At least once in your life as a homeowner, you’ll probably need to get a new roof. Installing a new roof can be stressful and expensive. In fact, you may be wondering exactly how much is a new roof?
A new roof costs between $8,000 and $22,000. While this might seem like a lot to spend, investing in your home increases its market value, helps lower energy costs, improves your home’s air quality, and most importantly, keeps everyone in your home safe.
When you know how to prepare for a new roof installation, it can make the process seamless and far less stressful.
How to Prepare for a New Roof
The time to get a new roof is here! You’ve already done your research and contacted several local roofing companies to get a new roof estimate, chosen which reputable contractor you’re going to work with, and are planning for the start of the project. Before the contractors arrive, though, there are a few things you need to do to get ready:
1. Cover your belongings in the attic.
Contractors will be walking on your roof, ripping up your old roofing materials, and hammering down the new ones. Dust and debris can get into your attic, so it’s a good idea to cover everything in your attic so nothing gets damaged or dirty.
2. Remove wall hangings.
When roofers are installing a new roof, the vibrations from the hammers and machines they use can travel down the walls and knock pictures, decorations, and artwork down. It’s important to take everything off of the walls on the level of your home closest to the roof, move furniture away from the walls, and consider taking down any light fixtures or chandeliers that could break.
3. Move outdoor furniture away from the house.
Move your outdoor furniture and grills into your shed, garage, or indoors before work on your roof begins. When a new roof is being installed, there’s lots of falling debris and you don’t want your outdoor belongings to be damaged in the process.
4. Get your lawn ready.
And on that note, it’s a good idea to cover any flowerbeds or lawn ornaments immediately surrounding your home. Again, debris will be falling from your roof and it’s a great way to add some protection to your greenery. You should also plan to mow your lawn the day before work begins and trim any tree branches that are near your roof. Long grass can hide debris and rogue tree branches can inhibit the worker’s progress.
5. Remove satellite dishes and antennas.
You will also need to remove any satellite dishes or antennas that are on or near your roof so they don’t get damaged in the new roof installation.
6. Move your car.
It’s important to move all your family vehicles away from your home so that they don’t get damaged, but your roofing contractors need a place to park their trucks that’s quickly and easily accessible throughout their workdays. They need to access their tools and equipment, and if they have to hike to their truck, it prolongs the whole process.
7. Keep kids and pets inside.
Your kids might be curious about what’s going on and want to watch, but this can only be safely done from a distance. It’s best to plan to keep your children and your pets inside or away from your home for the duration of the work so that no one gets hurt.
What Happens During Your New Roof Installation
When your new roof is being installed, there are four steps in the process.
- Step One: Old roof removal and inspection – All of your old shingles will be removed, and your roof will be inspected to make sure the structure is safe and there’s no damage to the wood.
- Step Two: Preparing the Surface – A drip edge is installed along the edge of your roof, and a water and ice shield underlayment is installed to the wood decking. Both of these prevent water leaks.
- Step Three: Install the New Roof – In this stage, the new roofing materials are installed. Your contractor works from the bottom up and follows specific steps when installing counter flashing, ridge vents, and ridge capping as needed.
- Step Four: Clean Up and Final Inspection – After your new roof is installed, the crew will perform a final inspection and clean up the site.
Now that you know how to prepare for your new roof installation and what to expect, contact Jack C. Wilson Roofing Co. to get started today.
