Installing a new roof shows you care about your home and the safety of the people around you. No matter how durable, your roof can easily get damaged if a sudden disaster or natural disturbance occurs. Sometimes you can simply change your roof to upgrade the standard of your home.
When preparing for a new roof installation, it is crucial to hire a professional roofing service and plan a schedule that will work out. You can think about your home as a work zone on the day of your roof replacement, so it is best to get ready before the roofing company arrives.
You may wonder about how to get ready or be anxious about what to expect during a new roof installation, but with these tips, you can set your mind at ease before the roof installation process begins…
Include Children And Pets In Your Arrangement
During a roof installation, your home will become a work area, and everyone or everything that is precious to you must be protected until the project comes to an end. You should keep your children and animals out of the yard to avoid any accidents.
Growing children are typically inquisitive, and the loud noises during the installation may draw them to the yard where the work is being done. The area will be unsafe for children and can cause serious accidents, so prepare them before the roofing company arrives.
You can explain to your children in simple terms that they must stay away from some areas of the house temporarily to ensure their safety. You can keep your dogs in protected areas or have other family members keep an eye on them.
However, if it will be difficult to guide your kids and pet(s), as they may not understand the potential damage of being nearby during a roof installation, you can send them away to stay with a friend or relative until the job is done.
Relocate Vehicles From The Driveway
Your roofing contractor must have enough space to carry out this enormous task. Do not make the job difficult by taking up your driveway and vehicle parking spaces. Allow the contractor easy access to working materials like trucks, tools, trailers, etc.
You should move your vehicles as far away from the work zone as possible until the job comes to an end. Do not forget to close your garage doors while work is actively going on. Keeping them open can invite debris and dust inside. Some roofing companies put up plywood to protect the homeowner’s garage while working.
Temporarily Remove Important Items In The Attic
Any items of great value should be stored somewhere else during your roofing installation, as they could easily get damaged. This can happen because, during a roof installation, more than one installer walks around the roof at a time.
Workers drive nails into the shingles using hammers, and during this process, debris and dust will make their way into the attic space, and your valuables will most likely be covered in dirt.
You can stop this from happening by covering any valuables with drop cloths or large sheets until the job is over. However, you must clean the attic, as there may still be mild dust in that area. Emptying the attic before the workers arrive is the easiest way to avoid damage to your valuables.
Trim The Grass Near Your Home
Clearing vines, trimming shrubs and cutting back tree branches around your roof will help provide access for the installers to move around. If these trees overhang from a neighbor’s property, seek the homeowner’s permission before you remove the branches. Explain to the property owner that you are trying to make your property more accessible for the roofing service.
The roofing company sometimes carries along a vinyl tarp to protect surrounding grass and plants, but you should still have the grass trimmed before they arrive since short grass will make nail cleanup a lot easier.
Temporarily Re-Install Your Satellite Dish
You should remove your satellite dish temporarily if it is located on or near the roof. Before the roofing company arrives, you must first contact your satellite or cable service provider to remove it. Then, call for reinstallation after the roof has been finished.
Your roofing contractor may recommend installing your satellite dish away from your roof as it can lead to roof leaks if it is improperly installed. Rather, you can install the dish on a pole close to your house.
Remove Fragile Items From The Interior Walls
If your wall decorations are valuable to you, it is important to take them off the wall until the roof work is over. If you leave them hanging, they could fall off and break due to hammering and vibration that comes from the construction machines. Remove pictures, artwork, knickknacks and any other decorations to avoid potential damage.
Make Arrangements For Outdoor Items
Relocate outdoor items such as bikes, landscape lighting, garden pots and outdoor furniture. Roofing contractors will be discarding old hardware and shingles while working. Therefore, these items can be damaged if they are too close to the working area. Also, removing them can reduce the risk of hazard(s) for the contractors.
Turn-Off Your Sprinkler System
Just so you do not forget to do this one, turn off your sprinkler system the day before the roofing company arrives. By leaving it on during construction, the new roofing supplies can become wet, and it will not be good to give the roofing professionals an unnecessary shower!
Conclusion
Your new roof will improve your home’s appearance, keep you safe and help your house withstand impending weather problems. When you are ready for a roof replacement, get a proper installation from a reputable roofing company.
Once you have scheduled a date for the job to be done, get your property ready. Put your house in order, talk to the kids, protect your pet(s), move all valuables and do not forget to make your yard more accessible to the contractors by trimming the grass and relocating the vehicles.