What is the Process When I Replace My Roof?

If your roof has reached the end of its lifespan, you might be thinking “I need to replace my roof, but what does that entail?” It’s understandable that you want to know what happens in the roofing process, how long a new roof will take, and whether it will interrupt your everyday life. When you work with a reputable roofer, you’ll get clear answers about what to expect...from your first call to inquire about services until the day your new roof is complete.  

Step 1: Planning for Your New Roof

When you call a roofing contractor  to express interest in a roof replacement, they will schedule a time to come to your home and begin to plan for your new roof. This visit will entail:  

Inspecting Your Current Roof

First, the roofing company will conduct an inspection to assess the condition, dimensions, and layout of your roof. They should examine the pitch, count skylights, look for weak areas in the decking, check for moisture in the attic, and more. All of this will help to determine the extent of the project and the best materials for the job. 

Selecting Roofing Materials

Next, your roofer will discuss inspection findings with you and recommend materials that will work best to protect your home. A salesperson will show you samples of products they offer  and explain the advantages of each one. Options may include: 

• Architectural shingles, which come in a variety of colors and have a dual-layered design that emulates the dimension of true wood shake.
• Polymer modified shingles, which look like asphalt shingles while performing more like a metal roof.
• Stone coated steel shingles, which are aesthetically pleasing and can resist the harshest weather conditions. 
• Standing seam metal roofing, which has a sleek design and unparalleled strength.
• Rib panel metal roofing, which is extremely durable and always looks brand new. 
• Enviro-steel shingles, which offers long-lasting eco-friendly protection. 

Receiving an Honest Quote and Discussing Financing

Once you’ve chosen a roofing material, your contractor should tell you the exact amount you can expect to pay for your new roof, and discuss financing solutions. At Honest Abe, we work with some of the country’s biggest names in home improvement financing, allowing customers to make affordable monthly payments. 

Putting it all in Writing

Upon agreeing to move forward with your chosen roofing company’s services, you will both sign a contract that details the work to be done and what the price will be. At Honest Abe, this price will not change even if additional work is needed during installation. That’s our Our No-Risk Guarantee!

Step 2: Installation 

This is a big part of the answer to “What is the process of replacing my roof?” Installation will be scheduled within a couple of weeks after the initial meeting, as this will allow all materials to be ordered and delivered. A dumpster will arrive the day before installation day, so you will want to park vehicles somewhere else and make sure all bikes and toys are put away. There’s also a chance that shingles could arrive a day before the roofing crew gets there. If so, they will just be unloaded and placed on the driveway. 

On installation day, you can be home or come and go as you please. You can expect roofers to:

Remove the Old Roof

Before removing roofing materials, your roofing crew should cover any fragile landscaping you have to protect it from falling debris. Tearoff will typically start early in the morning and may take a few hours depending on the size of your roof. Inside your home, you will hear footsteps on your roof, along with a scraping sound as old shingles and underlayment are removed. All of this will be tossed into the dumpster. 

Make Any Repairs Needed

Once the old material is out of the way, the current condition of the roof deck will be examined. If there is extensive water damage or rotting, the decking may need to be replaced. Your roofers will also check the integrity of flashing around vents, chimneys, and valleys and replace any damaged pieces. From this point until the job is finished, you will hear hammering and banging up above as your new roofing materials are secured in place.

Install Drip Edge

A drip edge is a metal flashing along the edges of the roof that prevents water from running under the shingles and seeping into the roof decking. This needs to be installed first to prevent any leaks in your roof.

Install Underlayment and Other Leak Barriers

To protect the roof decking from water damage, your crew should install water-resistant synthetic underlayment on the majority of the roof. In valleys where two roof planes meet, water tends to stand a little longer. Special leak barriers need to be placed in those areas to prevent water from working its way under the shingles and into the roof decking. 

Install Shingles or Panels

Now is when your chosen shingles or panels will be laid. You will continue to hear nail pops as these are installed. 

Install or Replace Vents and Flashing 

Depending on the ventilation requirements for your individual roof, you may need ridge vents to keep your attic from holding too much moist heat. Flashing around penetrations such as chimneys and vents will then be installed to prevent water from seeping in around them. 

The entire installation process can take 1-3 days depending on the size of your roof and any weather problems. 

Cleanup

A reputable roofer will respect your property and leave it just as clean as it was when they arrived. Upon completion, all old shingles, nails, and other debris from your roof should be in the dumpster and the gutters cleaned out to ensure no roofing materials have fallen in. A final sweep through the yard will ensure no dangerous nails are left behind. 

What Happens After Honest Abe Replaces My Roof? A Full Inspection!

When you choose to work with Honest Abe, one of our project managers will follow up on your roofing job to make sure everything went just as it should. He will get on your roof and perform a full inspection, and if there is any reason you are unsatisfied or you encounter an issue with our installation within 365 days, we will come back and fix it for free! 

Ready to schedule a time for us to come out and discuss your new roof? Contact us now to speak to an Honest Abe Franchise near you.