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Home Roof Replacement Tips – Top 10 Ways to Prepare

Stay Safe and Protect Your Home

7 min
Metro City Roofing crew member wearing an orange vest and climbing a ladder in front of yellow, 2-story house in the Central Park neighborhood in Denver, Colorado

Getting a new roof can be exciting, especially after an extreme windstorm or hailstorm. Your kids and pets may watch with intense focus as they observe the roofing crew tear off the existing roof, carrying your new roofing materials, and hauling away your old roof. They may want to get as close as possible to the action. To them, it’s a show right outside your window and atop your home.

Of course, roofing work is hazardous, and it is vital to keep your loved ones safely inside while the roofing work is being completed. Once the roofing company arrives, your house becomes a work zone, which poses unexpected hazards. A new roof replacement will take one or more days, depending on the square feet of your roof, type of roof, and additional factors.

Metro City Roofing prioritizes making roof replacement hassle-free. There are, however, significant safety precautions and preparations you can take, so you are 100% ready.

Follow These 10 Tips in Advance of Your Roof Replacement

Here are ten tips to help make your roofing home improvement project go as smoothly as possible. At Metro City Roofing, our goal is to keep you and your family safe during construction.

  1. Think about kids and pets – Loud noises from construction will make their way inside your home. Construction can undoubtedly be exciting to watch from a safe distance, but work zones are extremely unsafe for children and pets. We recommend talking with your kids to explain that certain areas of the home or yard will be off-limits until the project is completed. You may consider keeping your family away from the house while your roof is being replaced. While this works for some homeowners, it does not work for all – and you can certainly stay home during a roof replacement (also known as re-roofing).
  2. Move your vehicles – Contractors will need to position their trailer or dumpster close to your house. They will also need quick access to their tools throughout the day and need a place to load shingles and remove debris from the eaves, and more. We strongly recommend keeping your vehicles safe from this area, from falling debris and nails that the roofing install team will collect at the end of the project. We also recommend keeping your garage door closed during construction to minimize the debris that can get inside, including underlayment felt paper and nails.
  3. Remove valuable wall decorations – Hammers, nail guns, and other machinery used on your roof may vibrate inside your home, especially if your home needs new sheathing or roof deck. We recommend removing any pictures, knick-knacks, or other items hanging on your walls or ceiling in the rooms immediately below your attic.
  4. Cover belongings in the attic – During a new roof replacement, numerous roofers will be walking on your roof, pounding it with hammers. A roof replacement removes all roofing materials down to the roof deck and involves installing new underlayment and roofing materials. By comparison, a roof over adds another layer of roofing materials on top of the existing shingles. Dust or small debris will fall in the attic spaces during a new roof installation. A roofing contractor will also likely replace all roof vents and potentially skylights that expose your attic to debris. We recommend covering any personal items in your attic, or even your attic insulation, with old sheets or drop cloths until the roof replacement is finished. If your roof has space decking and new decking is required (to meet local building code requirements), your attic will likely receive more than a light coating of debris since the space between boards will be wider. We also set the expectation with homeowners to be prepared to do some light vacuuming in these areas after construction is completed.
  5. Move patio furniture and portable grills away from the house – We recommend storing any portable items like patio furniture, grills, potted plants, and lawn ornaments in a nearby shed or garage while your new roof is installed. If you don’t have on-site storage or if your garage or shed will also get a new roof, consider moving these items to another area of the yard that is a safe distance from all falling debris and the work zone. Most contractors will do this anyways before getting started and help you move any personal items inside or outside your home.
  6. Cut trees and grass before roof construction begins – Low-hanging tree branches near or touching the roof should be trimmed before the roofing contractor can begin work. The roof installer should use drop cloths and tarps to protect plants and shrubs, but it is ideal to have freshly cut grass a day before construction begins so the roof installation crew can see and collect any debris, including nails. We also recommend collecting and bagging any fallen leaves in the fall season.
  7. Identify several accessible power outlets – Your roofing contractors will need access to electrical outlets while working. Exterior outlets are preferred, but a garage outlet is a suitable alternate choice. If there are no exterior outlets, we will need an extension cord to run through a window or door to get power outside. Extension cords may pose a safety hazard, so choose an outlet in an area that doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic.
  8. Remove antennas or satellite dishes – If you have any antennas or satellite dishes located on or near your roof, you will want to have them removed. Call your cable company or satellite provider to make arrangements before the roof work begins. If these are old or no longer being used, most roofing contractors will be happy to remove and dispose of your old antennas or satellite dishes. If you cannot remove in advance, your roofer will be able to detach and reset, but you will likely need to call your satellite provider to reset the signal.
  9. Talk to your neighbors – Let your neighbors know about the planned roofing work and provide them with an anticipated timeframe. This important communication will allow them to adjust their schedules and situations to be most comfortable while the work is in process.
  10. Be aware of your surroundings during construction – Construction at your home can create unexpected obstacles. Falling debris, extension cords, or other construction equipment that is not typically present at your home presents opportunities to cause injury. We recommend communicating with your roofing project manager and the roofing installation crew chief at the beginning of your roof installation process. Discuss critical exit and re-entry needs such as leaving for or returning from work, taking kids to school, running errands, and walking pets.

