My Basket House Gets a New Roof
Another job on our long to-do list is now "done and dusted."
I love baskets - baskets of all different kinds. Over the years, I've collected a number of them from auctions, antiques fairs, and tag sales, or from the talented basket-making artisans themselves. When I moved to my Bedford, New York farm, I built a small structure to house my growing collection. The Basket House matched my home and all the other outbuildings on the property. Recently, I decided it was time to replace its timeworn Alaskan yellow cedar roof with a longer-lasting standing seam snap-lock roof system - the same type of roof that also covers my Stable Barn. A crew from Harbor Roofing in nearby Yonkers came by and finished the task quickly, efficiently, and neatly.
Here are some photos.
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- In one corner of of this garden behind my Tenant House, nestled within a grove of tall bald cypress trees is my Basket House. It stores all these beautiful and very useful baskets.
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- A good number of these baskets were used during my catering days. Some of my baskets are antique, some more contemporary.
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- The cedar shingle roof was almost 20-years old. Although it wasn’t showing any signs of leaking, it was definitely ready to replace.
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- Until now, the roof was made from Alaskan yellow cedar shingles. Alaskan yellow cedar is actually more closely related to the cypress family than the cedar family. It is known for its natural beauty and durability.
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- Earlier this week, we called the team from Harbor Roofing owned by Richard Moynagh – a company that specializes in roofing repair and installation. Harbor Roofing also installed the roof on my Stable Barn last year.
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- The first step was to remove the old roofing shingles from both sides of the roof.
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- The team works carefully to remove the wooden shingles one by one.
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- Tarps are hung on both sides to catch the loose shingles. This also protects all the nearby garden beds from any falling debris.
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- The tarps are draped over the side walls and ladder scaffolding, so nothing is damaged when debris falls.
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- Here are some of the old shingles. The roof could have probably lasted a bit longer, but it is always a good idea to stay on top of home maintenance projects before any problems arise.
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- Here is a closer look at the shingles being removed. The four man crew works quickly. This day was unusually warm – about 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
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- Here is a view from the inside. There are shelves all the way around for storage and an open center for larger baskets. And all painted my signature “Bedford Gray.”
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- Here are the snap-lock panels for the new roofing system. Snap-lock is a type of standing seam metal roof panel that has a male and female leg that snap together. Clips are used to attach the panel to the roof deck.
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- Here, one can see the ridge cap pieces that will cover the roof at its peak. Richard pre-cuts the pieces at his shop, but if needed, these panels can also be adjusted on site.
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- Once the roof shingles are removed, the roof deck is fully exposed.
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- Next, the team cleans the area and covers the roof with a synthetic roofing underlayment – a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the new roofing panels. It provides ventilation as well as a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.
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- Here is Richard explaining how the snap-lock roof panels work. It uses one-inch seam clips which work best on roofs that have a minimum roof pitch of 3:12 or greater. The clips also eliminate the need for any screws.
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- Here, the panels are laid and the ends are folded under the roof decking and hammered into place…
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- … And then secured with the clips and a snap-lock punch.
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- Here is a section done – its thin distinctive ribs and wide panels give the roof a more modern look.
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- And here it is all done – with its new “Bedford Gray” standing seam snap-lock roof. The new roof is coated with Kynar. Kynar coating is a metal finish that is chemical resistant, abrasion resistant, flame resistant, and stable under strong UV rays. I am glad to know this structure will be well protected by a good, sturdy and attractive roof for 80 to 90-years, or even more. Next step… organizing and putting back all those gorgeous baskets – stay tuned.
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