8 Tips to Prepare for a Roof Replacement

Replacing your roof is a big deal–it’s expensive, takes planning, requires a chunk of time, and is disruptive to your normal daily activities. Serious considerations must be made when you end up deciding on a roof replacement. The selection of the best roofing contractor, the cost of the new roof, and the scheduling are primary factors in the project. In addition to the roofing company performing the actual roof replacement, you also have a job to do in preparing for the work to begin.

We can help you in the process by informing you of ways you can prepare for roof work so it goes more smoothly. In this post, we give you our 8 tips to prepare for a roof replacement before the roofing crew shows up and actual work begins.

This is a major decision you need to make before the work begins. There will be a lot of noise as well as traffic at your house with workers walking on the roof, shooting nails into the roof, creating debris in the yard, and depositing supplies in the driveway. If you work from home and have meetings during the day, you may want to find another place to go for work while this is going on.

If you have pets and children, you should consider the impact on them if you stay at home. Are your children small enough that they need to take naps during the day? Will the noise prohibit their activities? If so, you may want to take the children to a friend’s or family member’s house while the work is being done. Are your pets bothered by noise and strangers? If so, you should make arrangements for pet daycare. If your family situation will be impacted negatively, you may want to consider staying somewhere else while the work is being done.

As the work is being done to replace a roof, hammering nails and pulling up old shingles creates vibrations that go throughout your home. Take the time a few days ahead of the roofing work to remove valuable, important, and irreplaceable items on the walls or shelves. The vibrations may not knock anything down, but you want to avoid a catastrophe from occurring where you lose something you consider valuable, if possible. Many roofing companies include a clause in the contract that states they are not liable for any property damage during the roof replacement.

Protect your garden beds, plants, bushes, and flowers so they are safe during the roofing project. Stack up a few planks and cover the garden with a tarp. This supports the tarp should roofing shingles fall onto it. Be sure to protect the plants you value by covering them.

Grills, children’s toys, and other moveable items as well as patio and deck furniture need to be placed either inside or in the yard and out of the way. It is generally a good idea to move these pieces away from the house at least 15 feet. Trash bins should be out of sight and not blocking the roofers’ activities.

You should relocate your vehicles from the garage and driveway to protect them from trash and debris that fall during the project. You may think that you can leave them in the garage, but dust will drop through the roof into the garage because it isn’t insulated. Contractors need quick access to their equipment, tools, and trucks during the day, so they need space. They also need a place to load shingles and debris. In other words, they need the driveway.

You should remove antennas or satellite dishes that are located on or near your roof. Call your cable or satellite provider to make arrangements before roof work begins. If the unit is old or inoperable, most roofing contractors will remove and dispose of it for you.

Talk to your neighbors to let them know about the roofing project. It’s helpful to give them an estimated timeframe for the duration. They may need to adjust their schedules and situations as well while the work is going on.