How Should I Prepare for a Roof Replacement? 14 Expert Tips

A roof replacement project is a big deal that requires input from both the owner and the roofing company. As the property owner, your part is to prepare the premises before the installers arrive. Once the roofers have come, the property becomes a busy work zone that cannot accommodate multiple activities. So, the preparation ensures that the roofing process is smooth so that everything happens within the set time limits, and everyone comes out safe. 

So, what should you do to prepare for a roof replacement? Here are tips from our experts to help you have seamless roofing experience.

Your home is going to be a busy place during the roof installation process. From loud noises to endless traffic, this place will be an uncomfortable place for the elderly, kids, and pets. Expect interruption from your daily schedules and sleeping patterns in the meanwhile. Everyone else needs evacuation because only the workforce has the protective gear to be on site.

Talk to everyone that lives in your home before the roof replacement so they can prepare to evacuate. Children will require some explanation of why they shouldn’t stay or play on the property. If your place is small, find different accommodation to relocate your family during this time. Ideally, send them for a visit to your relatives and friends.

The roofers working on your house will want free access to and out of your compound. Don’t make it difficult for them to ask for keys every time they need to move in or out. Open the gates or give the keys to the project manager to ensure every movement is flawless.

Your contractor needs space to work, and the parking lot is one of those places. That’s where the workforce will be moving, keeping their tools and materials, plus their company truck. Therefore, you need to find temporary parking where your vehicles will be safe. You might want to seal the garage doors to keep the falling roofing debris out.

Your home will be a beehive of activities during a roof replacement. There’s going to be vibration from machinery, hammering, and movement, which will shake up things a little. So if you have pictures, pieces of art, light fixtures, and any other hanging decor on the walls, remove and secure them in a place they can’t damage. Only leave decorations that are permanently attached to the walls.

Patio furniture can impede movement during a roofing process. The workers could waste their time moving it from one corner to the other or trip on them, which is an inconvenience. So, move them out of the patio to a shade, garage, or elsewhere. If you don’t have room in your garage, putting the furniture in your yard at a safe distance is good enough for the roofing operations to continue. Remember to cover them so they don’t damage under direct sunlight.

Everything needs to be at least 15-feet from the house during a roof replacement. Unfortunately, not all things can move. These could be stuff like gazebos, permanent decor features, kitchen cabinets, among other things. The safe way to deal with such is by covering them with tarps and curtains. So when shingles and building debris fall, they are safe.

If your compound has plants and flowers that you intend to keep, protect them through covering and marking. Use nets and tarps to cover flower beds and mark trees using an orange tape. Doing this will alert the roofers to be careful when working next to these. The best way to ensure care to your plants and flowers is to talk to the project manager about it.

Long grass will hide fallen roofing debris, which might give a hard time to cleaners. Besides, nails could hide in the long grass and pose risks to those who walk through it. So, cut it a day before the construction and clear all the grass to make the debris cleaning easier and thorough. Also, if you have a tree with long branches that hang close to the roof, you want to prune it to give room to the roofers to do their work.

Your neighbors should be aware of your roofing project before it starts. This way, they’ll understand all the noise, the flying nails, and the debris in their yards. They might need to remove movable stuff, cover their plants, and even give access to their property in case shingles fall in their compound.

You don’t want to endanger the lives of roofers. Covering necked wires and removing some of the cables running too close to the roof is great. The roofing company might want to run their equipment using your electricity. In this case, ensure the power outlets are functional to avoid delays.

You must remove antennas and satellite dishes from the roof to pave way for the roofers to do their work. If you cannot do it by yourself, contact your cable and satellite provider to remove them for you.

If you have stuff in the attic, remove them. In situations they cannot be moved, use covering materials to secure them from dirt. And because most of the debris will gather in the attic, look for ways to lay coverings to make cleaning easier.

If your doors and windows are glass, cover them with boards so they don’t get scratched by falling materials. You also want to secure fragile items like vases, glasses, and plates so they are away from the walls and placed in areas you cannot reach.

You should turn off your sprinkler system early enough so the grass isn’t wet during work hours. Doing this helps you avoid wetting the roofing materials as well as protect the workers from showers. If the piping is on the surface and too close to the house, move it away.

While some roofing installation companies do more than just installing the roof, it’s a good thing to prepare your property before they come. Doing this protects your stuff as well as gives ample time to roofers. The roof replacement will interfere with normal activities, and it helps if everyone in your home and neighbors know it. If you’ve taken prior preparation according to what we’ve discussed above, you can now call your roofing replacement services. Remember that these inconveniences are short-lived, and you’ll soon go back to normal.