ROOFING TIPS

ROOFING FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT.

      

 The choice of roof for one’s house is a determining factor in the improvement of one’s home. A roof sales job dictates that a salesman understands the nature of the roof he or she is marketing, the viability and usage of the same depending on the climatic environment. There are a number of roofing systems which need to be understood by roof sales men or women in order to carry out effective marketing.

Mansard roofs are composed of four slopes, two on each side of the roofing system.  When in a roof sales job, it is important to understand that the lower slope has a steeper gradient than the upper slope. The visibility of the upper slope from the ground is limited. This kind of roofing system allows for additional living or storage space at the top of the house.

  Gambrel roofs are similar to the mansard roofing system. A person in a roof sales job needs to understand that the only difference is that a section of the roof hangs across the façade of the house. It has vertical sides.

Saltbox roofs are asymmetrical in shape.  A roof sales person must understand that one short side    and another long one. It is used especially for houses that have a mixture of a one and two storied structure.

Hip roofs are very similar to the pyramid roof. The only difference is that instead of the roof phases meeting at a point at the top of the roof, they form a ridge at the top of the housing structure. Someone in a roof sales job must be able to differentiate the pyramid and hip roofs.

Bonnet roofs are similar to the hip roof. The only difference useful to a person in a roof sales job  is  the sliding of two of the slides at an angle. It is used especially when constructing a verandah section besides the house.

Flat roofs are the simplest form of roofing system. They have a flat top. It is also easy to construct.  However, it is important for the roof sales person to note that it requires regular maintenance due to the debris gathering at the top of the roof.

Other roofing types include Cross gabled roof and arched roofs.

EXISTENCE INCOGNITO

A number of us who did O'levels in the late nineties would recall the 17th century Russian drama setbook, 'The government inspector' by Nicolai Gogol. The storyline is characterised by local officials of a remote Russian town who are anticipating the arrival of a government auditor to check the ongoings in the town's business. The mayor is informed by some bureaucrats from the capital that the arrival of this official would be 'incognito'. This means that his identity would be concealed. His presence in the area would be on undercover basis. He would mingle with the locals and make sure he arouses no suspicion whatsoever about his whereabouts. In many ways, his dealings would be clandestine. So the mayor, the local judge and other town officials embark on a hefty ' clean up' exercise. They try their best to rid the local offices of any present malpractises such as bribery, lack of accountability and even theft of public funds. They embark on a massive clean up exercise in town. They do all this with a watchful eye as they anticipate the bureaucrat to land. The happenings are however shortlived when a young, educated and sophisticated traveller arrives in town. His name is Ivan Alexandrovich Hlestakov. The mayor is briefed by his informers on the new arrival. He does his minor investigations and after a while, he is totally convinced that the young man from Moscow is the much dreaded and eagerly awaited Government Inspector. The mayor's attitude degenerates from simple fear to pandemonium. He is totally confused. He devices ways of trying to entice the young man in all ways with goodies and other benefits. Hlestakov is invited for dinners, he is given gifts and even offered land as am enticement. All the while, Hlestakov knows that something is just not right. He is being showered with goodies and can't understand why. The mayor and other town officials believe beyond any reasonable doubt that he's the government inspector. However, in real sense, he's just a young man on his numerous adventurous escapades in the country. The situation for the mayor and the town is complicated further in the conclusion of the book when the actual government inspector lands in town. How attractive it did look for the young Russian to enjoy the benefits of an identity he was being given by mistake. How attractive such life looks. Living anonymously. Living INCOGNITO!In many ways our fast paced and information laced society is forcing us towards such a tendency. Comments can be put on the web anonymously. We can exist anonymously in an estate and not even known by the next door neighbor. We can attend church and even participate in activities but do all this while still making an 'incognito' appearance. We can exist in a community and portray a face we want all to see and be in awe: and not share our real selves with others esp.in the household of faith for us to be a community. As Pastor Ondachi of Mamlaka Hill chapel said, 'You can't be shallow with God's word and His people and expect to be deep in Him'. In many ways i am guilty of ignoring true community and living incognito. When i have deep seated struggles yet decide not to share with a brother to pray with me. I only hope that God will hear me: and He does. However, He's put me in a community so that His goodness might reflect through it. I act incognito when my next door neighbor doesnt even know my existence. I wake up and leave the house at five am and and back at eleven pm and have never seen eye to eye with them. They in turn build all possibilities about me: maybe he's a secret agent, or maybe a very busy businessman,etc.when in actual sense am just one among them. Struggling with the same issues they struggle with. Living just next to them yet so far away. I then choose to blame the citylife with its individualism. But can't i make a difference? Scripture is full of accounts of men and women who thrived due to accountability. In the book of acts, believers shared all their possessions and even their lives and thats how their faith and numbers grew. They chose to be accountable to each other and not anonymous to one another. Christ, being God chose to be accountable to his disciples and not remain incognito about His identity even during the most difficult of times at the garden Of Gethsemane. So i ask God to help me to be accountable and not anonymous. This is because i am dwelling in a community of believers. Though sometimes its hard, I choose to be accountable and not Exist INCOGNITO!

