Speaking of poorly built houses...

My basement flooded today. It came in through the weeping tile holes. It did the same thing last fall, but I had hoped it was a freak occurance. I guess not.

I wonder how much it costs to have the weeping tile redone?

I've been put in my place.

... and my place is going to have a concrete roof.

I think that just writing out that list of pros and cons convinced me that concrete is the way to go for the new roof. Now I just need to finish checking this contractor's references and it'll be a done deal. In a few months, I'll have a new roof.

Checking references has been a gas. Although I'm leaning towards this roof because of it's eco benefits, most people get it because it lasts so much longer than the typical asphalt roof. It pays for itself over the years, but it costs more in the beginning. Because of that, most people who get it make a lot more green than I do. So, the people I called were all very well to do.

Granted, I grew up with a wealthy family, so I know how the rich can be; but I realized today how little I've followed in their footsteps. My tastes may be rich, but my income is small. It seems that I have changed over the years to fit my lifestyle.

All of the people I called were very friendly to me, but I could barely hold back my laughter as each of them seemed to go out of their way to let me know how grand their home is. "Two and a half stories, not including the basement", "Plaster moulding on the ceilings - which is basically architectural art (he tells me because I wouldn't know)- and very precious", "lots of peaks and valleys", "the pitch is so high that it cost $30K extra, just for the trusses" and one lady told me "Your house would fit in my front foyer".

Good for them. I oohed, aahed and acted impressed because they seemed to think I should. Apparently, they think that everybody aspires to live in a McMansion, but I don't. I grew up in a big home that was a show piece, and that's not for me. I'd rather have a small house that I can live in and use.

However, between all the bragging and the putting on of airs, they all had a lot of great things to say about this contractor. I asked all of them if there was anything - anything at all - that didn't sit right with them, or that they wish had been done differently. They all said that there was absolutely nothing about him, his crew or their work that they'd want changed. So, I guess I've made my choice. A few months from now I'm going to have me a swanky roof.

I wonder if that'll be enough for me to put on airs.

Maybe I should practice drinking tea with my pinky in the air.

The new roof

As much as it pains me to say it, my five year old house is in desperate need of a new roof.

The guy who built my house did a really bad job, but he covered his ass by moving and changing his company name. He's no longer legally responsible. Insurance won't cover it because it was "preexisting", and the new home warranty won't cover it because roofs aren't technically structural. So, what all that means is that I have to foot the bill for a new roof.

It sucks in all sorts of ways.

I'm trying to make the best of it by using this as an opportunity to upgrade to a high end, long term and ecologically responsible roof that will last as long as the house. I have found a contractor who I like and trust, and he specializes in long term roofs. Concrete, rubber, slate, metal, cedar... we discussed all of the above and now I need to make up my mind.

I don't think I like metal. I like the corrugated metal roofs on some houses, but don't think I'd like it on mine. The pressed metal that looks like slate or shakes looks like pressed metal. I wanted to like it, but I don't.

Cedar is nice, but out of my price range. As is slate. I don't like asphalt. It's a petroleum product that's bad for the environment, and it's not going to last. I live in hail central, and asphalt gets damaged too easily by hail. I don't want to have to repair or replace the roof again.

That leaves rubber or concrete.

I had my mind made up to get concrete... those wavy tiles that they have in Europe and down south, except not in a terracotta colour.

Then, both my contractor and a real estate guy I know commented that they thought it might stand out too much. The real estate agent said it was too personal of a choice and a lot of people might not like it (ie - bad resale... not that I plan to sell). The contractor said he thought it'd look good, but that it'd be very, very different from the other houses. He wondered if standing out that much could be a good thing.

So, now I'm rethinking my decision. I'm about to spend more on a roof than I did on my car. I have to make up my mind this week or the contractor has to move on to other jobs; but I can't decide.

I like the concrete. Here's a link

• It has been used for hundreds of years, and is tried and true.
  
• It's good for the environment in that it's made of recycled products and is recyclable. It has no petroleum products in it, and doesn't contain any chemicals that will leach into the water.
  
• It's not an imitation of anything, so it won't look fake.
• It's installation is proven to improve the R value and keep houses cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. (There's a space between the actual roof and the tiles.)
  
• On average, concrete roofs last 80-100 years. It comes with a 50 year warranty.
  
• Other than asphalt, it's the least expensive choice.
• If any tiles do break or repairs are needed (unlikely) it'll cost $25 per tile, including labour.
• Concrete doesn't burn in a fire.
• It's manufactured in Calgary, so it'd be supporting a local company and avoiding long distance shipping.
  
• I worry about the wavy tiles making my house stand out too much from the others in the area.

