The days leading up to your roof installation offers the perfect opportunity to get a few things done. These include taking effective measures that ensure your home will be prepared for the work ahead. You’ll find that this goes a long way in making your roof installation smoother and stress-free. But how exactly do you get started? The premier residential roofing company in the area, STARR Roofing & Gutters, shares some useful tips.
Start Protecting the Inside of Your Home
While the actual installation work is limited to the outside, it can still directly affect the inside of your home. Considerable foot traffic – and the nailing of shingles on the roof surface – will create vibrations that affect the entire structure. To keep your valuables safe and intact against short-term damage, it’s best that you prepare the inside of your home accordingly. Make sure to:
- Remove any fragile or sentimental items from your attic. The attic is usually the most secure place for storing breakables and vintage items, such as figurines, sculptures, and seasonal ornaments. But this changes when you’re having a new roof installed. Since the attic is the room closest to the worksite – the vibrations there will be stronger – the risk of your valuables being damaged is higher. We suggest that you take the items down to the ground floor in the meantime. You can just put them back once the project is finished.
- Use drop cloths to cover anything leftover inside the attic. This way, you can protect them from dust accumulation. You can also lay down tarps on the floor to catch debris and make the cleanup following the roof installation easier.
- Have the windows boarded up to keep them safe against falling debris.
- Clear the interior walls of decorations, such as mirrors and framed photos. You should also take down any hanging lights from the ceiling. The same goes for any items placed on loose or open shelving. Do you have glass cabinets displaying especially dainty items, such as china plates and teacups? Take care to remove them from the cabinets and wrap them up safely in boxes. If not, you have to make sure they’re not touching the wall or each other at least.
Prepare the Outside of Your Home
Before your residential roofing company arrives for installation day, you need to:
- Make sure you and your contractor are on the same page about giving special protection to select areas on your property, such as the pool, outdoor hot tub, miniature orchard, pond, or vegetable or flower garden. Mark the more fragile and valuable plants, trees and bushes so that the roofing crew knows to give them a wide berth.
- Mow your lawn ahead of time. This way, any stray nails and sharp debris flying off your roof are easily noticeable, which in turn, makes them easier to avoid and remove. Safety should always be taken into account during a roof installation. By mowing your lawn, you’re helping reduce the possibility of injuries or accidents.
- Keep the driveway clear, since it will likely be used for staging the new roofing materials. In fact, the dumpster used to hold debris and old roofing materials may also be placed there to make the flow between it and the work site much smoother. Unfortunately, all these heavy items can cause cracks and ruts on your driveway. Placing the dumpster and new roofing materials over sheets of plywood can help keep your driveway intact.
Finding a Reliable Roofer for Your Project
Now that you know how to get your home prepped and ready for a roof installation, the next step is to find a roofing contractor who’ll be a good match for your needs. DIY roofing work is obviously out of the question. Taking this route often leads to costly mistakes and inadvertent roof damage. To ensure you’ll get the highest quality results, you’ll want to work with an actual expert in roof inspections and installation. It’s actually pretty easy choosing the right one. Here’s what to do:
- Get local referrals. This remains a tried and true way of finding an excellent roofer for your project. With a referral, you’ll get a clearer and more accurate idea of what your experience will be like with a given contractor. You won’t even have to go through hundreds of names online – all it takes is a quick phone call or DM to family and friends.
- Check for the necessary qualifications. Once you’ve got a few good referrals, narrow down the list with some bit of background research. Do they have licensing and insurance? Do they carry worker’s compensation and liability coverage? STARR Roofing & Gutters, the area’s reliable shingle and metal roofing company, has all these and more. We’ll be more than happy to show you proof of our credentials whenever you want to see it.
- Ask about business experience. You won’t want to work with someone who’s still wet behind the ears. To ensure your roof installation is completed in a timely and efficient manner, make sure to work with a contractor who has extensive industry experience. STARR Roofing & Gutters, for example, has served the Texas Hill Country area for 20 years. Our workmanship is backed by decades of experience, so you can always count on us to provide the exceptional service that you deserve.
- Read the testimonials. Most contractors can talk all day about how good they are, but what exactly are their previous clients saying? You’ll learn a great deal about the quality of their work by reading the reviews they’ve earned locally or on related business websites. STARR Roofing & Gutters takes pride in the fact that our asphalt shingle and metal roofing installation continue to earn high ratings in Google My Business, EZlocal, and Citysearch.
- Look for manufacturer certifications. If you want to know how serious your roofer is in providing high-quality roofing options and services, then just ask if they’re manufacturer-certified. Working with a certified roofing company offers plenty of advantages such as access to excellent roofing products and industry-leading warranties. Does STARR Roofing & Gutters have such distinction? Yes, we do. We are a GAF Certified Roofing Contractor, in fact.
Request a Roofing Quote
Aside from professional roof inspections and maintenance, STARR Roofing & Gutters can also work on your new roof installation needs. We have always been dedicated to delivering complete client satisfaction, which we make possible through superior workmanship and customer-centric service. Call us today at (512) 736-6539 or fill out this contact form to schedule your roof evaluation. We proudly serve Round Mountain and the rest of the Texas Hill Country.