VALUE FOR MONEY

I can't forget an episode about a year ago when i was working for a local bank in Wajir town in North Eastern Kenya. A high net worth customer who was employed in one of the local NGOs was doing a transaction at the bank branch. Since he was earning a substantial salary, i tried to ' fish' him from his bank (mind you which has branches only in Nairobi, Nakuru, Thika,Kisumu and Mombasa) in order to open an account in our bank. The customer as usual played 'hard to get'. But it was only after my next question when i realised how hard it would be to indeed capture him. I told him that if he opened an account in our Wajir branch, he would not only enjoy quick salary processing but also have quick access to loan facilities without travelling 'long' distances. His answer still remains a bomb shell to date. He vehemently stated. . ' if i want a loan, i can still just call my branch or even just go there for it to be processed. Its no big deal!'. When i thought that i was saving the customer the hustle of such inconveniences, he was adamant; my bank shall serve me irrespective of the distance. Now, what would make such a person have such a resolve? Is it just prestige? Or is it just to prove a point? Well i learnt that the customer bore all this loyalty to his bank not because we were any worse off. Actually, we were even prepared to go the extra mile. He however loved his bank since they gave him value for his money and excellent customer service. Thats why he would rather bank over 700kms away from his work station. . .and still get value for his money. There are many reasons why some businesses fail in kenya but one of the most common reason is. . Customers do not realise value for their shillings and cents. You walk into a shop to buy daily groceries and you are met by a blunt and serious stare. . not even a greeting; you enter a public transport vehicle expecting to pay the fare indicated on the board only to be told to add ksh 50 on top; you walk to an office ready to offer your services or even inquire on a service to be offered only to meet an office assistant enjoying a day long conversation and laughing aloud while disregarding you totally; you walk to an exhibition shop to buy a pair of shoes only to meet shop assistants who are chatting and laughing and only respond shruggingly to your call for attention; you enter your bank only to find a repulsive snake long queue with no bank official on site to explain the long delays; you drive to the petrol station only to find the attendants interrupting their gossiping by asking you "WHAT DO YOU WANT? "; you walk to the electronic shop to report a malfunction of an electronic gadget while holding a valid warranty only to be told that. . ". .THE WARRANTY WAS NOT FOR SUCH EVENTALITIES. . ". Somewhat, there is a possibility that an average Kenyan consumer will return home at the end of the day even more frustrated than satisfied, more angry than happy, more resentful than appreciative of the customer service offered in different retail outlets. Small wonder that the few business people who manage to put a genuine smile on the faces of their customers RETAIN them. It doesn't matter whether they are 700kms away or not.

THE STRIKER

he ball was laid at the centre of the field. The two players begun the game. Passing was precise and controlled. The midfielder took possession, lifted his head and with measured composure and calculation aimed the ball for the dashing STRIKER. He had anticipated to beat the offside trap by a semi circular run past the vigilant defence. .the referee's whistle however blew. He was offside. He thought of the many occasions in life when he was offside and didn't allow the natural processes of life to take their course. The many times he jumped guns and made wrong decisions; when he prefered office work to spending quality time with family, when he got too stressed and bothered by issues of life instead of laying them before God, the creator. But the best news was, there is always another chance to make things right. To mend fences. . The goalkeeper moved hastily to take the free kick caused by the offside. It looked more like a normal free kick. The ball rose and sped towards the goal. .the STRIKER thought. ' Our Goal'. The ball was received calmly by a prolific and industrious midfielder of the opposing team. He sped dangerously across the goal area, dummied a shot causing the defence to land in total confusion and disarray. He then chipped the ball calmly towards an overlapping defender who was on top speed who delivered a low, fast paced cross. By this time, STRIKER had read the situation and had made a dashing run to his team's penalty area and successfully intercepted the low drive cross before it met the anticipating boots of the approaching opponents. The ball was deflected over the bar ending up into a corner kick. .at times, . .STRIKER thought. .it may be useful to leave your comfort zone and normal field of play to lend a hand to overwhelmed colleagues. He realised that even though he was a sticker, he still needed to contribute to defending his team's goal mouth when duty calls. He realised that as a person, family would sometimes need him to withdraw from his core business and job in order to support them. At times, a hurting friend would need him to spend the night with him talking and opening up. He knew that perhaps a distant relative might need his extra commitment to go through life's challenges. He also needed to be there for others. . The opposing team prepared for the corner kick. One of the set piece artistes stepped up to take the kick. It was an inswinger. .meaning that the ball was kicked in such a way that it initially curled away from goal but curved ultimately towards goal. It was potentially lethal as a lanky attacker for the opponent team was lurking nearby and had broken off from his marker. He was a formidable header of the ball. However, one of his teammates managed to get ahead of the attacker and flipped the ball forward. Another teammate, a defender, took control of the lose ball, slalomed past three opposing players and slipped the ball past thereby releasing the STRIKER who was on a killer sprint with only two defenders to beat. He side stepped one of the defenders sending him off balance and then classically made a 360 degree turn totally confusing the other and sending him scampering to the ground. By this time, due to the burst of energy he exhibited, he was left one on one with the opposing keeper. Totally exposed, the keeper broke off his line and sped towards the approaching attacker to narrow the angle but the sly STRIKER was to much for him, rounding him gracefully towards his right and slotting the ball into an empty net. Celebrations ensued. But as he celebrated with other ecstatic teammates, STRIKER realised that even though a striker, he needed the help of his teammate, a defender, for him to score. Remember, it was a defender who released the ball to him to execute the speedy counter attack coupled with the text book finish. .in life, our success can't be pegged onto our skill alone but how we work with others and produce a synergy that executes and gives results. Teamwork always works because its based on synergy, coordination and team spirit. Thats the only way we can make it in life. . .AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, SO DOES ONE SHARPEN THE COUNTENANCE OF HIS/ HER BROTHER/ SISTER. ;)

THE SUPER HIGHWAY

Two men were walking together and engaging in an animated argument about success and failure. Man one stated that both success and failure are destinations. You either have one or the other. Man two stated that there is actually no real success or failure in life. Its only our perception of circumstances. So, as they walked, they noticed that the road they were on was labelled 'SUCCESS- FAILURE AVENUE'. Just about 500metres ahead, the road branched into a junction. One was called ' SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY' while the other, 'FAILURE LANE'. So, as you thought, the men decided to split roles. They agreed that one would follow SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY while the other FAILURE LANE. The guy who took the SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY continued walking and walking. The road was well built with overpasses and underpasses. It was a six lane avenue constructed using world class architecture. So the man walked and walked and walked and walked. One kilometre then five then ten then twenty then thirty. All he could see as he made the stroll were feeder roads joining the super highway ; but no destination yet. He got to a petrol station and opted to grab a drink at the convenience store as he caught a breath and ponder the next move.
On the other hand, the other guy started his stroll along the FAILURE LANE. At first the stroll was scenic. The landscape and winding hills and valleys. The road started thinning through the woods. It started becoming darker not because of the evening but because of the trees. As he took the next step, he stumbled and fell. He looked behind him and saw two towering frames approaching him menacingly. They were wielding clubs and shouting all sorts of profanity. It didn't take him long to know that they were thugs. Within a few seconds, his pockets had been emptied of all its contents. He bore scars all over his face. He still continued walking. The road wound on a descent. It ended up to a river. The bridge had been washed away. The water was fast flowing. He had no choice but to remove his shoes and to wade across supporting himself with branches. He still continued walking. He passed by a field with the sign, ' TRESSPASSERS SHALL BE PROSECUTED'. He ignored it altogether. He had not made three steps when he heard barking dogs behind him. Now, he had not been born a sprinter but on that day, he didn't know how his legs carried him supersonically. After about ten minutes of running, he stopped to take a breather. He begun to see some signs of a shopping centre. Kiosks, shops and cafes. After a few steps, he saw the sign bearing the name of the centre. 'WELCOME TO FAILURE'.' So failure is a destination' he thought. When he got to the town square, he saw a roundabout. This town was a only a junction point for other roads, one named SELF PITY STREET, the 2nd named MORE FAILURE LANE, the third named TUPA MBAO GROVE and the forth was labelled,SLIP ROAD TO SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY. Meanwhile, our first guy made his last gulp of the milkshake at the store and started off. He walked a few metres then just decided to take a breather on one of the junctions of the feeder roads.
Meanwhile,our guy at Failure city, opted to use the Slip road to SUCCESS SUPER HIGHWAY. As he made the strides, he could notice the change of atmosphere. Suddenly the air was becoming fresh. The road was becoming well lit. He started seeing road markings and could hear the distant sounds of heavy commercial vehicles on the SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY. Within no time, he got to the superhighway. He could not believe he made it. He was so happy that there was progress here. There was activity here. There was advancement here as opposed to the areas he had been. As he looked to his right, he saw his friend. He was so ecstatic and rushed to meet him and hug him. His friend, the other guy, was just too tired. So the guy from failure told the guy who was on the success road, ' Man! I've discovered two things. No 1. Failure is a destination. No. 2. You have a choice of reevaluating your goals and decide which road to take once you are a failure. You can decide to go to self pity, more failure,to run mad or to work out towards joining the success superhighway.
The other guy looked lazily at his friend and said. 'Friend, I have learnt only one thing:
SUCCESS IS NOT A DESTINATION BUT THE ROAD YOU TAKE. Others who have been to failure can always find their way to SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY and catch up with us who have been succeeding all the way. SUCCESS IS A SUPERHIGHWAY. FAILURE ARE TOWNS LOCATED OFF THE SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY WHICH HAVE SLIP ROADS JOINING THEM TO THE SUPERHIGHWAY. If you land in failure, its not the end of it. You can make a choice to join the SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY'. He then summarized, ' One thing i however hate about SUCCESS SUPERHIGHWAY is using it involves HARD WORK!