Our House: Tin Roofing for the Dirty Kitchen and Laundry Room

Tin Roofing for our dirty kitchen and laundry room is next on the agenda. Although we had our house built in 2006, we didn't start building the dirty kitchen and laundry room extension until after the rainy season was over in 2008. The skeleton of the structure was the only thing completed until a year later because I just didn't have the money in my personal budget to keep construction going.

A Year Later

After my wife returned to the Philippines in November of 2009, we continued with the construction. Most of our savings money was spent on cement and sand, but a fair amount was spent on hollow blocks, reinforcement bars and plumbing supplies. Very little, believe it or not, was spent on wood because we only needed support beams for the tin roofing.

We continued with the construction project for as long as we could and until we ran out of savings money again. This is a condensed list of the things we completed before the end of 2009:

• Walls
• Window Frames (with security bars in place)
• Dirty Kitchen Counter Top and Cabinets (without surfacing or doors)
• Plumbing
• Electrical Outlets
• Support Beams for Tin Roofing

Just like the main house, the extension is comprised of mostly cement.

This Year

I don't know how much I'll get done this year. If things go as planned, we should have everything done during the next phase, but I'm not banking on it. The most important part is the tin roofing because it has to be in place before the rainy season begins (in June). If the tin roofing doesn't get done before rainy season begins, then I have to wait until after rainy season is over to do anything. If it does get done, then we can continue with construction during rainy season (for the inside of the rooms, but not the outside).

I estimate I'll be spending around $500 for the tin and the paint for the tin roofing. It's going to be painted red on the upper side, just like the tegula-style aluminum roofing on the main house, and plain white on the lower side (even though it won't be seen after the ceiling is put in place).

Since my wife is back in the US, working at her former job (with a raise) and with previous medical bills and obligations taken care of, I can't foresee a reason that I can't finish everything started but not completed. These are some of the items we need to complete the construction:

• Aluminum Doors (or solid wood doors, whichever is cheaper)
• Sink for the Dirty Kitchen
• Counter Top Tile for the Dirty Kitchen
• Wood for the Kitchen Cabinets (just the doors)
• Washing Machine and Dryer
• Linoleum as Floor Covering
• Ceiling Panels (probably thin gypsum board)
• Light Fixtures

Obstacles

Again, if I can't get the tin roofing in place before the rainy season starts, everything gets put on hold again. It has to be in place by the end of May and I have other financial obstacles to get over that are going to put a strain on my budget. Here's a short list:

• April: Personal Income Taxes (I don't know if I'll owe or not at this point, but I think I will)
• April: Car Registration
• May: Nursing College Tuition (for my son)

Since my wife is scheduled to be in the US for only eight months (hopefully, the final eight months), we have to make every penny count. The money she earns will not be used for the house – it's being used separately for other things I'll be writing about. The money being used for the house comes from part of my monthly pension and from making money online.

Similar Articles:

• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – When it's Too Hot to Work with Roofing Materials
• A Dirty Kitchen and Laundry Room
• Our House: The Tin Roofing is Being Put into Place Today
• Building Our House in the Philippines
• My Plumbing Problems never seem to end