Renner Updates: Roof

Well this leaking roof has been a huge pain in my ass all fall. I originally put up the tarp as a stopgap way to prevent the rainwater from leaking through the three stories of the building. Overall it worked and the little bit of mold in the basement that was being fed by this moisture has killed itself off as things have dried out. The problem was that the tarp kept leaking as the wind blew the tarp out of position with each large storm. I was running over to the property to constantly readjust the tarp after each storm. As winter approached, I'd had enough of that and needed a better solution that could also survive snow.

So my answer was to build a temporary plywood roof structure to bridge the gap that the balcony created in the roof line. Seems simple right... go to Home Depot, pick up some plywood, 2x4s, and an extra tarp then slap it up there. With the help of my dad we put it up on 10/11/14 during the day. And when we were done it looked pretty good and sturdy:

A single sheet of plywood wasn't quite long enough to span the entire gap and to overhang the edge, but we pulled the tarp tight hoping that it would bridge the gap. Well after the first rain it was obvious that more needed done because large pockets of rainwater filled the gaps.

So in response, I cut some more plywood to fill the gap, but even that didn't prevent the water from making it past the gap entirely. I realized that the problem was that no matter how close I got the plywood to the edge of the shingles, the water would still find it's way into the gap and end up in a pocket of water in the tarp. So I bought a roll of flashing and tucked it under the last row of shingles so that the water could make it to the tarp and off the roof.

*Fun fact about this setup: After you put the flashing on and take these pictures, you might just be trapped on the roof without a way to get down. Luckily I'm resourceful and nimble like a cat, so no need to call the fire department mom.