Standing Seam Roof – Part III [Final]

Just in time for Christmas
After waiting nearly a month, the roof was finally completed this week. Matt and Luke did a wonderful job and I’m sure they are glad it’s done too. It was quite a challenge for them and my “master carpentry” probably didn’t make it any easier on them. I wish I could say that each side of the roof was identical, but some of the sides of the roof were not the same dimension. Even being off by an inch on a side can offset a miter cut by quite a bit. But, the final result looks beautiful! They added a nice touch to the cupola by adding some vertical trim pieces and extending the roof panels out just a bit. They also installed gutters all the way around and installed two open faced downspouts. The downspouts are rectangular with the front face missing. This helps prevent the downspouts from getting clogged with leaves, ice, etc.

Next spring the downspouts will be connected to a roof washer. A roof washer is a 6″ to 8″ PVC pipe about 8′ high that collects the initial rainwater from the roof. This helps prevent dirt and debris from entering the cistern. The roof has two downspouts and if need be I may add a third one later, but I think that two will be enough.

We were quite fortunate that the mild autumn weather gave the roofers extra days to complete this project. All sorts of records have been broken here in the upper Midwest. Although the La Crosse area received its first measurable snow in September, the months of October, November and the first half of December have been extremely dry with just a trace of snow and very little rain. It appears that the string of mild weather is about to come to an end. By all indications, the first major push of Arctic air is due to hit the area by midweek. I’m sure glad the roof is finally done.

The primary goal for this year was to get the frame and roof completed. I can now say that we have met that goal! In the coming months, there will be plenty of planning to do. Stay tuned for the details.