BLEIBLERVILLE, Texas – For a man who spent most of his career risking his life on the job, it’s not easy to admit you’re scared.
“I have to admit, I never dreamed I would be living this way, living in fear for my life”, Charles Allen said.
Allen is a former Texas Department of Safety narcotics officer who worked undercover for more than two decades, arresting drug dealers.
For three years now, he has been living with the fear that the roof on his Bleiblerville home will cave in and kill him, his wife or one of their three grandchildren whom they are helping to raise.
“This is just crazy, to have this ceiling and the rotten roof above it just falling apart,” Allen said.
During Hurricane Harvey, several large trees came crashing down on the home, punching a series of large holes in the roof. Since then, rain has been pouring into the house through those holes, destroying much of the roof’s substructure as well as the interior ceiling.
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Allen has wanted to fix it, but could not come up with the estimated $10,000 the job would cost.
“If we don’t get some kind of help, this roof is going to fall in,” said Staci Allen, Charles Allen’s wife. “It’s going to injure or kill us.”
Too proud to ask for help himself, finally a relative of Charles Allen contacted Bill Spencer and the Spencer Solves It team. Right away, the team took a look at the damage and contacted a company called The Roof Repair Squad in Katy.
The hard-working crew began ripping the old roof off and putting a brand new roof on the Allens’ home. It was a big job that required replacing a lot of the rotted wood decking, the moldy insulation and the support structure for the roof, as well as new shingles. The interior of the home also needed a new ceiling in the bathroom, kitchen, dining room and bedroom.
“I think we have brought in over 12 sheets of sheetrock,” said Jorge Bogran, general manager of The Roof Repair Squad. “We will completely redo the ceilings and mud and paint the interior area so it looks brand new.”
After several weeks, the job was finished and the Allens’ home is finally safe to live in once more.
“This rotten roof could have fallen in and crushed us, especially during that severe winter storm we had a few weeks ago,” Staci Allen said. “You saved us from that.”
As for Charles Allen, he said he is deeply moved.
“I’m just so proud of what Bill Spencer and Channel 2 News has done for us,” he said. “We’re thankful and God-blessed by the way that they fixed our house and got right on it. Thank you for making this happen.”