Time for a new roof? A roof replacement is a great way to add value to your home. It’s also necessary if your roof has aged or become damaged. But it’s a tremendous undertaking. What should you do to prepare for a roof replacement? How should you ensure that everything is adequately prepared before you move forward? Here’s a step-by-step list of what to do in conjunction with advice from your roofing company.
1. Remove Anything Fragile On or Around Your Walls
During roof construction, your walls are likely to shake, which is perfectly normal. But that also means you should take all your pictures off your walls for now. Anything delicate resting on the walls, such as mirrors, shelves, or planters, should also be removed. Go through your home room by room to make sure you’ve taken anything fragile off of the walls. After the roofing construction process is over, just rehang the pictures and other decor.
2. Move Bikes and Cars Away From the Exterior of Your Property
During the work, tools, debris, and roofing material might fall off the roof. That’s true no matter how careful the roofers are. Take care of bikes and cars by moving them away from the exterior of your property. You don’t want to be parked in your driveway if some nails fall down! And, of course, there’s always the unexpected. Roof work might reveal structural damage, for instance, which could merit a more serious repair that requires more space.
3. Have Your Satellite Dishes or Solar Panels Professionally Removed
If there’s anything on your roof, you’re likely going to have to have them both professionally removed and professionally reinstalled. For some things (like solar panels), you may have a contract that includes this sort of removal and reinstallation. Call the installers to arrange this in advance, because you won’t want your roofers to have to remove these items. Often, dishes and panels lose their warranty if they’re removed by anyone else but the installers.
4. Consider Having Your Pets or Children Stay With Friends
It can be pretty distressing for a pet or child to be inside of a house during a roof replacement. You might want to consider taking them to a pet-sitter or baby-sitter for the day. While the work is being done, it will be quite loud and disruptive. Dogs can become agitated and bark, and kiddos can get upset and cry. Take them to a friend’s for the day. They’ll have a fun day away and you can handle what’s going on at home.
5. Clean Up and Protect Your Attic and Its Contents
Your attic is likely to be the most disrupted area inside of your home. If you know you have valuable items in the attic, get some tarps to cover them or remove anything that could get broken. Say a hammer falls through a roof (a perfectly reasonable thing to happen): Would it break glass? Take some time to go through, or at least think through, your attic in advance.
6. Have Your Trees Pruned
If you have any trees hanging over your roof, now might be the time to get them pruned. It’s much easier to work around a roof if there aren’t any overhanging branches. Cleaning up your tree is also going to preserve your brand new roof better.
7. Walk Around the Perimeter
Finally, now is the time to walk around the perimeter of your home and make sure there isn’t anything else that could be damaged. You should have already removed your bikes and cars, but you should also think about moving large planters, yard decor, and anything else that would be damaged if something fell on it. Further, you should be clearing areas for the workers to work, as they will need to use ladders. If there are bushes that have to be trimmed back, now is the time to do it. The more access the roofers have, the faster the job will get done.
Is it time to have your roof replaced? Contact Bert Roofing today. At Bert Roofing, we work with you to create the roofing plan that’s perfect for your home. We’ll provide you a prompt quote, and when you’re ready we’ll be there to do the work. Find us online or call us at 214-307-8142.