Prepping for a New Roof

Preparing For Roof Removal

Before contractors install a new roof, the first thing they have to do is remove the old one.  While it might seem easy to do, there are small elements that are easily overlooked by homeowners.  Take steps now, and you’ll have a much easier time install.

Don’t Get Nailed - When roofers pull up your old roof, they’ll be pulling out roofing nails that hold the shingles in place.  Oftentimes, they do this quickly, and a few are bound to wind up in your yard.  While it may not seem like a big deal, pretend as if your neighbor’s tyke is running around in her bare feet, and she stumbles onto your lawn.  At that point, those roofing nails become like landmines, and if she steps on one and injures herself, you can be held legally responsible for not keeping your property safe.  In order to prevent this from happening, you can lay down a tarp around the areas that are most likely to catch some of these nails, and after the job is done, pick up the nails, bundle up the tarp, and you’ve saved yourself a great deal of potential aggravation.

Make Space – Most roofers will come with dump trucks to escort the old roofing material off your property.  Make as much space as you can nearby.  This way, the contractor doesn’t have to take as many trips escorting materials to the truck.  Not only will this make them happy, but you’ll also save on the labor costs.  In addition, they may bring a crane so as to transport materials up to the roof instead of having to hike them up ladders by hand.  This also saves you on labor costs, as it takes a lot less time and energy to use a crane than to do it electronically.  If you have space for a dump truck, you’ll most likely have one for a crane, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone.

While these preparations might seem unnecessary, you’ll be surprised at how they can ultimately help make the roofer’s job easier for them (and less expensive for you).  So take some time to take these precautions.