Roof Tear Off: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Roof Tear Off: What Is It and Why Is It Important? post thumbnail

A time will come when you’ll have to part with the roof that has offered you and your properties protection for years for several reasons, including aging and damage. When that time comes, you may come across something like “roof tear off” in your roof quotes, which may confuse you. It’s okay to be confused by something you don’t understand, and that’s why you have us at Harbour Roofing. We are here to educate you and clarify things that may confuse you. 

In this article, we will explain the roof tear-off process, the three key steps involved, and why you shouldn’t skip it when replacing your roof. So when you eventually come across it in your quote or estimate, it won’t leave you wondering. 

What Is a Roof Tear Off? 

A roof tear-off involves the removal of old roofing materials for replacement. It is a compulsory process that a roofing contractor must undertake before they can replace the roof with a new one. They achieve this by tearing the current shingles and roofing components off the decking in sections.

Completely tearing off the old roof is vital, as it helps the contractor see the general state of the decking. They can detect wood rot or any problem and nip it in the bud before installing a new roof.

3 Steps to Tear Off Your Old Roof for Replacement

Protect Your Property

The first step of tearing off your old roof is protecting your home and making its surroundings safe. Protecting your property is a significant responsibility of your roofing contractor when working on your roof for a replacement. 

After choosing an access point, your roofing contractor starts to unroll tarps from the gutter to the ground for protection. The contractor has to ensure that the tarps protect every piece of foliage and landscaping around your home’s base surrounding the roofline. Doing this is essential to ensure that the debris from the tearing-off process falls into the dump or tarp rather than your yard. Additionally, you may need to move out some delicate furniture. Also, if your home has a pool, you’ll need to tarp it. 

Furthermore, safety is paramount. Having all the necessary work tools and setting up barriers and tarps will make sure the environment is safe for everyone during the process of tearing off your old roof.

Tearing Off Your Old Roof

After successfully setting up the area, the next step is the real deal, which is tearing off the roof. The contractor does this by using tools specially designed for this purpose. Such tools make the process easy, as they can go beneath the shingles with ease and lift them. The most prevalent of such tools are pitchforks and spades.

Aside from the shingles, your roofing contractor will also be taking off old features present on your roof. Such features include underlayment, vents, eave drip, and pipe boot flashing. The work starts from the point farthest from the dump trailer and moves forward until it gets back to the point of access. Usually, the crew divides themselves into groups. One group goes section by section to tear the roof off while the other controls and ensures the debris gets into the dump. 

Removing and Moving Old Roofing Materials 

After tearing off the old shingles, some roofing materials are left behind, like aged nails in your roof’s decking. If the overhang or ceiling is exposed, your roofer will extract the nails by pulling them out. However, if it is plywood they are dealing with, they will make sure that they hit the nails down into the decking. Doing this ensures no aged nailhead is sticking out and obstructing the process of installing a new roof.

You might not know the importance of knocking old nails down, but they play a key role in testing the stability and integrity of your roof’s decking. If the decking doesn’t fall apart during the nailing down, it can stand up to the pressure that comes with installing a new roof. However, suppose the decking gives way during the process. In that case, the contractor will need to substitute it before installing the new one.

Furthermore, after removing the old roof and materials, the roofer moves off the worksite to a dump. It is a part of their responsibility to clean up after work. Hence, they will make a dump available to haul debris into them. They might even need a special dump for construction waste or any waste substance that requires special procedures regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for dumping. 

Is Tearing Off Your Old Roof Necessary to Install a New One?

Skipping the tear off process of installing a new roof is an option some homeowners choose, even though experts do not recommend it. Installing a new roofing material over an old one is a nail-over reroof. It is a means of saving money for people who choose this approach instead of first tearing off the old roof.

There are conditions you must meet before you have a nail-over re-roof. They include the roof lying flat and close to its lifespan’s end. Additionally, there should be just a few penetrations on the roof. Anything more than a small amount of flashing, including walls that your shingles lie against, makes your roof unfit for a nail-over re-roof.

Regardless of whether your roof meets the condition, installing a new roof over an old one is not something we recommend at Harbor Roofing. As much as it is initially cost-effective, it is not long-term. You will end up spending more on repairs in the following months or years because you failed to address underlying problems before installing a new roof. In addition to that, you won’t get the roof warranties you’ll get when you tear off your roof.

Conclusion

By now, you know how critical the tear off process is for a new roof installation, even though it might seem like a minute part of the process. It is an investment you’ll be glad you made in years to come. The roof tear-off is just a step in the roof replacement process; the other steps are equally important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you tear off a roof in the rain?

While you can decide for whatever reason to tear off your roof in the rain, you shouldn’t. It is a terrible decision to make, as you shouldn’t expose your roofing system to moisture or water. Aside from the damage the rain will cause to your property, it makes the process, which is already risky, riskier. So, tearing your roof off in the rain is a big fat no for us.

What is a roof takeoff?

A roof takeoff is a list of materials you need to complete your project. It includes the amount of each material you need to finish a roofing project and their respective costs. Aside from panels, the takeoff will contain other necessary panels like trim, underlayment, fasteners, and flashings.

How long does it take to tear off a roof?

It typically takes about 4-6 hours to complete a roof tear off process on most buildings. If the roof is large, complex, and has a steep slope, completing the tear-off might take the whole day. However, you could tear off different roof sections over several days in severe situations.

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