The sound of rain should induce calm and peace. But your moment of respite can turn into a panic when the gentle sound of rain turns into dripping sounds in the house.

Such sounds mean only one thing: you need a roof repair. A roof repair in central Indiana is a major home renovation that requires some preparation on your part. 

Keep reading to learn what you can do to best prepare your home, yard, and family for the roof repair process. 

Prepare Your Yard For a Roof Repair

When a local roofing contractor and his team begin replacing a roof, they will be tossing down quite a bit of roof debris. The contractor will most likely have a dumpster and tarps to catch the debris. You can still help them by doing a few key things. 

Move Vehicles

The evening before the roofing team begins their work, move your cars from your garage and driveway. If you leave your car in the garage, you may find it trapped by a dumpster or commercial vehicle. 

Move Furniture and Toys

To give your roofers as much access to your roof as possible, move all of your yard furniture and children’s toys. Give the roofers at least a 15-foot clearance around the perimeter of your home. 

Additionally, if you leave toys and furniture nearby, the roofing debris could fall and damage them. So put these items into storage until the offers are done. 

Mark Plants

If you have any special plants you want to be protected, mark them. Let the roofing crew know you have some items you’d like them to be careful of. Most roofing companies accommodate their customers well by avoiding things if you let them know what to avoid. 

Move Landscaping Hardware

If you have lights, statues, stepping stones, water foundations, birdhouses bird feeders, or other decorations in your landscaping or garden, move them. You want to protect your items as much as possible from roof debris that could fall or be thrown from the roof. 

Mark Sprinklers and Ponds

Mark your inground sprinklers. You may assume the roofers can see them, but if they’re not looking for a sprinkler, they most likely won’t see them. Mark the sprinklers clearly by flagging them. 

While you’re marking your sprinklers. mark your ponds as well. Cover them if you can to protect them from debris, and let the roofing company know where they are. 

Prepare Your Lawn

Before the roofers start tossing debris from the roof, give your grass a good trim. You will be able to find the wayward nail more quickly if you have trimmed grass. You’ll also avoid having your lawnmower pick up and then throw debris threw a window. 

Inform Your Neighbors

Once the old roof has gone off the roof, the roofers will start the loudest part of the roof replacement. They’ll spend the day hammering and using loud automatic tools. 

For this reason along with the extra commercial traffic you’ll have, you need to inform your neighbors of your new project. Ultimately, they will appreciate it since your new roof will increase the value in the neighborhood But you still want them to know about your temporary visitors for now. 

Prepping Your House for Roof Replacement

As you talk to your local roofing contractor, you’ll have some important questions. Is it safe to stay home during a roof replacement? Do roofers need to come inside? 

Your roofing experts will not work inside your home, but they will create some temporary problems inside your home as they work. Here are a few things you can do to lessen those problems. 

Protect Your Attic and Garage

Your attic and garage will collect the most dust as roofing technicians hammer and walk on your roof. Cover the materials in the attic with a drop cloth.

Take time to clean the garage and attic as well, removing any items that you don’t want to have to dust when the roofing process has finished. You will find yourself with an even cleaner and less cluttered home because you received a new roof. 

Protect Wall Decor and Fragile Items

A roofing company will walk all over your roof and shake your home up a bit. Protect the fragile items in your home that could tip over with the tremors the roofers cause. Wrap them up and put them away for now. 

Take valuable paintings or wall hangings off your walls as well. These can fall off with the vibrations also. 

Expect Interruptions

Your roof company will remove all of the antennas and dishes on your roof. If you currently receive TV reception from hardware on your roof, expect interruptions. You won’t be able to watch TV like you wanted to. 

Your roof company will also remove solar panels and skylights. 

 Prepping Your Family and Pets for Roof Replacement

The people and pets in your home need preparation as well. A new roof installation should only take a couple of days depending on how big of a roof you have. Still, your children and pets need to prepare themselves. 

Begin by keeping your pet indoors or kenneling them during the process. The loud noises may cause anxiety for some pets. Kenneling them will remove them from the noise and prevent them from adding to it. 

If kenneling isn’t an option for you, ask your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication for your dog while the roofers are working. 

If you have young children, consider having them stay with a relative during the two days the roofers are working. Infants will not have proper naptime, and younger children will be frustrated with the noise level. 

If you have older children, tell them about the debris. Have them stay inside while roofers are working so debris doesn’t hit them as they play outside. Make sure your children are always wearing shoes outside. 

Prepare and Enjoy

With the right preparation, your roof repair experience will go as smoothly as possible. Your children, pets, and yard will survive the few days it takes for the roofers to do their jobs. In the end, you’ll have a beautiful new roof. 

Before your roofing contractors leave, take a moment to inspect the roof yourself to make sure it meets your expectations. Conduct a close inspection of your yard and the area surrounding your home. Look for roofing nails and any debris that could cause problems as well. 

Do you need a roof repair or a new roof altogether? If so, contact us. Our experienced roofing technicians stand ready to give you a new roof and peace of mind.