two layers of shingles on the current roof which would have to be removed before any new ones were installed. I have a ranch style home that measures 30 by 40 feet at the foundation. The roof has a moderate slope and no additional structures to work around. I last had the roof shingled over one existing layer 18 years ago which cost about $1400. The shingles were asphalt and had a lifetime of about 25 years.

The estimates given to me by several contractors ranged from $3000 to $7500. That would include stripping the two existing layers and removing all the waste debris as well as installing new shingles and all the accessories. Some contractors also suggested that I didn’t need a whole new roof and could just repair some spots.

Since the cost range was quite large, I decided to look up some information on the internet and try to estimate what the job would really cost for materials and labor. I read about how to install shingles and made lists of all the different types of shingles and materials. To get the general idea of what is involved with roof installation, you can see an interesting video at ThisOldHouse.Com. Click the link ……
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1630932,00.html
In addition Home Depot also has a video at the link …
http://www6.homedepot.com/tv/hdtv_player.html?videoID=000059&cm_sp=dept-_-d22-_-roofing-_-KnowHow-_-videotag_install

I also went to the online catalog at Home Depot and Lowes to get prices for shingles and other materials. You can see some of the material costs at the following links…..
Home Depot …..
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?Ntk=AllProps&N=10000003+90039+500530&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1

Lowes ….. (also shows the new Architectural Shingles)
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&Ne=4294967294&Ntt=shingles&Ntk=i_products&N=4294961544&sortOp=bestMatch

I then listed all the material prices, labor costs and roof dimensions and calculated how much the job should cost. To make the calculations easier and adjustable with different roof dimensions, I constructed an Excel Spreadsheet. The roof diagram above lists all the dimensions needed. After constructing the spreadsheet, I uploaded it to Google Docs so you can download it to your desktop and make your own roof estimates.

Click on the link and follow the directions below …….
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPRsaiyteUA301vZZQYWVMQ
New SS – View Only
You may get a message –“Trying To Sign In To Google” – Click on the Spreadsheet (SS) and you will go to the Google Sign In Page – Do Not Sign In – Click the Left Top Arrow and you will be brought Back To the SS – You can only “view” this SS and make no online changes. You can browse this SS page to view the various calculations made from inputting just five roof dimensions.

If you want to input your own roof dimensions, you need to do the following. You will need to save a copy of the SS on your desktop to use it and make changes. – Click File in the SS Title Bar –Then Export – Then ( xls ). Save the SS to your desktop. You now have a working copy of the SS. Make another copy of it to work with and save the original as is without changes. On the copy, you can change the five house dimensions on the SS and then press enter. New calculations will appear along with a new total cost. The only cells you should change are the five house dimensions. Other cells have formulae that if changed will mess up the SS. You can add new house dimensions and make new calculations.

Shareware License – This spreadsheet has taken a considerable amount of time to create and is a form of shareware that is for personal use only. The calculations obtained are a best guess estimate of the average cost for shingling a roof for a single family home and are not legally binding. If the user wishes to use the SS for any reason other than personal, please contact me for a license by email at markryan82@comcast.net .

My roof estimator generates a (best guess) cost of about $4500 which is in the middle of the range obtained from the various contractors ($3000-$7500). My daughter just had her roof re-shingled for about $2800. Her contractor needed the work and did a good job, was done in 2 days, had 3 men and removed all the waste shingles.

If you shop around you can get a good price that suits your situation. The highest estimate is not always the best job. I have also learned that some contractors estimate a job by multiplying the number of squares of shingles needed by a cost factor which includes (materials, labor and waste removal). The cost factor per square from low to high price is ($200 to $500). My house would require 15 squares which would include side trim and waste factor; (a square is 100 sf of shingles or 3 bundles). Using this formula you get (15squares x $200) = $3000 for a low price and (15 squares x $500) = $7500 for a high price. You can see a contractor that uses this method at the link ……
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-prices.html
and their “higher price” calculator at the link …..
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-calculator.html

If you want a reference book for installing roof shingles, you can get it at Lowes at the link …….
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=100360-2137-287945

After doing all this, I decided that I really didn’t need a new roof and could just make some minor repairs myself. This required putting some roof tar (asphalt adhesive) under some of the loose shingles and around the chimney and vent pipes. In addition, I added some attic vents under the eaves to increase air circulation. I’ll explain how I added the vents in my next blog.

Comments are always welcome. Do you have roof problems? Use my estimator to get a rough idea of the cost and then you will be more knowledgeable when you talk to a contractor.

Camping Season - 2008

Well another camping season has come to an end. The season normally runs from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. That is a good 5 months to enjoy out door living and all of its attractions. You can read about some of my camping experiences below.

Last year I bought bigger travel trailer so that I could take a few more friends and family along. Our new trailer will sleep up to 8 comfortably. We now have bunk beds, a convertible dining table-bed, a pull out sofa-bed and a queen size bed. The new trailer also has a slide out section that makes the trailer almost double wide giving you more room to walk around. We also have a full bathroom, and a kitchen with sink, stove, microwave and refrigerator. In addition, there is an entertainment center with flat screen digital TV, DVD and Radio. Living in a travel trailer is almost like living at home.

