Things to Consider When Replacing a Roof

Replacing a roof on any home is a large job, which is why we dedicate entire teams to it. We understand that you want life around your home to be back to normal as quickly as possible. While it should only take a few days to complete your project, depending upon its size and the weather, you’ll want to prepare your home for the job. On top of prep work, there are just some things to consider when replacing your roof. From the style and materials to budget and tear-off, here are some things to consider when replacing a roof:

Consider These Things When Replacing a Roof

A lot of things are probably going through your head when you’re needing to replace your roof. Let B&M take care of the hassle and headache.

Preparation

Roof replacement is easier than you think and the better you’re prepared, the smoother the process will go.

Secure Loose Items

Our teams will be on your roof, hammering, moving piles of materials, and generally working quickly. This is likely to cause vibrations in your home. The extent of these disturbances varies by how your home is constructed, and they are often barely noticeable. However, preserve breakables such as hung pictures, mirrors, and fragile items on shelves by removing them to a place where vibrations won’t knock them over.

Clear Your Driveway

Typically, our teams park their vehicle in your driveway during the project. That gives us the fastest and most effective place to load shingles and if you need old roofing removed, to collect discarded materials. Having a driveway free of cars and other clutter helps us get your project done quickly.

Prepare Your Yard

Our teams take great care to prevent any damage to landscaping or other property during our roofing projects. Items such as nails and old roofing inevitably fall during construction. Remove any items such as barbecues, boats, patio furniture, and statuary that may be damaged by falling material.

Mind Children and Pets

Your home will be an active construction site as our teams work to put your new roof on. It’s no place for children or pets to be around. Protect your loved ones by keeping them inside during the project.

Style of Roof

If you haven’t already decided on what type of look you’re wanting, think about the style of roof that fits your budget, as well as the style and functionality of your home. Are you looking to fit in with the other houses in your neighborhood or do you want to stand out? What about the type of roof material? Our expert roofers at B&M Roofing can help walk you through different types of roofs that are common in Colorado and help you choose a style.

Roofing Materials

We briefly touched on this, but there are a few different options as far as roofing materials. While asphalt shingles are the most popular with residential properties in Colorado, there are a few other materials to choose from. Synthetic options last the longest in this harsh weather, but there are a lot of options to choose from. We work with only the finest manufacturers, like GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and much more. We’ll give you our best recommendations for which material is cost-efficient, energy-efficient, and practical.

Budget

When determining a budget, consider how long you’ll live in your house, how long you want your roof to last, the weather (hail, snow, etc), and which materials are most cost-efficient. When you think long-term, you’ll save more money in the long run. Metal roofs and synthetic materials tend to last the longest while clay roofs may look nice, but don’t last long (especially in Colorado’s harsh weather).

Types of Warranties

Each type of roofing material (slate, asphalt shingles, wood shake, metal, etc.) comes with a warranty. Most standard roofs come with a 20-year warranty while some others (composite and synthetic material) come with a 40 or 50-year warranty. No matter which type of roof you’re leaning towards, we’ll always make sure to include the warranty for each option, to help you decide which roof is best for your home.

HOA

If you’re part of a homeowner’s association, there may be certain limitations, restrictions, or guidelines for your neighborhood. Make sure to include your HOA in all roofing decisions you’re about to make and keep them in-the-loop with what you’re considering. Chances are you’re going to need the approval of your HOA when replacing your roof. This may not be your exact neighborhood, but we’ve included an example of some HOA roofing guidelines to follow here.

Roof Overlay vs Tear-Off

Depending on your budget, you may also be considering whether you’d like us to lay a new roof over your existing one or tear everything off and re-roof it all together. Depending on the state of your existing roof, we’ll make our best recommendations, but usually, roofing codes only allow no more than two layers of shingles on your roof.

Don’t Forget the Gutters

It may not be something that’s top-of-mind when you think about replacing your roof, but the gutters require constant upkeep and maintenance. We’d recommend using some type of gutter guard, or gutter cover, from a reliable source. We’ll be sure to make our own recommendations from roofing manufacturers with whom we work, but you have a variety of options.

If you’re ready to get started on your roofing project, contact the experts at B&M Roofing!