After the Climax what’s next with the Roof?

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t really such a thrill when that last rafter  locked itself in place, but it certainly started the wrap up of work on the roof and upstairs in general for this season.

As you know if you’ve read earlier posts, I  have dozens of different areas to work in, each one of them having some sort of crisis or other at different times. Gardens were planted more or less on time, but I couldn’t give them near enough time. I managed to build a few new raised beds, but there was still lots more that could have been done. Starting a few new perennials in the food forests and gardens are ongoing projects.

Hand work on the dams was a main time consumer for a while,  sorting through clay, rocks, wood and getting the clay onto the top of the dam.   Both expanding the swale systems and fortifying the dams remain primary concerns. Preparation of areas for the backhoe, clearing brush and trees, surveying swale lines, and  cleaning away debris from other areas all remain as projects to complete before the fall.

So even with the urgency of a better roof system, the Main Frame Water Design is  still the project that is most on my mind and the limiting factor on how much more time can go into the upstairs and the roof. The water design requires time to mature, and incomplete dams invite setbacks, so if the roof rafters being fitted in place was exciting, getting all the dams up to height, with swale systems planted and functional will be an ecstasy  that goes on for a long time.

Looking at the back of the building where the water collection was, reminds me of the many more roof elements that have yet to be completed and that I will need to get a new collection system installed before the winter. Right now the rain barrel at the lower greenhouse supplies most of the water, temporarily taking pressure off the cistern, and there is a backup pump at the spring which can supply water to the cistern, but, having the house back functioning as the primary collector is really ideal

As my energy starts going back toward the water design  most of the roof will still rely  on temporary elements and those elements will need some ongoing attention.  With fiberglass panels that are deteriorating rapidly, a tarp with many tears and holes, and Tyvek as the current covering, they will all need to either be replaced or reinforced over time, and while this last mild rain only produced a couple leaks, I know for sure that the first really strong wind could expose large areas to the rain.

Then there are the finer points of roof construction, the eaves and gutters and all those  things that really make a roof permanent and maintenance free.

Yes, I’m happy about being able to make the step to a better roof structure, but overall the roof remains on the list as one of many works in progress. Once a good permanent structure is in place, the roof can disappear altogether as an energy drain .

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