In year seven, the roof started failing.
I noticed it because of the water stain that appeared in the corner of my mother’s bedroom ceiling after a heavy rain in March. I noticed it before she did, because I spent more time in that room than she did at that point — I’d taken to doing my remote bookkeeping work in there during her afternoon rest, sitting at the small desk she’d had since I was a child, because it had a window that caught good light.
I had a roofer come out. His assessment was not good. The roof was original to the house, which was built in 1979. Parts of it had been patched over the years but never fully replaced. He pointed out three areas of soft decking and a flashing problem around the chimney that had been allowing water to migrate for probably two or three years before becoming visible. He gave me an estimate for the repair: $9,200.
He also said that doing a repair now without addressing the decking would probably get us another three to five years, but that a full replacement would be more cost-effective in the long run. Full replacement estimate: $14,800 for the roof plus $7,200 to address water damage in the attic and install proper insulation while they had access. Total: $22,000.
I called Daniel.
The conversation went the way our conversations about large house expenses usually went. He agreed it needed to be done. He said he didn’t have the cash available right then because of the business situation. He said he’d “contribute when things shook loose.” He asked if Mom had anything.