The Few and the Fearless: A Blog About Roofers

If your current roof has reached the end of its lifespan, you will need to have it torn off before a new roof can be installed. Often, the roofing company will do both parts of the process. They'll tear the old roof off. Then, they will put a new one into place. Here are some questions that you, as a homeowner, might have about the tear-off part of this process.  

How long does it take to tear off a roof? 

Most roofers can do the tear-off in a day or less. If you have an unusually large home, it might take longer. Tearing off a roof is not a very "skilled" aspect of roofing, so it can be done quickly and without a lot of attention to detail. Most roofing companies hire pretty large teams to handle the tear-off, which also speeds up the process.

What parts of the roof are removed?

Usually, the exterior roofing materials are all that's removed. For example, if you have a shingle roof, the shingles will be removed. If you have a tile roof, the tile will be removed. Roofers typically also remove the underlayment, which is the fabric or plastic sheeting directly under your primary, exterior roof material. But the roof deck, which is the wood that forms the base of the roof, is generally left in place. Roofers will only remove parts of the roof deck if they are rotten or cracked, and this type of damage generally only occurs when a roof has been in disrepair for a long time.

What happens to the torn-off materials?

Roofers typically drop the torn-off roof materials into a dumpster below. Depending on the materials, they will then be carted off to a landfill or a recycling facility. Many newer shingles can be recycled. Metal roofing can typically be recycled, too. If you want to know what will happen to your particular roof materials, don't hesitate to ask the roofer.

How will your home be protected after the tear-off?

Roofers usually schedule the tear-off for good weather so your home will be okay without a roof for a day or two until they can get a new roof in place. But if it does rain or you have to wait a little longer, they can cover your home in tarps for protection until the roof installation.

The tear-off is a vital part of the re-roofing process. Hopefully this article has taught you more about it.

For more info, contact a company like United Roofing & Restoration Inc.