There is a rubber roofing product out there that looks like slate. Here's a link

• It's nice, but it looks like slate. It isn't slate, and it'll be an obvious imitation (possibly one that can be improved upon in a few years... after I've already paid for my 50 year roof and it's too late).
• It's made from used tires and is actually a part of the solution to all the used tires clogging up the landfills.
• Something about rubber doesn't sit right with me. Even though it's recycled, I feel like rubber is another product that's bad for the environment, and I don't want to support it's production... even post production.
• I worry about chemicals leaching into the rain water, off gassing, and about the rubber breaking down in the sunshine over the years.
• Not tested for R value, but they claim it helps keep the house cooler in the summer and quieter all year round. That seems logical.
  
• It's manufactured in Calgary, so it'd be supporting a local company and avoiding long distance shipping.
• It costs slightly more than the concrete, but just barely.
• If any repairs are needed (unlikely) a portion of the roof would need to be redone, so labour and materials would cost more than the concrete.
• Rubber might burn in a fire
  
• It's experimental (has been in use only about 10 years) but it comes with a 50 year old warranty.
• It'll fit in with the neighbours' houses more than the concrete.
  

It seems to me that I like everything about the concrete tiles except what other people might think about the look. On the flip side, I feel like I've got reservations about just about everything about the rubber, except what my neighbours will think about its look.

I wonder when being different became so important, and if it's really all that bad.

A Moral Dilemma

Is it wrong for me to hang out in front of my house, and screen the people who are looking to potentially buy the evil neighbour's house?

Keeping in mind that the devil you know may be a whole lot better than other potential neighbours, would it be that wrong for me to discourage some people? I'm thinking of the partiers, the the guys who own at least 6 hummers and jacked up trucks; or the white trash who promise to have no less than 683 garden gnomes on their front lawn. I wouldn't do anything illegal; I'd just put Sir Barks A Lot (aka Cotton) outside, wind him up and let him yap nonstop until they leave.

Would that be so terrible?

No Man Is an Island

...but if you put the basket on top of a crate, the cat will be.

What's in the garden.

I live in central Alberta, and this is the time of year when I'm most jealous of people who live south or east of me. I think we're a month or so behind just about everybody else, and it give me serious garden lust. Some day, I will live in a zone 5-6, or even 6-7.

These pictures are from my back yard. There seems to be a micro climate back there, and plants tend to come up earlier and do better in the back.

This is the second group of the tulips that bloomed.

Like the others I posted a picture of a few days ago, they were an experiment for me to try a new variety.
I only planted a few of them.

At the side of the house, I planted tulips en mass the year I moved in. 200 bulbs, if I recall correctly. 100 in front of each window.

They're thinking about starting to bloom... hopefully in a week or so.

Last year, I also planted a mass of peony plants. ... 7 to be exact.


Then I forgot to water them, and I thought they all died. Luckily, it looks like three - possibly four - might just recover. They don't look like much now, but they're gonna be beautiful when they mature and grow in.

Of course, thinking that I'd killed them, I removed all the tags last fall.
Now I have no idea what colour any of them will be.

The seedum is blooming already.


So's the mystery plant, which has me boggled. All I know is that it came in a 2" pot. It was mostly dead. I rescued it. It recovered, and then it started to grow like stink. Now, it's about to start to blooming like crazy.


Here it is close up. If anybody knows what it is, please enlighten me.

Ladybugs and Laundry

Nobody tells you before you get pets that you'll be giving up sleep for them. They should come with a warning somehow... "Adopting this animal may result in frequent extreme fatigue".

It's a good thing they're cute, is all that I can say today.

Winter had a ladybug last night. Somehow, it had gotten into the house and he brought it into my bedroom just as I was trying to go to sleep. At first, I hoped he'd eat the thing right away or lose track of it, but he chased that darned bug all around the room instead. He'd catch it, put it down, flip it on it's back and then poke at it with his paw until it managed to flip over and fly away.

For almost 20 minutes, Winter and the ladybug flew over the bed, batted around the chandelier and then rumbled through the closet. When they came back out and Winter dropped it on my pillow, I scooped the bug up and took it outside. Normally, I'm all for the feline removal of bugs from the house; but I like ladybugs. And I like my sleep even more.

If that wasn't enough, I came back from saving the ladybug to see that Cotton had crawled out from under the covers and was standing on my side of the bed. As walked into the room, he ever so delicately opened up his mouth, gave out a little burp and then upchucked his dinner.

Needless to say, I stripped the bed so fast that Cotton didn't know what had hit him.

Laundry ensued...sleep was delayed. I'm contemplating a gold fish for my next pet.