The old roof waiting to be formed into a new use. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

A friend of mine recently commented on our new roof. No one compliments a person on their roof. It can be one of the most expensive and necessary renovations done to a house. It still doesn’t mean someone walks into your residence and starts composing odes in honor of the sun glistening off the new roof. If a home is a person’s castle, then the top is its crown.

It’s not like an updated paint color or even an appliance. Any improvements may be necessary, but no one in their right mind decides to install a new roof spontaneously. The hassle of getting a roof is a need, not a want. The roof need starts with denial: the ceiling water patches are just a figment of the imagination. Then comes the patching, painting and nail hole filling. There is a lot of weather app watching. After there is a 70% chance of rain inside the house, the plea for help goes out, and roof quotes come in.

This roof will be here throughout my lifetime. This roof won’t fail me or cause the anxiety the old one did with every storm. Once the job is complete, there is no such thing as buyer’s remorse. I can’t return or change a metal roof as if it was a shirt that didn’t fit. The only thing I’m altering is the weather app setting. Now I can enjoy a rainy day with a good book and cup of tea. No longer do I have to ask if there are buckets in the attic or enough calking around the chimney.

People may notice new plants around a house or a few swipes of paint in a kitchen. So far, no one is shouting sweet nothings to my new roof. However, my roof deserves all the adoration. Our roof (thankfully) is here to stay. The next one, I tell my children, will be their responsibility.

The old roofing didn’t go to waste. Each metal sheet was given a second life. It was like homeowner organ donations. Neighbors came to take pieces to cover wood piles or complete outdoor sheds. When I’m not admiring new roofs, I can discover bits of my house’s history in someone else’s carport cover.

Don’t be alarmed if a stranger drives by your house and fawns over your roof. It just may be me. Don’t worry. My roof won’t be jealous. I want to guarantee those roofs know how much they are appreciated.