Are you ready for a new roof? Is the day of your roof replacement coming up? Are you just trying to learn more about the entire replacement process? 

No matter what you’re here for, you need to know what can go wrong during your roof replacement. To ensure you’re prepared and as well informed as you can be, we’re going to break it down for you. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided the residents of Nashville with high-quality roofing services in Nashville and surrounding areas since 1990. Whether you need roof repairs, a replacement, or even a new skylight, you can count on us. When you work with us, you’ll never have to worry about your roof again. 

Here, you’re going to learn what can go wrong during your roof replacement, like not being prepared for inclement weather, accidental damage to your property, and more. 

Not being prepared for inclement weather

During your roof replacement, your old roof is torn-off so the new roofing materials can be installed. In the time after the tear-off process and before your underlayment is installed, your roof’s decking is exposed. 

If a pop-up shower hits your roof at this point and your roofing contractor isn’t prepared, everything in your house can get destroyed from water damage. That’s why your roofing contractor should always be prepared for the worst-case weather scenario by keeping a tarp on-site to cover your roof if it rains. 

Inclement weather will make your roof replacement take longer than expected. To learn how long it’ll take to complete your replacement, read this article on how long it takes to replace your roof. 

Accidental damage to your property 

Your roofing contractor should always take proper measures to protect your property. No matter how well it’s protected, there’s always the possibility of accidental damage to your property. 

For example, it could be running over sprinkler heads, damage to the landscaping/shrubbery surrounding the base of your home, or a light getting broken by a shingle getting away from an installer. If any of this happens, your local roofing contractor should do what they can do to fix it. 

However, some companies sneak a clause into the fine print of your estimate that they’re not responsible for any damage done during the roof replacement process. That’s why it’s crucial to always read the fine print when you get an estimate. 

The roofing contractor forgetting to cover your pool

If you have a swimming pool, it’s a magnet for the fiberglass that floats around in the air during the tear-off process. If your roofing contractor forgets to cover your pool before tearing off your old roof, it’s going to cause problems. 

The fiberglass gets on the top of the water, and as it’s going through the filter, it pulls all that fiberglass out, clogs the filter, and burns the motor up. To avoid this happening, your pool should be covered with a brand new, out of the wrapper tarp until your old roof is torn off. 

You don't have to worry about it when they’re installing your new roof because the fiberglass isn't blowing everywhere. But if you have a pool, always ask your roofing contractor to cover it if they aren’t already planning on doing it. 

Your vehicle gets blocked in 

When you’re preparing for the day of your roof replacement, you should always move your vehicles out of the driveway or garage. This ensures you won’t get blocked in during the replacement process. 

But if you don’t move your vehicles or your roofing contractor forgets to tell you to move them, it stops the entire production. The entire crew has to stop what they’re doing to clean everything up in front of the garage, make sure there are no nails in the driveway, move everything out of the way, and then set everything back up.

This could take 20 minutes or longer, depending on the size of your home and the crew. To ensure this doesn’t happen, I recommend moving your vehicles out of the way the night before your roof replacement. 

Oil spots in your driveway 

There’s going to be a lot of equipment and heavy-duty vehicles on your property during your roof replacement. They should always stay on paved surfaces to ensure they don’t cause damage to anything underground. 

However, the vehicles or other equipment could leave oil spots on your driveway or other paved surfaces. To prevent this, your roofing contractor should put something underneath their vehicles or other motorized equipment to catch any oil that drips. 

Pets getting out 

During your roof replacement, your roofing contractor has to access your roof from somewhere around your home. The access point could be in the front, back, or side of your home. 

If you have a backyard with a fence, the gate to your fence will be left open or will have people going in and out of it all day. This leaves the possibility for your pet to get out if you let them in the backyard during your roof replacement. 

Be aware, a roof replacement is going to stress out your pet if they don’t like loud noises. To learn what to do with your dog or cat on the big day, read this article on what you should do with your pets during a roof replacement. 

Tripped breakers 

Your roofing contractor might need to use the outlets on the outside of your home during your roof replacement. If they use something that draws a lot of amps, it could lead to a tripped breaker. 

This causes the plugs in your bathroom, possibly the kitchen, or wherever the breakers are in the house not to work. If you’ve never dealt with tripped breakers, this can be stressful. 

And if you can’t figure it out, your roofer should be able to find the tripped breaker by hitting some test reset buttons. 

How can you prepare for your roof replacement?

Now you know what can go wrong during your roof replacement. There’s more that can go wrong, but these are the most common. 

Most of these have to do with your roofing contractor taking proper precautions and being prepared, but accidents are always a possibility. To ensure you have the smoothest replacement experience, it’s crucial to hire a great roofing contractor. 

But now that you know what can go wrong, do you feel more prepared for the day of your replacement? Are you wondering what you can do to make the replacement process as painless as possible?

If so, there are things you can do to prepare yourself and your home for the big day. Luckily, we’ve already broken it down for you. 

The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been repairing and replacing all roof types in the Nashville area since 1990. We work with you to make your roof replacement a stress-free and great experience. And we even throw in a lifetime warranty to back up our workmanship. 

To help you get ready for your roof’s big day, read this article on 8 Tips to Prepare for Your Roof Replacement.

checklist of questions to ask a roofing contractor