Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A New Roof

Last year some branches fell off a dead tree and put a hole in the roof of my green house.
Then, last November, the tree trimmers came to take the dead tree down and put a
few more holes in the roof.  Of course it wasn't very hard to do since it was one of
those corrugated plastic roofs.  After being exposed to the elements for a year, 
I finally got around to putting on a new roof in late September.  It was one of those
jobs you know you just can't put off any longer and must be done before winter.
So, to entertain you ~ here is my greenhouse before, during and after.
~
Here it was this summer.  You really can't see the damage, but if you look
closely, you can see some sheets of plywood that I tried to lay over the holes to keep the
rain out and the side gutter hanging loose.




Here it is in progress.  I have already replaced and painted the fascia board and have 
taken down the soffit for cleaning.  That's the part you see hanging there.




Here's the old roofing, gutters and plywood that you can see I threw off the roof 
and so neatly stacked for discard on trash day.




The greenhouse without it's roof.  The gutter you see there laying on the shed roof
is always particularly fun to clean out because the resident raccoon thinks it
is his personal toilet.




And ~ the new roof from the inside looking out.




Then came the job of washing up the plastic soffit and gutters before they could 
be put back up.




It took three days for me to do all of this because I'm not particularly fast
when it comes to carpentry work and I had to wait for a period of time
when there would be no rain.
Next, came the job of cleaning out the greenhouse, which was full of odds and
ends and was extremely dirty from being exposed to the elements.
Here's the mess waiting to be cleaned up.
 


And how about this mess?  Dirt, cobwebs, spiders, and dog poop.




Well, there was only so much of that mess that I could handle at a time,
so I tried to work in there about an hour every evening until I got it 
all cleaned up.  I started in one corner and worked my way around the room.







Finally done, woodwork cleaned, windows washed, and everything neatly stacked.













The last of the leggy annuals tucked in with the crotons.












Did I mention there are French doors between the greenhouse and shed?
Sometimes I wish those French doors were in my house instead so I could
enjoy them more ~ but they do add a nice touch out here.




It's not something I consciously do, but over the years I have picked up
bells that I like to hang on my door handles.




Well, the inside is all clean and the windows sparkle again allowing 
a view of the outside gardens.







And so we've come full turn with winter close on our heels and all I
have yet to do is rake the leaves and put the gardens to bed.




And ~ find someone to trap the resident raccoon and move him out to the country.

Linking with

A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesdays
~
Handy Man, Crafty Woman for Wicked Awesome Wednesday
~
Restore Interiors for Restored it Wednesday
~
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
 

25 comments:

Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads said...

I love your greenhouse! That climbing rose next to it is so beautiful. All that hard work gave you such a neat, organized work space! Good luck trapping your raccoon.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Oh, I love your greenhouse! I want one. You did a fantastic job of repairing and cleaning it up. I hope you can get rid of the raccoon.
Barb

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Wow, I can't believe you did all that by yourself. I love your greenhouse and garden. I hope my husband builds me a small greenhouse sometime next year out of old windows we saved.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

I am totally impressed...what a job. Please be careful when cleaning up after raccoons their feces carry all kinds of diseases. You really need to wear a mask, but maybe you already know this. The greenhouse looks wonderful!

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Your greenhouse is wonderful and you did quite a job fixing and cleaning up for the season!~Hugs, Patti

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

What a lot of work, but a wonderful space to have! Congratulations on a great job! How satisfying it must be for you!

Heather said...

I love your greenhouse! Our homeowners association doesn't allow outside structures, but I'd love to have a little greenhouse!

Connie in Hartwood said...

I saw this post linked at Wow Us Wednesday, and I knew I HAD to come over and take a peek ... since I'm in the midst of closing MY greenhouse up before winter truly arrives. It's great to see that someone else struggles with summer greenhouse mess and that even the simplest-seeming project can take a lot longer than we think it will.

Your hard work has been rewarded with a beautiful space, all ready for you to hide out over the winter and enjoy the sunshing. What a great job you did! (Which climbing rose is this? Anyone who sets a rose free to climb on their roof is a sister to me at heart.)

Connie

Debby said...

I can't believe you did all that by youself. It looks good. It's so cute. Hope you are doing okay.

Ingrid@morestylethancash said...

I have green house envy. I am still trying to convince my husband that there is enough room in our back yard to put one in.

Your lucky that the raccoon is in your greenhouse. A family of raccoons got into our attic 3 years ago and did $1500 worth of damage. Ouch.

Cottage and Broome said...

Loved the tour of your green house, very sweet! I have a shed for my potting and storage, Thanks for sharing, Laura Cottage and Broome

A New England Life said...

Goodness gracious Cindy, you are quite the worker! I'm very envious of your skills and greenhouse, as well as that climbing rose bush!

Sharon

Handy Man, Crafty Woman said...

What a sweet little hideaway! You've done wonders with the place! Thanks for linking to Wicked Awesome Wednesday!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing Nice post Joann

Ginny said...

Love it!! I have always wanted a greenhouse to putter in. Now you got me thinking about it again! THANK YOU!!!!

Masako Magnini said...

Wow, the new roof has a cool effect from the inside! It must awesome to create or renovate a garden house. How long have you taken fascination with plants and flowers, btw?

Unknown said...

This is a pretty greenhouse. You made the right choice with your roof. It would allow natural light to penetrate your green house, which is good for your plants. Also, it is good that you reminded the readers that it is important to keep gutters and roofs clean. A greenhouse should always be kept clean, from interior to exterior, to slow the effects of weathering. Nice job!

Saundra Wordlaw

Unknown said...

WHEW! That is a LOT of hard work for just one person to do! But it’s all worth it in the end. You were able to protect your plants anew with a new, stable roof, and your greenhouse is nice and clean again. I admire your perseverance and dedication to the work. Great job!

Norbert F.

Santo said...

Your transparent roof is really beautiful! I am pretty sure that you want it to be durable. That way, you can protect your plants from heavy rain and strong sunlight. This is a good thing for other gardener’s to follow as well. Investing on a good roof for your greenhouses would assure you that you can let your plants grow better.

Santo Caridine

Unknown said...

He-he. Now I’m sure branches can’t easily punch a hole into your greenhouse’s roof. Aside from the fact that plastic roofs are less susceptible to scratches and other damages from falling objects, they are also easier and cheaper to maintain, not to mention safer to install. Perfect choice for your situation. :)

Cody Charlebois

Anonymous said...

A plastic roof is exactly the right thing for a greenhouse! Plants, of course, cannot live without sunlight, so having a transparent roof that lets sunlight in is going to keep your plants strong and healthy. As pointed out by Cody, this is also a very durable roof, and it will keep branches and other potential dangers from ruining your beautiful greenhouse.

Roslyn Petermann

Rolf said...

Roslyn is right! Aside from allowing sunlight to enter and help your plants grow, plastic transparent roofs are also very durable. However, you might need to clean it regularly since it is built near a tree, and I’m pretty sure it will be easily cluttered with dry leaves soon if left unattended.


Rolf Matchen

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Michael said...

Awesome work! I loved your climbing tree in your greenhouse. I have written a blog Different aspects of roofing and Roof repair tips.

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