Last Updated on March 1, 2022 by Kravelv
If your roof, for whatever reason, has sustained damage and needs to be repaired, then chances are that you’re more than a little worried, especially if this is your first time to have the roof fixed. While it is important, if not imperative, in just such a situation to get your roof fixed as soon as possible, it’s really nothing to get worked up over. Other homeowners’ roofs get damaged all the time, and roofing companies get them squared away in no time. Sit back, take a load off, and take a gander at this guide to surviving your roof replacement.
Things To Do Before The Roof Repair
Call your insurance agent
The first person you should call is your insurance agent. Make sure to confirm with them exactly what is covered by your insurance, as well as the types of documentation they’ll need from your roofing contractor.
Call your roofing company
The main preliminary step in getting your roof fixed is to have the damage assessed. If you don’t already have a preferred roofing company, look up a reputable local company and hire them to inspect and repair your roof; there’s a wealth of online resources to help you in picking the right company. If the damage to your roof was due to a recent storm, watch out for storm chasers – disreputable fly-by-night companies that will scam you out of your money with shoddy workmanship.
Prepare your home for the roof repair
Depending on how much of your roof has been damaged, it’s possible that large portions of your roof will be torn off during the repair process and tossed down onto your yard. Avoid yard damage by removing lawn ornaments, potted plants, and the like. Landscaping should be marked out and covered with a tarp as necessary.
Inside your home, remove stuff hanging from the ceiling, such as hanging plants and chandeliers, as these may break during the repair. Remove stuff hung from the walls, too, especially decorations or furniture that incorporate a lot of glass.
What to do during the roof repair
Stay out of the way
While you should make sure to be available in case the work crew needs to confer or coordinate with you, the best thing you can do for your home once the repairs start is to stay out of the workers’ way. If the noise and activity are likely to bother you, it might be a good idea to go somewhere else while the crews are working and come back only after they’re done for the day.
What to do after your roof has been repaired
Regular inspections
The best way to keep your newly-repaired roof in good condition is to schedule regular roof inspections; at the minimum you should have the roof inspected once a year. It doesn’t even have to be a full-on professional inspection; even a simple visual once-over will do as long as you take the time to check for damage.
Regular maintenance
The entire point of inspecting your roof is so that you can formulate action plans based on what you find. Keep your gutters free of blockage and debris, trim off tree branches that might snap and damage your roof should a high wind come along, and schedule professional roof repairs for the stuff that you can’t handle yourself.
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Author Bio:
Stacy Mellette is in charge of Administrative Operations at Affordable Roofing Systems. She is also in charge of the family-owned and operated company’s Twitter feed, @AffordableRoofFL. Originally from northeast Florida, Stacy now lives in the Lutz, FL area.
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