Keeping the Economy Going!

With the US economy all but shut down, those who can should continue to patronize local take out/curb side restaurants and other similar businesses.  Tip generously as appropriate!  For those folks who are looking for work, grocery stores, pharmacies, delivery businesses, Amazon and others are actually hiring thousands of people.  However, none of that will help the majority of the millions that have filed or will file for unemployment across the country.

Readers will remember that we recently had a new roof put on our home.  That had been scheduled prior to the lockdown even though it took place after self-isolation.  Well, that was just Part 1 of a two-part play…as we help keep the economy alive.  

We are not usually up this early but this photo was taken just after sunrise this past week.

Actually, when I took that first photo, these trucks stopped on the road until I was done…and then they pulled into the driveway.  We had a truck with a trailer, a pick-up truck and a dumpster. (This photo was taken about a half hour after they actually arrived and started working)

This was the project that put the eyeliner and eyeshadow on the house, complementing and finishing our subtle ‘new look’.  In this photo one of Marvin Hatcher’s workers was in the process of taking down the gutter on one side of my office dormer…

...and the tear down continued in the front and back of the house.  There was no doubt that this was an experienced team.

When you see all of the gutters and downspouts in one place, you begin to realize that this is a big project.  There was a lot to recycle!

At one point, the crew stopped for lunch.  Unlike the crew that installed our roof and heated their meals in microwave ovens they brought with them, this group all packed a cold lunch.  One pair relaxed on the big rock in the middle of the front yard and the other pair ate at the table on our deck. 

This gutter forming machine was very interesting.  Basically, it’s set at the size and shape of the gutters needed and then flat sheet metal is fed into one end and your gutter pops out the other end to whatever length needed. 

Marvin told me that in the old days, (and he’s been doing this for over 40 years), gutters were made from galvanized steel and it would take at least 3 days to do a house like ours.  One issue was that the galvanized metal was coated with oil and that had to be removed before work could begin.   

I liked these extra wide deflectors which will help spread out and more evenly distribute the water flowing down the gullies formed by our varied and somewhat steep roof lines.

In this photo, one of the installers was working on the final section of the gutters around our screened porch.

Since we have trees on 3 sides of the house, some type of gutter screening is a necessity.  Marvin Hatcher uses Bulldog Gutter Shields.  It should be noted that our new gutters are an inch wider than the old ones.  Add that fact to that little ridge at the front of the gutter shields.  Now the odds of most rain water actually flowing into and through the gutters, rather than just over them, has greatly improved.

This was the finished look after the gutter crew had departed.  With the new unstained roof and pristine gutters, the house looks better…and we can more effectively cope with heavy rain for the next 20 years.

FYI, Adams Roofing, the company that replaced our roof, is highly regarded and highly recommended locally.  It was Taylor Adams who suggested we contact Marvin Hatcher in Sweetwater TN for the gutter replacement.  They have both been working their respective trades for over 40 years and they both offer relatively reasonable pricing.  Marvin Hatcher’s phone number is 865-659-6496.   

It took most of the day for our gutter installation.  After I took the ‘finished photo’ of the house, I took these 2 as well.  The first one is our spring time view down the street and the second is one more look from our deck.  Isn't this an amazing time of the year!

Given the state of the economy and the need to preserve funds, this will be the last significant expense we’ll incur for the duration of the Covid-19 world-wide pandemic.  This is day 16 of self-isolation for us…

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stay Well and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave