7 Steps To Replacing Your Roof

The decision to put a new roof on your home is a big one – but one that sooner or later has to be made. Old, brittle, badly worn shingles are a roof leak just waiting to happen – and when roofing gets past its warranty, you’re running extra risks every time a rain storm heads your way.

Rely on a reputable, local Central Florida roofing contractor to handle your roof replacement job from beginning to end for best results. But it also pays to understand the process yourself so you know what’s going on.Here are seven steps that every good roofing company should follow in replacing your old roof with a brand new one:

1. The Pre-planning Stage
Every effectively done construction project, including roof replacement, requires smart pre-planning to achieve optimal results. Professional contractors will “size up” your roof in terms of square footage to determine how much material to order and in terms of shape and contours to get an idea of difficulty level and best approach. Based on these factors, they should give you a free, no obligation, competitive quote; and if you accept it, should give you a solid start date.

2. Preparing The Job Site
Next, the work site has to be prepared. That entails bringing in a dumpster to catch the old shingles and other debris, laying down tarps wherever necessary to protect your siding, windows, bushes, and lawn. Ladders, roof jacks, and other equipment will be brought on-site, along with the roofing material itself.

3. Removing The Old Roofing
Never, never, never put new roofing shingles over old ones. That would prevent the new shingles from laying properly, weaken them, and ultimately shorten their lifespan. Instead, all old shingles must be removed, along with roofing nails and flashing.

4. Roof Deck Inspection
At this point, the roof deck must be totally “cleaned up” and inspected. If rotten or badly weakened wood is discovered, it has to be replaced. Plus, if nails are missing in the roof deck or if the decking bounces instead of laying down solid and flat, at points, it will need some re-nailing work.

5. Preparing The Deck
After inspecting the deck, next, it has to be prepared for the shingles. That means laying down drip edge along the eaves, flashing around chimneys and vents or in roof valleys as needed, and heavy duty roofing felt (underlayment) over the whole roof deck. There will also be points where roofing caulk or tar (around chimneys) should be used to help prevent leaks.

6. Installing The New Roofing
Working from the bottom edges of the roof upwards, so as to overlap shingles properly to shed water, your contractors will now install the new shingles. Special caps will need to be placed at the peak and on hip rises, and shingles will have to be cut with care in the valleys and over/around dormers.

7. Cleanup & Final Inspection
No job is truly complete until all waste is removed from the site. The contractor should dispose of it all and not expect the homeowner to do so in his/her trash can. Rolling, wheeled magnets can be used to scour the perimeter for any loose nails. A final inspection of the work and the site is the last step.

For a free quote on roof replacement or repair anywhere in Central Florida, contact Sheegog Contracting today!