8 Things You Need to Know Before Installing a New Roof

By Kacey Bradley, Porch

Being a homeowner means that you’re free to do whatever you like to your home, without the limits placed on you by a lease or landlord. While there are typically community rules to follow, you’re able to make alterations and changes to your house if you get tired of the way it looks or want to add something new to your property.

This is an extremely freeing stage of life. You might find yourself getting lost in endless interior decorating plans or a pool installation, but it also means that when something breaks, you’re on your own. When you own a home, it can feel like things break more often than not.

You might not know what to do when certain things need repair, especially if it’s your roof. Having new roofing installed is a big deal, so you have to be prepared when it happens. Read on for a list of things you need to know before your roof construction begins. You’ll be able to make it smoothly through the repair or building process and come out on the other side of it with a beautiful home.

Construction Will Be Ongoing

Even with the best crew, roofing installation is going to take time. That means that you can’t expect it to be done overnight, or even in a couple of days. If your team gives you an estimated date for when everything will be done, prepare for construction to overshoot that date just in case work gets delayed.

Carbon Monoxide Risks Increase

People don’t ever talk about carbon monoxide in the home, especially if you’ve got a sensor by your fireplace or an air vent that’s supposed to alert you when levels get high. When work is being done on your roof, damage to the air vents in your home make carbon monoxide poisoning a real possibility. It’s good to be aware of so you can be ready to vacate the property if needed.

Outdoor Property Damage is Possible

If you’ve got expensive outdoor property like a pool, you’ll need to know that it’s possible that outdoor damage can occur. If machine rolls through your yard or equipment falls from the roof, it can crack sidewalks or rip pool lining. A roof replacement will add years to the life of your roof, but it doesn’t happen without a sometimes messy process.

Indoor Life Can Get Messy

Some roof repair takes place in only certain sections of the home, meaning that you can close a bedroom or office door and continue living in your home while construction happens. Dust and debris can still be swept through doorways or drift in through windows, so there may be extra cleaning involved.

Your Home Will Vibrate

As drilling and other construction processes happen, your home is going to shake. Not as much as it would in an earthquake, but it’ll be enough to feel if you press your hand to a wall. This could cause shelving and picture frames to fall or get damaged. Make sure that nothing irreplaceable is left on your walls while construction is happening. 

Accessing Your Home Can Get Tricky

A roof repair or installation is going to take a lot of equipment. Not all of that equipment will fit in a tool belt. Heavy machinery may make a temporary home on your property, which means your driveway is going to be the first thing to go.

If the machinery can’t fit all in your driveway, the crew will have to unload or park what they need in your yard. Your garage and other outside doorways could be blocked while they do their work. Have a backup plan for where you’re going to park your car and how you’ll get in and out of your home each day in case this happens.

Electrical Threats May Arise

The construction crew will have to use power tools and even air compressors to get their work done, so they’ll have to have access to electrical outlets. Circuits can share plugs with both outdoor and indoor lines, so do a check of your home to make sure no electrical line poses a threat.

Accidental spilled drinks or splashed water could find their way into electrical outlets. Sometimes this happens and there’s no damage, but it’s still possible that an accident could require you to learn about electric circuit repair. Read all you can now so you’ll learn about which plugs in your home are on the same circuit to save you time in case an accident happens.

Try to Stay Flexible

The best thing you can do before your roof construction gets started is to remain flexible with whatever could come your way. The crew you’ve hired to get the job done will do their best to complete their work without extra mess or damage, but it’s possible that accidents can happen.

Have backup plans ready for if construction goes on longer than planned or if you have to move your family or yourself out of your home unexpectedly. It’s best to prepare yourself for anything that could happen so you’re not left in a panic if the worst comes to pass.

Plenty of homeowners have construction done on their home all the time. Not every homeowner will be able to repair electrical work, renovate kitchens and fix storm damage. When it comes to your roof, you want the best people to complete the job so you don’t have to worry about fixing it anytime in the near future.

While you won’t be donning a construction cap and joining the people up on your roof, there are things you can write down on your pre-roof installation checklist to do your part to get the job done. Prepare the inside of your home for extra mess and have an evacuation plan ready if damage occurs or carbon monoxide levels rise. Get your home ready for the construction to come and you’ll help the work get done that much more quickly.