How to prepare your home for a roof replacement.

Posted 55 years ago by

How to prepare your home for a roof replacement.

 

Congratulations! You’re getting a new roof! Are you ready?

Please read the following list to know how to prepare for and what to expect during your roof replacement. 

Prior to construction:

  • If there is a chance of rain 30% or higher on the scheduled start date, we may choose to reschedule for a day with safer weather.
  • Please make sure the driveway is clear the day before and the morning of the scheduled start date. 
  • Please make sure any vehicles you may need are not in the garage or parked where they may be damaged by the re-roof process.
  • Materials will be delivered the day before the work is completed. Occasionally the dumpster or dump trailer will be delivered the day before as well.
  • Please notify your neighbors and HOA of the date of replacement. This is more of a courtesy and our project managers will do their best to do notify them, but we may not be able to reach every neighbor.
  • Please ensure that the grass is mowed no more than a week before roof replacement. Longer blades of grass may hide nails and debris or prevent them from being picked by our magnets.

  • During the roofing process, there will be a lot of vibrations caused by the hammering, walking, and nail-gunning that is required when re-roofing a home. There may also be some plywood debris inside your attic when our crews remove the vents and nail the shingles. As we are not liable for indirect damages caused by the re-roof, we recommend the following:

    • Please remove any photos or decorations that may break should they vibrate off of walls or furniture connected to walls. Items that are secured to a wall, like a mounted TV or large/heavy objects that are anchored into a stud or drywall should be fine, but please use your best discretion.

    • If you have an unfinished attic and use it to store personal belongings, please make sure they are protected from debris. We recommend storing them in hard plastic totes or cardboard boxes. You may also place a tarp or blanket over them temporarily.

During construction:

  • In order to take full advantage of the daylight, we often will begin work as early as 6:00 am. If this is too early for you, please let us know so we can accommodate you.
  • During the roofing process, we may encounter issues unrelated to the roof or any contracted work. If we come across something we may have to pause our work until the issue is resolved.
    • One example is a nest of squirrels or raccoons. If we come across them, or any other wildlife, we will pause construction until pest control or an appropriate party can handle the situation.
  • Debris will be falling from the roof throughout the whole process. It will be messy. Although we place tarps or netting around the entirety of the home to catch the debris and protect landscaping, we cannot guarantee it will all fall on these tarps. Rest assured it will all be cleaned up prior to the crew leaving the property.
    • If you have to exit or enter the home, please make one of the crew members aware and they will make sure it is safe for you to exit or enter. 
    • If debris does land on a neighbor’s property, please let them know to contact your project manager and we will make sure it is cleaned up.
  • There will be a lot of noise caused by the air compressors, motorized material lifts, hammering, scraping, and the crew calling out to each other. If anyone works or studies from home, we recommend finding another workspace or public wifi area to work or study in.
  • If there are any pets, small children, or people with special needs that will be affected by the noise or crew, we recommend making accommodations for them somewhere more comfortable for the duration of construction.

Cleanup

  • Throughout the entire process, the crew will be collecting and disposing of debris and trash resulting from the build. Although it will appear quite messy, we work diligently to clean up as quickly and efficiently as possible.
  • On many roof replacements, our crews make multiple trips to the local construction landfill to dump debris. Please do not park a vehicle in the driveway even though there may be room.
  • Once the final touches are being put on the roof, the crew will start the final cleanup.
    • We blow off any excess debris from the roof and gutters.
    • We rake and magnet roll the perimeter of the home.
    • We inspect the siding and gutters to clean up any scuffs or tar markings from the shingles.
    • We tidy up and put away all the equipment and tools. 
    • We blow any granules from the shingles off of the driveway or walkways.
  • Once it is safe to do so, our project managers will walk around the property with you to make sure you’re satisfied and happy with the job we’ve done. 
  • If applicable, we will ask you to sign our Certificate of Completion.
  • In the days or weeks after construction, you may notice some waviness to the shingles. This is normal. During installation, some shingles may bend and not lay flat immediately after being installed. They just need a few days to expand and contract with the sun in order to cure and lay flat.
  • You may also notice some missed debris after the roof is replaced. Although we do our best, we are still human. If you notice less than a handful of debris, nails, material wrappers, etc please dispose of them. If you notice more than a handful please call your project manager and they or one of the crew members will come back out for another sweep. Often times a downspout may be clogged and not release it’s contents for a few days or after a rainfall.

 

Thank you for taking the time to prepare your home for its roof replacement. We appreciate it and look forward to serving you!