A brief guide to roof replacement

It is not enough to have a roof over your head. It should be solid and sturdy at all times. A damaged one that calls out for repairs is sure to give you the jitters regularly. A well-maintained roof protects you from external hazards, enhances your house’s property value, and is energy efficient. At a certain point, you will start to see the signs of aging and gradual deteriorating. There are times when a slight touch here and a fixing there will work just fine, but at other times, nothing will work other than a complete redo. If you are planning to do roof replacement in San Diego, here are a few things you might want to ask yourself while considering others.

When do you need a roof replacement?

Before you decide on getting your roof replaced, it would be helpful to know its age. That is easy when you live in a house built by you. Usually, a covering might not need replacing until 25 years in San Diego if installed correctly. But when it’s an old house, it may be pretty challenging to know the exact age of the roof. You could try to find out its age by contacting its previous owner, but that might be unfeasible at times. In such cases, you can rely on a few tell-tale signs of aging, including loose shingles, water leaks, worn roof valleys, sunlight infiltrating through the boards, and a large concentration of granules in gutters. You can also check out RoofsOnly.com to learn more about residential roofing.

How long do roofs last?

The longevity of your roofing will depend, amongst other factors, on the kind of materials used.  Each material has a specific lifespan. Steel, metal, tile, and concrete shingles have impressive longevity and last for more than fifty years. Wood shingles stay for almost fifteen to twenty years, while foam and built-up roofs often last more than twenty-five years. Single-ply roofs have a lifespan of more than thirty years. Each material has its distinct advantages. However, the most common roof types you are likely to come across in San Diego are asphalt shingle and tile roofs.

What is the cost of roof replacement?

The cost of having your roof replaced depends on several factors. A few of these are the materials used, overall size, house location, and labor costs. Taking two of these factors into account, quality of shingles and size, getting your roof replaced in San Diego entirely could cost you approximately 4,600 USD to 27,700 USD. If asphalt is used in the replacement, the cost will range between 4.60 USD to 7.90 USD per square. The overall price will be higher if the house has multiple stories, the roof has a sharp pitch, and numerous areas or gables, underlayment needs repair, and copper valleys and flashing are required.

How to be prepared before a roof replacement?

Getting your roof replaced is a huge undertaking. It is only natural that you should be prepared for it accordingly. Preparing for the process in advance will ensure that the work is done efficiently without causing minor inconvenience, either to you or to the roofers doing the work.

Cleaning the yard

Just like anywhere else, roofers will be using your yard a lot in San Diego while working. Nails and old shingles will be scattered as the old roof is removed. A dumpster might also be parked in the driveway along with traps to collect all the debris. Therefore, you must remove your vehicles from the garage as the roofers might occupy the driveway during the duration of the work. Since garage roofs don’t have any insulation, any debris might fall through the roof.

Clear the garden and mark the items

You should remove all outdoor toys since they may cause inconvenience and get damaged. You could move them into a shed and cover them with a tarp. Clear the garden of statues, potted plants, and fountains, protect the plants with nettings, and mark items like sprinklers and ponds. If you don’t, they may be damaged in some way during the replacement. If there are any unique or valuable trees, it would be wise to cover them with tape for easy identification. If you have overgrown grass, it should be neatly cut and trimmed. That will help the roofers to collect any nails or other leftover items which may cause trouble later on.

Make sure your electrical outlet works

People involved in replacing your roof will need access to a functioning electrical outlet where they can use powdered equipment. You should have the outlet checked by an electrician beforehand, and in case you don’t have an outlet near the roof, keep the windows nearest to one open so that the equipment can be plugged in by them easily.

Remove wall decorations and protect brittle items

Before any roof replacement begins, you should not forget to remove any wall decorations around your house. If there are valuable paintings, wreaths, mirrors, and open shelvings on the top floor, you should remove them first. The constant hammering will make them move or damage them somehow. The same goes for fragile items, including dishes, vases, glass, and china plates located close to the wall.

What are the fundamental processes of roof replacement?

Any roof replacement in San Diego consists of a few steps. Firstly, all the old shingles should be removed by the roofers after a thorough inspection. Then there is an inspection to ensure that the roofing structure is solid and any rotten wood is removed. The assessment is followed by preparing the roof’s surface, which is done by installing a drip edge at the eave and gable sides. The next step is applying a water and ice shield to prevent water leakage and ice penetration. If necessary, a new valley flashing is used. Then shingles or roof materials are installed, starting from the bottom and gradually ascending to the peak. Flashing installation may also be carried out by professionals alongside the installation of shingles. Because it is a roof replacement, ridge vents will also be installed by roofers. All the debris and leftover materials collected during the roof replacement will be cleaned thoroughly by professionals. Finally, you can inspect the roof thoroughly for any missing spots or shingles, followed by the payment.

A roof replacement in San Diego should always be done in advance rather than wait for an emergency to strike. An old roof that is shaky, leaky, and looks like it’s about to cave in needs to be replaced at the earliest.