It seems that the theme here in Charleston, South Carolina is when it rains it pours – every day. We have been a little soggy to say the least. The flat roof on the back of our house has been a pain, but leaking seemed to leave my thoughts as we had a very heavy snow last night. I was only thinking of our roof falling in on us while we were sleeping. This is not the most snow we have ever had but it certainly was accumulating faster than any snowstorm I have seen since living here.

This snowstorm started while I was at work and of course everyone there was skeptical as to whether anything was going to stick to the ground. We get snowfall here, but it only sticks once every five years or so. I left my place of employment around 10Pm only to find my car under 2 inches of snow, and it was still coming down at 1-2 inches an hour. I dug out the the keyhole and handle on my car and worked my way in. I sat in the seat, put my lunch box and back pack away, and turned the key to start my car. – Click, Click, Click…Click, Click, Click, (the car had a dead battery) – I have to be honest, I don’t really cuss too much, but at this moment I cannot promise that I had a pure heart or mouth for that matter. After a few phone calls and much fussing (at myself) someone came and gave my car a jump.

We woke up in the morning to several inches of snow on the ground and a fallen oak tree (from the weight of the snow). To my surprise the roof on the house did not even leak (the snow was very wet), or fall in thankfully. Now What does all of this have to do with building you ask?…Well I built the first snowman made by my hands since I lived in Colorado – Just for you guys that don’t know, that is a loooooong time.

I often forget how beautiful snow is, it was great to have just a little day and a half glimpse of what South Carolina would look like if it were farther north. All that being said, it is also a blessing to not have so much snow that you have to shovel it all the time:).

Thank You for reading,
Luke Spencer

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Ever wondered if you should put a flat roof on your house?…If you have any other option I would advise that you use it. Flat roofs are about the most troublesome roofs to troubleshoot and repair. Usually when I am repairing a damaged roof or looking a leak its on a flat roof. The problem is that the water has time to pool when you have a very low slope or no slope. Water pooling always seems to find a way to where it is not supposed to go. Water pooling also causes the roofing materials to degrade and rot. I currently have a flat roof on my house (I bought it that way). The person that owned it about 30 years ago decided to add 400 sq ft to the house, and decided a flat roof would be easier than the alternative. I have pulled the ceiling down in several places in this addition only to notice that it has about 30 years of constant repair. The roof looks like it has been built over at least 2 times, and there are various parts of the construction that have seen many repairs. I have myself worked on this roof at least six times in the last three years, two times in the dark because I knew rain was coming. The last repair was just two days ago, and of course like the others I am thinking this will be the last of it. Here are some pointers if you decide that you want a flat roof or do not have a choice. First, if at all possible, do not run any plumbing vents or any other kind of vents through the flat roof. Secondly, do not sit anything on the flat roof (like an AC, or Solar heater, etc). Lastly, use an excellent roofing material. When I say excellent, I mean a product that has a warranty over ten years (twenty is preferred).

As usual, if I missed anything, please comment.
Luke

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