Re-roofing: how long the job takes and what happens day by day

The roof is the only job in a house done "under the open sky": that is why anyone replacing it wants to know one thing above all, how long the house will stay uncovered. The honest answer: hardly at all, if the site is organised slope by slope. Here is how we proceed.

Before we start

• Site visit on the roof, not from the courtyard: we check the framing, gutters, chimneys, skylights and the state of the insulation.
• Paperwork: notice to the municipality where required, notice to the building management, public-land permit if the scaffolding stands on the pavement.
• Materials ordered beforehand: tiles or sheet metal, breathable membrane, insulation, flashings. A roof is not started if anything is missing.

The stages

1. Scaffolding and lifeline (1-2 days). The scaffolding has an eaves guardrail, mandatory and useful for you too: the site is closed and safe.
2. Stripping the old covering, one slope at a time. If there is asbestos cement, this is where the certified removal comes in, with its own procedure.
3. Structure: checking and replacing damaged rafters, new boarding where needed. This is when surprises appear: that is why the quote always has a "contingencies" line.
4. Insulation and membrane: insulation boards over the boarding (warm roof) and a breathable membrane, then the battens that create ventilation. A ventilated roof makes a huge difference in attic rooms in summer.
5. Covering: clay tiles, Ardogres tiles or sheet metal, with ventilated ridges and flashings around chimneys and skylights. Here is the comparison of roof coverings.
6. Flashings and gutters: gutters, downpipes, cappings and valleys. This is the part that decides whether the roof really stays dry.
7. Cleaning and dismantling the scaffolding.

How long it takes

For a detached house or a small building we generally talk about a few weeks, scaffolding included; longer for an apartment block. Each slope is opened and closed on the same day or covered with sheets: the house is never left open overnight. The quote states the expected timing and we keep to it, weather permitting: in rain or strong wind nobody works on a roof, for safety.

What you need to do

• Clear delicate items from the attic: dust falls during stripping.
• Move cars from under the scaffolding and warn the neighbours.
• Decide the colour and type of covering beforehand: changing your mind with the roof open costs time.

At the end

We hand you photos of every stage (structure, insulation, membrane: the things that can no longer be seen), the material data sheets and the documents for the tax deductions. And we tell you when to do the first gutter check: in autumn, with the leaves.