Are you ready to have a roof replacement? This is major construction that requires a bit of prep work first.
As the homeowner, it’s your responsibility to make sure your property is ready. This includes outdoor and indoor preparations.
Read through this list carefully, then schedule each task into your calendar. It will take you several days to fully prepare, so get started well ahead of time.
Give your neighbors a heads up about your roof replacement
Roofing is extremely noisy, and your neighbors’ lives may be disrupted. Let them know that you’ll be getting some roofing work done.
And don’t just tell them a day or couple of hours before! Tell them in advance so they have enough time to adjust their schedule or make accommodations.
Clear your driveway
The roofing crew will need to bring heavy equipment and materials up your driveway and will probably use it as a temporary storage zone. So, make sure your driveway is completely clear.
Park your vehicles on the street for now. Keep the garage shut and remember not to park inside it unless you won’t need that vehicle for the duration.
And remove any toys, garden hoses, or other objects from the driveway.
Provide access
Are the walkways and perimeter of your house clear? Walk around all the sides and see. If you have decorative planters lining a footpath, these might need to go.
Make sure you remove anything leaning against the sides of your house, like rakes, garden tools, or supplies. And remove any planters that are hanging from or around the roof.
Finally, remove any patio furniture, grills, barbecues, and deck items. If they can’t fit inside your garage, place these as far away from the house as possible.
Prepare the yard
First, remove anything that’s lying around and store it in the garage for now. If you have garden sheds or other permanent installations that could be damaged by flying objects, cover them with a tarp.
Then get any overhanging trees trimmed. Tree branches should always be kept trimmed away from the house. But if you intend to get roofing work done, make sure the crew won’t have to work around this.
Next, mow your lawn and cut the grass short. During the roofing process, nails and other objects can fly off the roof onto the lawn. The crew will clear this up after the project is done, but they need to be able to see through the grass to make sure they got everything.
Finally, turn off your sprinklers a couple of days before the work begins. You definitely don’t want this going off while the roofing is being done, but it’s also not ideal to have damp or soggy soil.
Prepare the attic
Your attic is probably going to get dirtied up during the process. The jostling, banging, and walking around will generate plenty of dust and debris.
So, use a tarp or old sheet to cover up what’s inside. If you have breakables or antiques stored there, it’s a good idea to move these somewhere else.
Clear interior walls and secure your breakables
The attic isn’t the only place in the home that will be affected. Your walls and ceilings can get jostled during a roofing replacement. At times, this can reverberate throughout the entire house.
Remove all the pictures or artwork from your walls. And look for any countertop items that could shift off the surface and break.
Have any hanging chandeliers or fragile light fixtures? Take them down if they are delicate enough to break from swinging or vibrations.
Arrange for childcare and pet care
It isn’t ideal to leave children or pets in the home while roofing is getting done. Even if you’re fine with it, the noise and vibrations can be overwhelming for them. AGR has a partnership with Clearview Pet Care for homeowners who have pets, dogs shouldn’t be stressed with the hammering.
Infants, toddlers, and young children are too young to cope with this. So, make plans to have them elsewhere for the entire duration.
If older children need to stay home for remote learning, it is important to remember the roof replacement will be loudest at the top floors of your home. Noise blocking safety gear can also be used.
Have special needs children of any age? For both of your sakes, please arrange to have them elsewhere.
Make your own plans
You don’t have to be on-site for the entire workday. So, this might be a good time for a mini staycation.
Are you working from home? If you’ll need to make calls or have video chats, look for a daily co-working rental space.
Otherwise, get some noise-canceling hearing protection. Look for comfortable over-the-ears protection that qualifies as safety equipment.
Basic earplugs won’t suffice and often tend to pop out.
Inspect your property
Give your property an inspection. The roofing installation manager will do this, but as a homeowner, you should also do your own.
Check your gutters, windows, window frames, screens, hanging lights, and anything around the home’s perimeter.
Notice what’s broken, missing, or damaged. Note what’s in good condition. And take pictures of everything.
This is just a prudent thing to do, in case of damages, accidents, or disputes.
Turn off alarms
Finally, turn off any home alarms or set a security program that turns them off during working hours. It’s a good idea to leave your cameras on, but make sure the roofers don’t have to deal with accidentally tripping a noisy alarm or security system.
That about covers it. Roofing replacement or repair is significant work. And it does take a bit of effort to prepare for this.
But as long as you have a good roofing contractor, you won’t have to worry about doing this again for several more years.
We will do our best to keep your home clean and with no excess debris by the end of each day we are on site
Please keep in mind that nails can be found days, or weeks after the roof is completed. If that happens, please reach out to us. We are more than happy to go out and clean up whatever is there. We do our best with our magnets to pick up all nails and debris each day, but we do occasionally miss hard to see places in long grass and bushes.
