What to Expect During Roof Replacement?
It is a good practice to replace your house’s roof every 20 – 25 years. In the DFW area, hail and windstorms occur frequently, which will result in roofs being replaced much sooner. Certainly, there are advantages to it aside from the long-term benefit, like bringing the apartment up to code and increasing its curb appeal.
But, if it is your first time, you should know the roof replacement process is cumbersome. Although roofers will be doing virtually all the legwork, your job will be to minimize the ensuing inconveniences as much as possible.
How are you supposed to do that?
Clean out your yard, warn children of the big day and perhaps have them stay at a kin’s place, move out your pet or contain them indoors, cover or shift all valuables in the attic and patio, and park your car away from the driveway, maybe on the street.
Why make these arrangements?
Replacing a roof is a messy job. Roofers will remove shingles, to give the whole roof a good overhaul, and in that process nails and debris will scatter across your yard, driveway, and even slip through cracks into the attic.
Let’s take a detailed look at all the things you should be expecting during roof replacement location-wise, and why these arrangements are necessary.
- Yard
Your yard will be the primary victim during the roof replacement process, and you might know why.
Shingle granules, nails, and other debris, if not all, will find their way to the yard when roofers remove the existing roof.
Although they will place a dump trailer in the driveway, there is no way it will collect all the mess.
So, having anything valuable within at least a 15-foot radius of the roof is not a wise idea during that period. Items like patio furniture, sprinklers, and even specific plants could suffer considerable damage.
Plus, it is dangerous to walk around barefoot in the yard. Roofers may use metal detectors and magnets to gather nails and other metal objects, but shingle scraps might overstay their welcome.
Here are a few things you should do to keep inconveniences of these sorts at bay –
- Move out patio furniture, toys, and other objects lying around the yard to a safe place. At least, place plastic sheeting or tarp on the valuables.
- Park your car in the street because the driveway will be particularly vulnerable during roof replacement. A garage might seem like a good option, but if its roof is not insulated, it’s recommended otherwise.
- Move all fragile items off your lawn, be it potted plants, statues, or whatever you think is valuable.
- If possible, mow the lawn as well. It’d help roofers to locate shingle granules or other objects gone astray easily.
Besides these, you may want to mark any unmovable plant and notify the contractor that you want it to be preserved.
- Electrical units
Although rare, you can expect damage to improperly installed HVAC units, electrical lines, or gas hoses that are in close proximity of the deck.
Ideally, an inch’s gap is still fine.
But, take no chances. It’s recommended to cover up those aforesaid units to prevent any damage due to debris and nails. You wouldn’t want to repair the AC hot on the heels of a roof replacement.
Also, if possible, avoid using them during the process with covers on. It can damage HVAC units as well.
- Sheetrock
Roof replacement causes tremendous vibration across the entire structure of the house, and sheetrock is particularly vulnerable for obvious reasons.
Thus, you can expect cracks appearing on it or nail pops during or post replacement. The degree of damage depends on the structural integrity of that sheetrock.
You may want to get that checked before proceeding with roof replacement, especially if your house is ageing or you suspect the sheetrock of any particular room to be a tad fragile.
Besides cracks, nails can also pop out as a result of replacing the roof. However, that can be easily repaired.
- Siding
The siding of your house can also suffer damage or even break during the process. It’s particularly susceptible to damage when the roof flashing is installed.
Chances of siding breakage increase if it’s old or rotten. So, be prepared if that’s the case.
If you still presume the siding of your house wouldn’t hold to impacts of roof flashing installation, it’s best to get it checked to be sure.
- Attic
The attic is often the place where people store fragile items or objects of sentimental value. If it’s that same with you, you need to take particular care of those before the process begins.
Unfortunately, the attic is where most of the debris will gather. Also, chances of nails and other objects falling through the cracks are high in this case.
That can amount to sizeable damage to the objects in the attic. As a precaution, consider covering those up with plastic sheeting or tarp. It’s even better if you can move out those to somewhere else for the time being.
Consider covering floors with plastic sheeting even if there are no items in the attic. Post-roof replacement, it’d be easier to clean up that way.
- Miscellaneous
Wall decors and hangings can be dislodged from their position due to vibrations. Consider putting them down for the time being.
Besides that, the driveway floor is also susceptible to cracks and marks. Apart from debris, shingle scraps, and nails, the considerable weight of roofing materials being dumped on trash bin can deal a good amount of blow.
Also, beware of the noise. If you have pets, ensure they’re comfortable or temporarily relocate them someplace else.
Same goes for children. If too young, they might even unknowingly venture out to the lawn and bruise or cut their feet. So if possible, send them away till your house is restored to its proper state.
You may also want to inform your neighbors before the roof replacement process begins. The sound plus debris, if they stay close, may not be welcomed unless informed beforehand.