It is time to replace your roof. You have done your homework, obtained at least three quotes from contractors, checked their references and hired one of them. Other than paying the roofer when the job is complete, all the difficult stuff is done. Right? Not so fast. Even though replacing a roof is a minor renovation project in the grand scheme of things, you should prepare for what you may have to endure while the work is going on. Roof replacement is noisier, dirtier and more disruptive than most people think. Going into the process with a realistic understanding can make the disturbance easier to bear.
Noise - Removing the existing shingles from your roof will be noisy. Shingles are put on to stay, and it requires some effort to get them off. Your roof surface amplifies the noise; it is like a big drum. As the roofers pound, pull and pry, it will sound like they are tearing your house apart. And once the old shingles are removed, they will need to nail the new ones into place.
Odour - If you have a flat roof, there may be a large kettle of molten asphalt bubbling away all day. Most people find the odour from the asphalt unpleasant.
Dust and dirt - Every thump and bump inevitably generates some dust. It sneaks out below the baseboards, around the windows and through the light fixtures. Dust is almost magical. It gets into everything.
Nails - When the existing shingles are stripped off, thousands of nails will come out too. Good roofers will collect 99 per cent of them during cleanup, but they are sure to miss a few which you may find in your garden months later.
Mess - You will need to make sure the roofers cover your plants and shrubs to protect them. There will be a big garbage bin that always seems to be in the way. There will be bundles of new shingles and other building materials. While roofers clean up the site daily, the outside of your house is going to look pretty messy while you are in the midst of re-roofing.
Even when roofers have completed the job and cleaned up, you may still have to put up with the loose granular material that a new roof will often shed into the gutters and the flapping plastic strips that stick out from between the shingles. The loose granules are normal and those plastic strips are not a problem. (You don't need to remove them; they will disappear eventually). In the end though, all the trouble will be worth it and you will have the comfort and security of a new roof.