A New Roof

“We should get a new roof,” my son Samson told me. We were in the sunroom, watching roofers make quick work of our neighbor’s roof. It was June.

“Roofs are expensive, my son,” I told Samson solemnly, implying the tumultuous state of our savings account with my frugal tone.

Incidentally, Solomon and Samson are about ten years away from college. The University of Iowa, unlike The Pennsylvania State University, offers nothing in the way of tuition support for the children of employees. I have no idea how to wrap my head around helping Solomon and Samson with college. Other then to gnash my teeth. I’m but a humble educator trying to get by. I can barely handle the rising prices of groceries, let alone roofs. Or colleges.

***

A week later, I noticed a crack in the ceiling. Above the kitchen. Near the oven vent. The crack was wet to the touch. I let out an exasperated sigh. I made my wife Katie touch the crack. Her fingers were wet too.

“I guess we do need a new roof, Samson.”

Samson glowed. He loved the idea of getting a new roof.

We contacted the roofers who replaced our neighbor’s roof. Invited them out to take a look. A contractor showed up and climbed onto the roof.

“It is pretty bad up there,” the contractor told me when he got back down.

You don’t say. I can’t imagine they ever say it looks good up there.

We traced the damage to a hailstorm in May. Submitted a claim with AllState. After much back and forth, the claim was rejected. They sent me a meager check to fix the crack in my kitchen ceiling.

I told my roofer the disappointing news.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” he told me, “we can still get this taken care of. Your roof is 20 years old. They don’t make the shingles anymore. They have to replace it.”

We sent in an appeal. The appeal was accepted. AllState agreed to replace my roof. Glory, glory day.

The roofers came one morning in July. They finished that afternoon. Samson enjoyed the sound of people walking on our roof. I did not.

That morning, I was in the bathroom while they were working. Brushing my teeth. A particularly loud bang on the roof caused our ceiling light to fall two inches from my head. I almost died.

I told Katie I almost died. She rolled her eyes at me. In her defense, I exaggerate sometimes. Only sometimes.

***

So now we have a new roof. I did pay a little out of pocket. Roofs are expensive. Being an adult is expensive.

My contractor told me this new roof of mine will last for another 40 years. Sturdy shingles. That would put me at 84 before I need a new roof, presuming I stay in Iowa City. In our newly roofed home behind Hickory Hill Park.

I wonder what is next for this newly roofed home. A new furnace? A new air conditioner? Four years of tuition to a major university? The costs of living are relentless. But people do not live on bread alone. So I’ve got that going for me.