Replacing Your Roof? Here Are 5 Key Factors You Must Know

Replacing your roof is a noteworthy investment that can be daunting and overwhelming. It can feel like a wild goose chase to find the right contractor, choose the best materials, and decide on the right style for your home.

However, before throwing in the towel, remember that knowledge is power. There are certain things in residential roofing that you need to take into account before embarking on the journey.

By educating yourself on the process, you can make informed decisions that will save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. 

So, we have crafted this blog to walk you through some essential factors to consider before replacing your roof and the services involved in the roof replacement.

5 factors to consider before residential roof replacement

• Available roofing materials

Roofing technology has traveled a long way and reached a point of great advancements in recent years. Nowadays, you can choose a roofing material that was probably unavailable when you built your house.

Apart from asphalt, metal, clay, wood shingles, and slate roofing, various present-day roofing materials available include the following:

• Solar Shingles: These are made of photovoltaic cells and can generate electricity to power your home. A sustainable approach from a tesla solar roof certified installer!
• Green Roofs: Green roofs consist of a layer of vegetation planted on top of a waterproof membrane. Suitable for flat or low-sloped roofs, green roofs reduce energy costs, absorb rainwater, and improve air quality.
• Rubber Roofing: Rubber roofing is made of recycled materials and is highly durable and energy-efficient. Moreover, it is also affordable and suitable for commercial as well as residential roofing.
• Standing Seam Metal Roofing: This metal roofing has raised seams that interlock and provide extra protection against water and wind damage. It is a low-maintenance, durable, and energy-efficient option, ideal in harsh weather conditions.
• Modified Bitumen Roofing: This roofing material is made of asphalt and rubber modifiers and provides excellent protection against water damage, UV rays, and extreme temperatures. It is suitable for both residential and commercial roofs with low-sloped or flat roofs.
• Composite Roofing: Composite roofing is made of a blend of materials, including plastic, rubber, and asphalt. It is available in an extensive range of color and style options and is highly durable and energy-efficient.

Still, you might be enticed to go with the similar roofing material your previous roof had. However, considering the above options can be beneficial in several ways.

• Peeling off Vs. Layering on

You will be at a crossroads here. Before roof replacement, you must decide whether to install a new layer on the existing shingles or remove them and start over. A point to note here is that most building codes do not allow adding more than two shingles layers.

Generally, peeling off the existing shingles is a better option than adding a layer to them.

Why?

Even if layering is affordable, it will increase the weight on your roof, leading to major residential roofing problems in the future. Moreover, if your old shingles are warping, have become uneven, or have started falling off, peeling them off is the best option.

• Pricing structure

When it comes to roof replacement pricing, the DIY option lures people. However, homeowners opt for residential roofing services as soon as they consider the time, safety concerns, and effort required.

• It will be loud

Roof replacement involves considerable noise. Also, it will carry inside your home so children and individuals working from home can benefit from temporary relocation. It is also necessary to inform your neighbors about your residential roofing plans.

If you plan a roof replacement on a commercial property, inform your employees because communication with customers will become challenging with disruption and noise.

• Refuse material disposal

Roof replacement will create a great deal of waste material. Hence, you should ask your roofing contractors how they will manage it.

If they are bringing their container, know where they will place it. Also, know what they will do if the container somehow damages your driveway.

Now that you know what you should take care of before starting roof replacement, let us discuss what is included in roof replacement services.

What is included in roof replacement services?

• Roof inspection and quotation

A thorough roof inspection is a primary step in the roof replacement process. In this stage, residential roofing services will analyze and select roofing materials, take measurements, and formulate a quotation.

The quotation will outline material breakdown, waste removal, labor, and other related costs. Also, roofers will define the timeline- when the project begins and ends.

• Preparations

Roofers will prepare your property before peeling off your old roof. It includes ensuring the windows and sidings are protected from falling scrap, and the garden is shielded with tarpaulins.

In addition, they will ensure that there is a way for them to remove old materials and make sure that new materials and equipment are on site.

• Old roof removal

Roofers will pull down all the layers of your roof, from shingles to decking. However, before taking off the decking, roofers will inspect it thoroughly. If it is in a satisfactory state, they will start building a new roof on the old decking.

• New roof installation

Now residential roofing services will install your new roof in sections. They will start with laying underlay, edging, flashing around chimneys and vents, and installing new shingles or tiles of your choice.

The last step in a new roof installation is to fit ridge capping.

• Post-installation cleaning

Roofers’ job is incomplete unless they had restored your garden and home to the same condition before they started their work.

As we had discussed, roof replacement produces considerable waste. So, roofers will remove all the waste and carry out one last quality check. This ensures quality craft.

Wrapping up!

Feeling overwhelmed and intimidated when your roof screams that it needs replacement is normal. Everything might worry you, from finding the right residential roofing services to the replacement cost.

However, you can refer to the above guidelines and make informed decisions.