a day out on the tiles

I dare say I would get used to it, but as I am not used to it working on a roof is not something I enjoy. The Colourbond has gone on to the new sunroom and the Hardiplank on the smaller gable end. It was this plank that I needed to paint. It would be nice to get the pros to do the painting, but with a new slab and roof hitting us for over 25k we need to economise somewhere.

As well as the gable end I also needed to paint the framing of the sunroom, and as there was a little dew making the steel wet it was that I started with. It was a bit fiddlier and more time consuming that I expected but not too tricky. Then it was up on to the roof.

Stuart, through Sal, had put the fear of God into me. Not about falling but about spilling paint, scratching or denting the steel roof. So it was with some trepidation that I stepped off the scaffold onto the nice new sheeting, being careful to keep my feet on the screws that marked where the roof was over rafters and would hold my weight. Over the 2m of shallow-pitch steel and then on to the 30degree concrete tiles. Being 167cm and not wanting to step on the bottom course meant I was stretching a bit to get  from tin to tile. But the tiles held (of course) and I clambered up in a somewhat scaredy-cat manner to take a look at the job at hand.

Then it was back down again. This I really did not enjoy. I am no spiderman, and reversing off the tile on to the tin, then picking out screw-top footholds was a little nerve-wracking. The worst bit was the step from the roof to the scaffold, which had a small drop and was over a gap; it really did not matter that I knew all I needed to do was push backwards and put my foot down, I was borderline terrified. Not at all heroic.

But I made it and the subsequent trips up and back were less pathetic. I could not work out how to get a drop sheet under the bottom edge of the board to protect the tin, so dropsheets were used to balance the paint tin, which Sal passed up to me, and a wet cloth to wipe off the worst of the inevitable spills. Working on a 30degree angle, even for a short time, is pretty tough on the calves and I was glad of a rest after my piss-poor first coat was finished. I put a second coat on the framing and left the second coat of the gable end until Sunday, hoping my legs would be OK after the morning 10k run (they were.)

So there we are; progress last week was a roof and small gable end plus more painting. Most of the rest of the Hardiplank is on the outside of the sunroom and should be ready for me to paint this week. I really do need to make a better job of that than I did of the framing and roof, which was pretty shabby. I was dreading seeing Stuart yesterday morning; his craftsmanship is wonderful, and I was somewhat ashamed to have coated it in my horrible paintwork. But hey, our house, and it's done. Apart from the little bits I missed.

Despite being able to see the ocean from the roof top I have no desire to go up there ever again. Yes, I am that soft.