Recently, I was watching Deadliest Catch season 10.
It's entertaining seeing how much money they're pulling in (or not pulling in) from these crabs, and the occasional drama that unfolds especially when it involves greenhorns.
But, it's the same stuff every episode. Cages go out, someone slips, someone can't lasso a buoy, captain yells, crabs come in.
From my perspective, everyone's doing the same job. I couldn't tell a greenhorn from a veteran if the show didn't put labels underneath their name.
In case it wasn't obvious, I have no experience being on a boat in the middle of the Baltic Sea. But I can tell you when a roofing job looks like a rookie with a nail gun did it. And these mistakes are obvious...even homeowners notice—it's no middle of the Baltic Sea or anything.
Mismatching shingles on a roof.
Who does that? Rookies, beginners, novice, greenhorns, freshman...that's who! Shingles are made in batches. Change dealers, changes suppliers, changing shingles.
You nailed it?
Or you sort of did anyways. Stop skimping. Use enough nails for each shingle (at least four) or you'll end up with droopy, slipped shingles. And avoid nailing into a self-sealing strip.
Let the air flow.
Before laying shingles, make sure air can flow out of attics and ceilings. If not, moisture builds up and weakens shingle material.
Hanging too far over!
Shingles should only hang off a roof between an inch and an inch and a half. If shingles hang off too much, high winds can rip them right off.
Dam that ice.
For those of you who live in the colder regions, not planning for ice dams to form at the roofline is a major greenhorn mistake. If the roof isn't properly insulated, water will rush under shingles, causing damage.
Do you job well. Stop looking for shortcuts. And stop coming off as a beginner.
Okay, scolding over. Happy roofing!
