There is beautiful freedom to be found in owning your own home. You get to be king or queen of your own castle, a place to call your own. The freedom of owning a home can be seen in the fact that you can set it up, furnish and improve it as much as you want. This, however, also comes with its own responsibilities. Namely, owning your own home also means you need to take care of it. Ever part of your home needs to be maintained, especially your roof.
Whether you want to change your roof because of some maintenance done, or if you just want to upgrade it and improve your home’s value, you have your work cut out for you. For this reason, we have decided to write up this little article. Below you can find some tips and tricks on how to make a well-educated decision on changing your roof.
Like a cat on a hot tin roof
You need to ask yourself some questions if you want to make the most out of this roof changing thing. You need to do your homework, and get some research under your belt. Get some advice from people who have lived in your area for some time now, and who had some roofing done. Talk to professional contractors you trust as well. You want to have as clear a picture of what you want in your head as possible.
So, first things first – why are you doing this? What do you actually need? What is your area like? Is your home in Australia, or is it in Canada? Do you face really hot weather like Brisbane, or do you have to deal with cold Hobart winters? Basically, not all materials and roof types are adequate for all types of weather. You need to make a choice.
Then, another consideration is, sadly, your budget and your time. How much effort can you actually invest in this whole thing? And can you afford it? Do you need to get it replaced soon, or can you perhaps wait it out a bit?
Finally, what is your home like? Can the entire structure handle some very heavy ceramic shingles? What is the shape of your roof, can it handle any excess weight?
The right people for the right job
You need to ask around and find the right people for the job. This is not a DIY project (unless you have a lot of experience with this kind of activity). Finding a good contractor near you is not easy. If you’re in New South Wales, Australia, you want professional roofers in Sydney who have been operating in the area for some long span of time. If you’re in Turkey, Germany, Italy, it’s always the same – word of mouth is golden.
Know that a trustworthy roofer can give you some advice on what to choose for your roof, and how best to set it up. That’s the other reason we suggested you go local – they know exactly what the weather is like in the area, and what shortens a roof’s lifespan the most. This in turn obviously means they know how to combat the issue, whatever it may be.
When searching for a roofer, you should get people that have a solid work background behind them. Furthermore, you also want to seal everything with a contract. Be smart, double check everything. The contract should note the type of materials that are to be used, the duration of the project, the cost, as well as include a section with a proper warranty there.
Your neighbours will hate you
There is one universal aspect of most construction work – it’s loud. Whether you’re in the deepest parts of Turkey, the southern section of France, or the northern areas of Sweden, it’s a fact that construction work will annoy your neighbors. Scraping, stripping, banging, hammering, all this will make quite a ruckus. But, for you, it will be even worse since you’re in your home right now. We advise to get some ear muffs, or maybe just get out of the house. This is especially important if you have pets and little children.
Furthermore, your entire backyard will most likely be covered in dust and pieces of shingles. While most contractors will help you get rid of this (or remove all the junk altogether), your home will be an eyesore for the duration of the work.
The extent, duration, and severity of the entire project will depend on the state of your roof its size, and the materials the roofers are working with. If you’re just doing some maintenance work, no problem. However, if you’re going with a total change and replacement, know that this can take days. Asphalt shingles can be replaced much more quickly when compared to the work that follows concrete tiles.
Conclusion
There is a high chance that every house owner will need to replace their roof at some point or another. So if you want things to go smoothly, keep a couple of things in mind. Ask yourself as many questions as you can, try to develop a clear image of what you want. Furthermore, be aware of just how much work this will entail. And finally, you need to get the right contractors, with the right paperwork.
