On 5/6/2016 11:47 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 9:25:50 PM UTC-4, Don Y wrote:

So, we long ago learned to clue each other in on upcoming expenditures
(beyond the piddling expenses). E.g., I'll soon be painting the roof so
she should expect me to be shelling out a lot of money for paint.

Actually, I've been wondering about that. What sort of roof do you
have that requires painting?

Homes here are either pitched roofs or flat roofs.

Pitched are either ceramic tile, asphalt tile, "metal/tin",
built up or torch-sealed felt.

Flat are either "built up" (gravel over felt), bitumen (felt),
rubber membrane or a fiberglass membrane.

To increase heat reflectance, you typically paint the roof
(white or aluminum). Most folks (incl roofers) think the
paint is actually *sealing* the roof. And, use that to
pitch more expensive paints (higher concentration of solids).
Of course, if you're relying on paint to keep your roof water
tight, you've got some serious problems! :

As the paint is exposed to the sun (UV + heat) and scouring
effects of windblown dust, it tends to degrade in 5-7 years,
despite how thick it is (coverage is 60-100 sq ft per gallon).

The more significant "home maintenance" aspect is NOT the
painting but, rather, getting up there and having a look at
the roof regularly. As it is flat, things tend to accumulate/sit
up there (e.g., pine needles). They, in turn, trap moisture.
Which eventually "rots" the paint.

[I probably pull 30 pounds of pine needles off the roof every
couple of months -- and *we* don't have any pine trees in the
yard!]

Also, as the roofing must roll *up* the sides of the house
(think of the roof as having a wall around it), there is
potential for the house to "move" and open cracks/tears in
the edges which would allow water to seep into the structure
(inside the walls).

Instead of tackling the roof every 5-7 years, I try to paint
1/5th of it every year. This gives me the opportunity to
remove debris piled up there and inspect/patch. There are
lots of things (intentionally) poking through the roof
(vents, sewer stacks, water/electric services, etc.) and
each is a place that can easily develop a small leak.

But, it also limits the effort required to clean the roof (TSP)
in preparation for painting -- as I'm only tackling 1/5th of
the roof at a time.

Most other homes in the neighborhood have replaced their roofs.
Our vigilance has allowed this roof to remain intact for ~25
years, already.

Painting can easily approach 1000-1500 (depending on who
you hire and how thorough they are; seldom do they invest
much time patching -- just slather paint on anything that
*looks* like it may be a problem). A new roof is easily
upwards of $5000 for a simple "felt" roof.

OTOH, DIY and you're talking closer to $120/year.