This year we are not complaining about wrapping the roof to protect it from the rain while we are renovating. But we are suffering from the heat. It’s just unbearable to be on the roof between half past 11 and seven.
So we try to get up early, to do as much as we can. And as soon as the sun disappears behind the mountains we continue until it is dark.
Steps to renew our old roof
One month ago we removed the old roof tiles. After that, we had to do a lot of cleaning. We scooped dozens of buckets filled with old, gnawed corn cobs, empty nut shells, and mouse poo. I think in all these years hundreds of mice were raised underneath this roof! All battens were also rotten, so after taking them away, Nuno cleaned and inspected the structural beams. He scraped off the top layer which was eaten by woodworms. But underneath the superficial damage, most beams seemed fine. The wood paneling on the inside is also damaged, but we want to keep it to preserve the original character of the attic. But we will fix that too, or leave it with little holes (for even more character!)
After we had thoroughly vacuumed everything again, we gave the beams and the old paneling a woodworm treatment. Although we thought that all remaining woodworms have been boiled to death in these last sunny and hot weeks! And then it was ready to attach our hi-tech reflective membrane. Which made us look like film stars in The Matrix!
Now it is even more unbearable on the roof, due to the membrane we are grilled on both sides.
To be continued…
