5 Ways Families Can Prepare for A Roof Replacement

Whether Winter, Autumn, Summer, or Spring, the unpredictable British weather can wreak havoc on your family home, from subsidence and flooding to frozen pipes and warping. One of the primary victims of the UK climate is your roof which will withstand much wear and tear while you remain at your address. 

Depending on how badly your roof is affected by these conditions, the time may come when you and your family might have to undergo a roof replacement. However, since most roof replacements cost between £2,200 and £7,200, it is understandably a massive project to undertake. It will turn your well-functioning family home into a work zone for a prolonged period. 

Although it might be a time of excitement, work zones can pose many dangers, so it is paramount to be aware of a few things to prepare you and your family for the significant change. From enlisting the services of reputable local roofers and moving your vehicles to letting your neighbors know and taking decorations off the walls, we list several ways families can prepare below: 

Ensure Your Chosen Roofer Protects Your Driveway 

Ultimately, getting a roof replacement should be an exciting experience. Especially if you have little ones, they will likely be fascinated by all the ripping, hammering, and tearing happening above them. However, that can be incredibly dangerous for your children, pets, and the area surrounding your home. Although most roof replacements are carried out like a well-oiled machine, it only takes one pair of butterfingers to send something hurtling below. 

Whether a tool or a piece of tile, it threatens anything beneath, one of which is your driveway. As items fall from a great height, they gradually build up momentum, meaning they could easily cause damage to your decorative drive. Providing that you’ve found reputable local roofers, they should automatically cover your driveway/pathway with large pieces of plywood to protect it against falling tools or debris. You can post a job here, which tradespeople will respond to ensure that you find roofers that go the extra mile to keep your driveway safe. Helping you find plumbers, loft conversion specialists, tree surgeons, and much more, MyBuilder uses a unique matchmaking system to connect you with the correct tradesperson. You can also see customer reviews, photos of previous jobs, accreditations, and more to help you decide which tradesperson to hire. Consider using their site next time you hire a tradesperson and see how it could help connect you with reputable professionals near you today.  

Move Your Vehicles Out Of The Way 

Whenever you have tradespeople working on your house, be they local roofers, plumbers, tree surgeons, plasterers etc., you’ll want to give them access to your driveway. Tradespeople require many tools to complete jobs for their customers; therefore, they need to be able to access their van by parking it right outside your property. 

It makes it easier for your roofer to access their tools, move shingles, shift debris, etc. and keeps your vehicles safe while the roof replacement is carried out. Giving up your coveted parking space will ensure that nothing falls off the roof onto your car bonnet, windshield, roof, etc., no scratches are made to the paintwork, and any other potential damages are being done to it. 

In addition to moving your vehicle out of the way, if you have a garage, it will also help if you keep the doors closed so that no dust or debris makes its way into the area. Keeping the doors closed to your garage reduces the risk of any dust or debris being trekked into other areas of your home, keeping your surroundings as clean as possible. 

Take Down Any Wall Decorations 

Getting your roof replaced is a significant piece of work to be carried out on your property, and various power tools will be used to carry out the job. As these pieces of machinery are used, they will cause vibrations to be sent out across your home, increasing the likelihood of items falling off walls, shelves etc., and breaking. 

Due to this, if you have decorations on the walls and shelves of your home, it is wise to take any fragile items off them until the work is complete. Since your home (and what is in it) is an extension of you, we’re sure that the last thing that you’d want is for a much-loved decoration, piece of artwork, sculpture etc., to be damaged – so be safe instead of sorry and take down anything that could incur fall damage. 

Consider The Noise 

Like many home improvement jobs, replacing your roof can be exhilarating yet noisy. As the job progresses, your roofer will remove and replace all the shingles on your roof before installing a new gutter, which, as you can imagine, will cause much disruption for you, your family, and your neighbors, which is why you should make several considerations before the works start. 

One of the few considerations you might make is relocating you, your family, and your pets somewhere else while the work is carried out. Whether this is a friend's or family member’s place, or you take your family to a nearby hotel for a couple of days, it can ensure that you and your family aren’t disturbed by the noise or the people coming in and out at all times of the day. 

Following on from this, you should also let your neighbors know about the works way before they’re due to be carried out so that they can put necessary precautions in place to ensure that they aren’t disturbed by your roof replacement. Failure to inform them about your upcoming work could cause friction between the two of you and ensure that you don’t drive them up the wall (literally!). 

Not to mention, depending on the shape and size of your roof, the work could take several hours (or days!) at most, which is why being aware of your surroundings and the others around you is essential. 

Keep Your Children In The Loop 

Nothing can ever become us and the love we hold for our children, yet there can be times when it can be tested. One of these times is when you’re in the middle of organizing something, and they’re incessantly asking you, who, what, why, and where questions. Despite possessing an adorable charm, children are naturally curious, which can lead to many questions at the most unlikely of times! 

Due to this, it is helpful to keep your children in the loop no matter the circumstances so that they know what is happening and questions are kept to a minimum. Not to mention, since a roof replacement can take between a single day and a fortnight, there will be much going on around your children that they won’t understand, from strangers (your contractors) walking around their home to loud noises sounding throughout the day. 

To ensure that they don’t bombard you with questions or stick their noses (or fingers!) where they’re not welcome, you can either explain what is going on or take them away while the work is being carried out. In addition, it’s essential that you make them aware of the dangers so that they keep away from areas that might cause them bodily harm. 

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