Your roof needs to be replaced. You called the contractors, read through the estimates, asked your questions, got your answers, and chose the best local roofing company in your area. The materials have been ordered, the date has been scheduled, and it’s almost here! New roof day!
As a homeowner, what can you do to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible on your roof’s big day? How can you and your roofing contractor help each other to have a successful installation?
Trim Your Trees
This probably would have already come up in your original conversations with your roofing contractor, but if you have trees that overhang your roof (especially if they are close to the roof surface) you may have to have them trimmed before the day of your roof replacement. Call a reliable, local tree trimming company for help if needed.
Call to Confirm
About 7 days before your roof installation, give your roof replacement company a call. This is partly to confirm that you’re both on the same page about the schedule, but also to make sure that all of the materials have arrived and nothing unexpected has come up that could delay the process. Your roofer should also give you some more details about things (such as the things listed here) that you can do to make the process go as simply as possible.
Check the Weather
When you call to confirm the schedule and the installation date with your roofing contractor, make sure you talk about the weather. Not for the sake of chit-chat, but so that you understand the contingencies of your roof replacement that hinge on weather conditions. If there is severe weather forecast, your roofer may reschedule your installation. But find out what impact even normal weather events (rain, wind, unseasonable temperatures) might have on your roof’s installation.
Protect Your Items
This applies to important/fragile/precious things that are stored in your attic which could be vulnerable to moisture or debris that comes into the house during the roof replacement. But it also applies to items hanging on your walls throughout the house — vibrations from the roof work could shake some things loose.
Move Your Car(s)
Make sure your roofing contractor will be able to get their trucks into your driveway, into your yard, or into a convenient spot on your street so they can get your roofing materials to your house quickly and easily.
Prep Your Yard
Make sure that any bushes along the sides of your house are covered, and any outdoor furniture or decor is relocated. The roofing tools and materials should stay mostly on your roof, but accidents can happen, so it’s better to prepare than to regret.
Relocate Your Pets (and Possibly Your Kids)
Pets and young kids can be stressed by the noise of a roof replacement. Pets could be at risk for getting out unexpectedly under these circumstances. And both kids and pets can be at risk of injury from items on the ground or anything that falls from the roof during the roof work.
Talk to Your Neighbors
A roof replacement is noisy (though thankfully, it doesn’t take very long). Give your neighbors a heads-up so they can make any adjustments to their own schedule in consideration of your roof replacement. Thankfully, your neighbors should be understanding — if they haven’t been through this yet, they will soon! But they might want to move their garden party to next week!
It doesn’t take much to help your roof replacement go smoothly. Your roofing contractors are (hopefully!) pros who do this all the time, and they know what they’re doing. But a little help from homeowners is always appreciated, and can make the job easier and faster, which is usually good news to everyone!