Since the winter is fast approaching, I prepared the trailer a few weeks ago for storage and winterized the water system. This requires draining all the sinks, toilet and water tanks and replacing the water with RV antifreeze which is now biodegradable and non-toxic. In addition, we also remove all foods, perishables and toiletries that are water based so they won’t freeze. Setting up a trailer is like having a second home. You need a second set of everything from clothes, to linens and towels as well as books, movies and games for entertainment. You also need other items for emergencies like tools, flashlights, rain gear, batteries and portable radios. Additional info on winterizing can be found at the link …. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060830054629AAQhPok

This past summer I planned 6 short trips around New England and made reservations early in March in order to guarantee the dates and campsites we wanted. Although the gas prices were steadily climbing I had budgeted for the trips and decided to go anyway. I have a SUV Chevy Tahoe with a bigger engine so I can pull the trailer. The SUV normally gets 15 mpg but only 10 mpg when pulling the trailer. Since the average distance to our camping destinations was about 100 miles, this would require 10 gallons of gas one way or 20 gallons round trip. At $4.00 per gallon that would cost me about $80.00 per trip.

We normally make reservations at a campground that has 4 way hookups which means the each campsite has a connection for water, sewer, electricity and cable TV. Trailer camping is like being at home except you are in the middle of the woods with a stream or lake right at your door step. The average price for a campsite is about $30.00 per night or about $150.00 for 5 days.

Since we bring our own food, the only cost for a 5 day stay is $80 for gas and $150 for the camp site which totals to $230. That’s it for 2-8 people in our trailer. However, you may need a little extra cash for gifts or restaurants and other costs. That is certainly a lot cheaper than most vacation trips with airfare and hotels.

There are always plenty of things to do at a RV campground. Most campgrounds have some amenities like a pool or swimming area. They may also have indoor game rooms, outdoor volley ball, horseshoes, and play grounds. You can also bring your own recreational items like fishing gear, bicycles, kayaks or boats. Local area attractions are also available for sight seeing. You can see some photos of camping activities that I enjoyed this past summer by clicking the link ….
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/CampingPhotos101808

Some of the campgrounds that we have stayed at are listed below. You can see the rates, amenities and other offerings for each by clicking the web link …..

Comments are always welcome. Have you camped? What are your favorites?

Campgrounds

Pemi River CG – Thornton, NH
http://www.pemirivercampground.com/

Lost River CG – N.Woodstock, NH
http://www.lostriver.com/index.html

Wells Beach CG – Wells , Maine
http://www.wellsbeach.com/

Peter’s Pond CG – Sandwich, MA
http://peterspond.com/

The Benefits of Walking

I have been walking for exercise for about two years now. During that time I have lost 60 pounds and taken 4 inches off my waist line. I feel better and have more energy to do other things that bring richness to my daily routine. Research has shown that walking will add another ten years to your life.

In addition to walking, I also maintain a healthy 1200 calorie diet. The diet includes cereal with fruit or an egg and toast for breakfast, salad with dressing or a tuna sandwich for lunch and soup and crackers for dinner. For variation, I substitute fish, chicken or beef with a vegetable for lunch. Portion size is also important. If you are looking for additional info on a low calorie diet go to About.com at the link ….
http://walking.about.com/cs/walkoflife/a/walkoflife.htm

In order to maintain my diet, I count calories and record everything that I eat in a journal. I also record my weight, waist measurement and daily exercise times. The journal gives me motivation to keep going each day, as I see the improvements made each week. Besides walking, I also do 30 minutes of indoor exercise using a bicycle, ab-machine, bench and glider.

My wife and I take our daily walk 10 AM each morning. There is less traffic and less noise at that time. We try to walk about 3 miles while keeping a steady pace of 20 minutes per mile. For variation, we try a new walking area every few days. We may walk around the neighborhood, or to the center of town, or around Silver Lake in Wilmington or Lake Quanipowitt in Wakefield or a local mall on bad weather days.

On a recent walk around Silver Lake in Wilmington and the local Shawsheen Elementary School, I took some photos of the changing fall foliage and some bird sightings. I also included a map of the walk. You can see the photos at the link ………
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/SilverLakeWalk101408

You can also map your own walk and calculate your calories burned at the web site MapMyRide. Go to the link …….. http://www.mapmyride.com/create_new

If you are looking for general health information about walking you can go to the Mayo Clinic web site where you will see info about walking shoes, walking posture, calorie calculators and other helpful info. Go to the link …………
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

For additional info about using a pedometer, ideal weight and calorie calculators and diets, go to the web site About.com at the link ……… http://walking.about.com/cs/walkoflife/a/walkoflife.htm

Some things to research and think about
Before you start a walking program, do some research on the following topics. …….
(Health, Diet, Motivation, Keeping A Journal, Walking Shoes, Walking Posture, Calorie Counters, Pedometer or GPS, Mapping Your Route, Walking With A Friend For Support). Just type the word or phrase into Goggle.com and you will get plenty of links.

I also found some other related articles while writing this blog. See the links below …

Beating fatigue with moderate exercise. Boston Globe, 10-13-08, Health & Science, p13
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/10/13/way_too_tired?s_campaign=8315

Doing 150 Minutes of Weekly Exercise Leads to less Sick Time. – UK Report
http://www.healthclubbenchmark.com/content/PressRoom/Articles/20060330UK-EN.aspx