A roof replacement is a temporary inconvenience, but your new roof will last for decades.

Are you looking for the best Denver roofing company?

Metro City Roofing is the #1 roofing contractor recommended by local insurance agents across the Denver metro area.

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Roofing Materials

Owens Corning Woodmoor premium asphalt shingle in Timber color

Premium asphalt shingle Insurance companies offer up to 28% discounts on a homeowners insurance policy with upgraded Class 4 shingles.

Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing material for residential homes. Once installed, a shingle roof requires virtually no regularly scheduled maintenance, as is necessary with other roofing systems – and shingles are easy to repair if damaged. One of the benefits of an asphalt shingle roof is that individual old shingles can be replaced with new shingles without replacing the entire roofing system.

80% of US houses have asphalt shingle roofs

In Colorado, high winds and hailstorms are frequent, and hail damage to a roof may require a roof replacement long before a shingle’s life expectancy. Lost granules are a typical result of a hailstone hitting an asphalt shingle. As a top roofing contractor in Colorado, we install only high-end asphalt shingle roofing brands, such as Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and GAF. We frequently recommend Owens Corning since they manufacture locally in Denver, CO.

At Metro City Roofing, we offer a complimentary upgrade to Class 4 architectural shingles, which better withstands hail damage. Asphalt roofing shingles with a Class 4 rating achieve the highest industry performance standards to withstand high winds and hail damage. Most insurance companies offer up to 28% discounts on a homeowners insurance policy with upgraded Class 4 shingles, representing $863 average annual savings, or $26,000 savings over 30 years. Check with your insurance company for specific savings.

Other Common Roofing Materials

There are many other types of roofing materials beyond asphalt shingles. You can find pitched roofs with clay tiles, concrete tiles, metal roofs, wood shake or wood shingles, synthetic materials, and even flat roof materials with similar durability in Colorado homes. The same preparation for a roof replacement or roof repair is necessary to stay safe and avoid workplace injuries during installation or cleanup. It is important to highlight that each type of roofing material will have a different manufacturer’s warranty.

Why Choose Metro City Roofing?

Metro City Roofing is a Colorado roofing company, headquartered in Denver, CO. We specialize in hassle-free professional roofing and will treat your home like our own.

We deliver the best professional roofing services across the Denver metro area. We are proud of the excellent reputation we've earned, with outstanding customer satisfaction, one roof, and one customer at a time.

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Jonathan Abramson

Jonathan Abramson

Colorado Roofing Expert, Founder of Metro City Roofing

Jonathan loves the roofing industry as his company helps individual customers to navigate the insurance claim process and get them the new roof they need after a hailstorm. He has earned numerous roofing certifications and licenses, including the distinguished All Lines Adjuster License.

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