Here in Raleigh, we’ve been replacing roofs for over 30 years. In that time, we’ve gotten all kinds of questions from the homeowners that we’ve worked with. While every question is worth asking, some are bit strange, like “Why do your roofs have such stunning good looks?” Others are more relevant, like “What can be done to protect my property during the project?”
Very often, homeowners ask us about if the items in their attic will be damaged during a roof replacement.
One of the questions in that same vein, is: “Will my attic be exposed during the roof replacement?”
In this blog, we’ll be going over:
Alright, let’s get started!
Having work done on your roof will inevitably create some mess, definitely outside of your home, and potentially inside. Whether or not your attic, and valuables will be exposed depends on the extent of damage done to your roof decking. Roof decking is the layer of OSB or plywood that attaches your roofing material (asphalt shingles, metal panels, etc) to the frame of your home.
If several pieces of your decking need to be replaced as a result of water damage or rotting, then that portion of your attic will be exposed to the open air as they are being replaced. Thankfully, in most roof replacements that time frame is pretty short, and occurs after the previous roofing material has been torn off, and before the new materials are put on.
However, if your decking doesn’t need to be replaced, then your attic won’t be truly exposed during any part of the replacement.
Our attics are often used to store the things we don’t use in everyday life, and don’t want to get rid of, so they could be pretty valuable items that we want to keep safe.
As such, it’s perfectly reasonable to be worried about the damage that might happen to them as a major construction project unfolds a few feet above.
Though they won’t be exposed for long during the roofing process if you have decking replaced, there’s still a risk that these items might get damaged. Mistakes happen, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.
But how exactly do you protect them from potential damage?
The best way to protect the items in your attic is actually to remove them from your attic. If you have any small valuables that are easy to move, that will likely be right course of action for them.
For larger items, however, it likely isn’t worth the hassle to carry them out of your attic. In these cases, the best thing to do is to cover them in tarps, so that any dust that’s stirred up during the replacement doesn’t collect on it.
Additionally, if you have anything that might be liable to falling over, or off of something else, it’s a good idea to put it on the ground, or lay it down. All of the hammering during the replacement will cause lots of vibrations, and could cause something like that to fall over.
Since we mentioned it earlier, as one of the most common questions we get asked, let’s go into some of the steps that an experienced and careful roofing company should take to protect your home and property during the roof replacement project.
Most roofers bring with them tarps & magnets that will assist them in cleaning up the property during and after a tear off. They should put tarps over any particularly sensitive areas, preventing them from getting scraped up by falling shingles, and should run magnets over the yard throughout the process, which will help pick up any fallen nails.
There are also a couple of things that you can do to prepare for a roof replacement to help out the process, and keep you things safe at the same time.
We already discussed tarping things over in your attic to prevent them from being covered in dust, but you can also cover any sensitive areas outside of your house, like small gardens or plants. This way no debris would get lost in the plants, or potentially damage them.
An often not thought of, but incredibly helpful step that you can take is to mow your lawn prior to your roof replacement, especially if it’s taking place in the summer. Long grass can hide nails that fall into it, and make it much harder to see, and for the magnets to pick up as they sweep the yard. 
So, by cutting the grass short, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of nails being left behind.
Next, one thing we always ask homeowners to do is to remove any outdoor furniture or decorations that they might have from the immediate area surrounding the house, ESPECIALLY if that area is not covered. Falling debris can damage items like this, and the roofers may need this space to set up ladders and other equipment. To avoid this happening, move your chairs and tables out of the way the night before your replacement is scheduled (unless you want to be up at the crack of dawn to move it before the roofing team gets started.)
And finally, one of the last major things that you can do to help out the roofers, and your future self, is to move any of your vehicles out of the way the night before the replacement, similar to your outdoor furniture. Your driveway will become the staging area for most of the roofing project. Roofers prefer to use it because it will have the least impact on your yard by doing so. In your driveway will be the dumpster for disposing of old materials, as well as the new ones that will be going on your roof. These things arrive early in the morning, so if you don’t want to get blocked in, it’s best to move your vehicles out of the way the night before.
After reading this blog, hopefully you are starting to feel more comfortable with either finding out more about getting a roof replacement, or feeling more ready for a roof replacement that you have coming up!
If you’re wanting to learn more, check out some more of the blogs on our learning center, including this one on How Long it Takes to Replace a Roof!
On Tops Roofing has been replacing roofs in the Raleigh area for over 30 years, so whatever your roofing project will require, we have the tools to help!
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