So you’ve hired an experienced contractor to replace your roof. Good for you! You can rest assured knowing that your roof is in well-trained, professional hands. However, you shouldn’t just sit back and do nothing. There are still some crucial things you need to do to make sure your home is ready for a roofing job. That’s why we at Roof Pros have compiled this list of simple steps you can take to help your roofing job go as smoothly as possible:
Tell Contractor Where to Deposit Roofing Materials
Your contractor will typically deliver materials for the roofing job to your home one day before work begins. One way you can make these days easier for yourself is to tell your contractor on which side of the driveway you would like them to deposit the roofing materials. Why needlessly suffer through the hassle of having to work around an annoying obstacle on the wrong side of your driveway? By planning and communicating with your contractor in advance, you can save yourself a lot of grief.
Don’t Worry About Cleaning Gutters
Many homeowners wonder if they need to clean their gutters before a roofing job. The answer to this question is a resounding no! There’s no reason to worry about your dirty gutters clogging up a roofing job because the roofers will typically clean them out for you. Cleaning gutters is part and parcel of the roof replacement process, so don’t burden yourself with unnecessary extra work before your roofing job. Let the roofers handle your gutters for you!
Remove Vehicle from Garage the Night Before
On the day of the roofing job, your contractor will need to back a trailer up to your house to collect and haul away the debris from your old roof. While this is a nice perk because it means you won’t have to do any cleaning up after they finish the job, it can also be potentially problematic if you’re not prepared. Since the trailer will need to be close to your house, the roofers will back it up your driveway, meaning your vehicle could be blocked in your garage if you don’t move it out beforehand. That’s why My-Pros recommends you remove any cars you’re going to need to use during the day of your roofing job the night before work is set to begin. It is good to do this the night before because roofers frequently want to get an early start on a roofing job (usually between 7 and 9 AM). So if you don’t want to be scrambling to move your car early in the morning, you should move it out the night before.
Keep an Eye on Children and Pets
During a typical roofing job, the area around the outside edges of your home can become quite hazardous. With eighty-pound shingle bundles dropping from the roof and spare nails littered across the ground, the outside edges of your house are certainly no place for children or pets. So you’re going to want to make sure the kids play inside during the day of your roofing job, and if they’re just dying to go out, take them to the park. The last thing you want is junior stepping on a nail! And if your dog just has to get outside to relieve himself, Roof Pros Roofing recommends that you pick him up and carry him out past the edge of your roof. Let him roam free at a distance from your home, but make sure he doesn’t venture back toward the house. He may not understand that an eighty-pound shingle bundle could squash him flat, but you certainly would be crushed if you lost your beloved Fido! Be safe, not sorry.
Move Outdoor Furniture Away From Roof
Not only does falling debris pose a threat to your young ones and critters, but it can also be potentially damaging to your outdoor furniture. A falling shingle could easily scratch a grill or shatter a glass table, costing you extra money to replace the item on top of the cost you’re already paying for the roofing project. If you aren’t able to move your furniture on your own, any good contractor should be more than willing to help you move your valuable outdoor furniture out of the way.
Be Mindful of Precious Landscaping
Because roofers will be dropping debris off the edges of your roof, plants beneath those edges will be especially at risk of damage. So if you have a prized geranium that you don’t want to be harmed during the job, you may want to consider replanting it in an area away from your roof. If you do not wish to replant it or simply cannot do so, then you can ask your contractor to create a protective barrier to keep your plant from harm. Any good contractor should be willing to do this; however, it will probably cost you extra because of the expense of building the barrier. Still, if you love that plant, any additional cost will likely be worth it.
“Earthquake-Proof” Indoor Items
A roofing job can be downright cruel to the items hanging on your walls. Although the construction is only happening on your roof, the vibrations from that construction can reverberate through your home, creating a miniature earthquake with potentially damaging effects. That’s why Roof Pros recommends you remove any items from your walls that you don’t want to be damaged during the job. You’re also going to want to consider moving objects situated near things hanging on your walls. For example, although you may not be all that devastated if a cheap decorative picture falls off your wall, you would be a lot more devastated if that picture fell and shattered the precious family heirloom on the table below it. So look around your home and make sure that the items potentially at risk of falling off the walls and being affected by things falling off the walls are not items you would be heartbroken to lose. Walls that tend to be most affected by vibrations are exterior walls and walls on the upper floors of your home, so you’re going to want to focus mostly on those.
Be Cautious of Leftover Nails Afterward
A good contractor will clean up after the job and leave your property looking better than it did beforehand; however, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still be cautious when you walk around the edges of your home. There’s always a chance that a stray nail may have evaded the magnetic roller your contractor used to pick up stray nails, so you’re going to want to be vigilant for the next few days. Be especially vigilant while you mow the lawn or watch your kids play. Chances are you won’t come across any spare nails, but you never know.
Roof Pros Roofing is an excellent choice for all of your roofing needs in Clovis, CA and Fresno CA. Call us today at 559-408-6506 or click here to schedule a free estimate!
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