It’s highly recommended by most manufacturers that you replace your asphalt roof at least once every 25 years. Even if your roof hasn’t reached the end of its lifespan, all of these signs indicate that you should consider getting a roof replacement soon:
- Curling shingles
- Missing shingles
- Loss of shingle granules
- Moss growth
- Sagging in the center of the roof
Roof replacement is a big investment in any homeowner’s life, and it comes with a lot of questions. Particularly for new homeowners, we see one question that comes up a lot: “Should I stay home during my roof replacement?”
There’s no right or wrong answer, but there are a lot of factors that go into answering this question. Keep reading for some things to keep in mind to help you make your decision.
Roof Replacement Process
If you’ve never had your roof replaced before, you might not even know what the process involves! While every contractor has their own way of doing things, here’s a brief breakdown of how the project will likely work:
- Inspection: Your roofing contractor will come to your home and inspect your roof. They’ll walk on your roof, take some photos, and inspect your attic.
- Proposal and estimate: Based on their findings, the contractor will provide you with a write-up of their proposed work and an estimate of the associated costs. You’ll be able to ask them questions about the proposal and let them know if and when you’d like to proceed with the project.
- Arrival: On the day of your roof replacement, your roofing team will arrive and bring materials to your house. Depending on your preference, they’ll place materials and dumpsters on your lawn or your driveway.
- Remove the old roof: The team will get on your roof and remove your old shingles and underlayment.
- Place new roof: Once the old materials have all been removed, the roofers will lay down your new shingles.
- Dispose of old materials: After your new roof is in place, the team will clean up all the roofing debris from your property and take it to a proper disposal site. Your yard, sidewalks, and driveway should be just as clear as before they began!
Depending on the size of your roof, the entire process should take about a day or two. If your contractor finds something unexpected on your roof as they remove old materials, they’ll communicate with you about if and how this changes the cost and timeline of your project.
Should You Stay Home During the Roof Replacement: Things to Keep in Mind
While most contractors will recommend that you spend your time elsewhere during the replacement, they’ll allow you to stay home if you want to. However, it’s your responsibility to decide whether this plan will actually work for you. Keep the following things in mind when making your decision.
1) Noise Tolerance
If you live in a two-story house, you might get away with spending all your time on the lower level. However, you’ll still get some noise pollution, with constant banging and people walking on your roof.
If you work from home or have small children, all the noise might prevent you from having the regular day you think you will at home. If your priority is to preserve your routine, it might be better to set yourself up at a friend or relative’s house for the day instead.
2) Comfortability
Ideally, you’ve chosen to work with a roofing company that you trust to have around your home. But if the thought of strangers at your house without you makes you anxious or concerned, staying home is totally okay.
If you have pets, think about their comfort as well. Most roofing crews are more than happy to make space for you to let your dog out occasionally, but it will add undue stress to the day for everyone involved if your pets don’t do well with strangers in the home or with intermittent, loud noises happening.
The same is true for children. If they’re of an age where they can understand what’s happening and what they need to do to stay safe during roof work, you should be fine to stay home. However, if you think the environment will be overstimulating for your little ones, it might be best to plan an out-of-the-house activity for the day.
3) Access
Staying on-site means that your contractor will have easy access to you if they need to ask a question or change plans. Even just being there at the beginning of the project can be a nice way to introduce yourself to the team lead, show them how to access your attic, and answer any last-minute questions before they begin their work. Beyond that, though, your roofing team will probably be just fine without immediate access to you, as long as they know how to reach you via phone.
Also, be honest with yourself about whether your presence could be a distraction for the team. If you’re interrupting the team every few minutes to weigh in or ask them questions, you run the risk of preventing them from completing their work well and on time. If you think you’ll be tempted to become overinvolved, it might be best to plan a day out of the house.
4) Safety
If you do choose to stay home, roofers will definitely be throwing old materials off the edge of your roof, so it’s best to stay inside if you can. If you walk outside, double-check which area they’re working on at any given moment. Keep your eyes peeled for falling debris!
Make the Best Choice for You
Ultimately, the final decision on whether you should stay home during your roof replacement is totally up to you. In most cases, homeowners do just fine staying at home while their roofs are getting replaced, but that may not be the best decision in your circumstance. The key takeaway is to know your family’s needs and make the necessary preparations to meet those needs.
When your roof is being replaced, you deserve a process that’s as easy and stress-free as possible. A huge part of this is working with roofing contractors who you can rely on to show up on time, provide you with the information you need, and deliver on their promises. At Best Exteriors, we do all this and more, and we don’t consider a job complete until you’re 100% satisfied with the result.
Curious to learn more about our approach to roof replacements? Contact us now to get started!
