Tearing off a roof may seem easy, but it is a huge undertaking. Tearing off your roof can be time-consuming and even challenging, but if done correctly, you can do this in a shorter time.
The question now is, how long does it take to tear off your roof?
In many cases, taking out your roof would take about a day or two, but in more extreme cases, it can take up to three to four days. The time you would need to tear your roof depends on certain factors, like the weather condition in your area and the complexity of your roof.
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How Long Does It Take to Remove a Roof?
Removing your roof from your building would take about a day or two, and in some cases, it takes longer, but it all depends on certain factors surrounding your environment.
When working on your client’s roof, one of the most common questions you are most likely to hear is” how long does it take?”.
Like we said earlier, there are several factors surrounding how fast you tear a roof off the top of a building; some of these factors include;
#1. The Complexity of The Roof
When we say the complexity of the roof, we are talking about the number of facets, hips, valleys, and pitch the top has.
Not only does this affect the number of days it would take for you to get your work done, but it would also affect the cost of removing the roof from the building.
A roof with lesser hips and valleys would be much easier to work on than that with about four to five hips and valleys.Â
The contractor also has to take several safety precautions when working on complex roofs like that, and the higher the top is from the ground, the more safety precautions the contractor needs to take.
For their safety, they have to work slower than usual. So therefore, a more complex roof would take more time to remove.
#2. The Weather Condition on That Day
Not all time of the year is suitable for a roof replacement. In snowy or rainy weather, you shouldn’t be carrying out a roof replacement because there is a high chance that the roofers won’t properly do the job.
Imagining tearing off a roof and realizing that the weather has started changing and it is about to rain would be a highly complex situation.
To be specific, the best thing to do as a homeowner or a roof installer is to check the weather forecast for that day and possibly the next four days.
And to be even more specific, as a homeowner, it would be better for you not to consider a roof change during the rainy or snowy season.
#3. Your Roofs Accessibility
The roof accessibility is essential for the contractor so he, as the contractor, can locate your roof quickly.
The accessibility is necessary because the contractor would be stuck with much work trying to tear up the previous top, so getting access to the roof shouldn’t be adding to his problems.
The contractor needs to make several trips to and from the roof to drop off materials like the old roof and other torn-off materials and also get back up with new materials for the new roof installation; the last thing he would need is stress in locating how to move up and down the roof.
So, what factors make your house nearly inaccessible? Having rows of bushes around your home, no paved way that leads to the roof’s access point, and a fence are some of the biggest challenges roof contractors seem to face.
So, if your installer takes much time trying to install shingles to make the work a bit easier for him, then the chances of your roof taking much longer to install is very high, pushing back the time it takes to tear off the previous roof.
Removing your roof daily doesn’t always mean that the job was done correctly, especially for large houses.
Many companies may come to you and promise that they can get the work done in a shorter time, although most times they do, the job wouldn’t be as neat as it would’ve been taken care of more carefully.Â
Having many contractors work on your roof means there would be shingles flying all around, and when this happens, it tends to be very confusing, even for experienced workers.
There wouldn’t be enough time for a proper cleanup after the roofers do the work.
You should always remember that you should never choose speed over quality when working on your roof because it would be much better to take five days working correctly on a roof than rushing it all up in a day and still needing to spend other days trying to fix it.
Not only would that cost you your time, but it would also cost you a lot of money.
How Long Does It Take to Strip and Re-shingle A Roof?
In many cases, it would take about two to three days to strip and re-shingle your roof completely.
Maybe some of your roofs are not so bad after all, and all you have to deal with are missing shingles and sometimes loose screws, but don’t worry, you can repair these easily.
There are several reasons why some people would prefer tearing off their roof and replacing it entirely to re-shingling; in severe cases, the amount of money you would need to re-shingle your roof is close to the amount you would need to replace it, so why not just go with the better option?
When choosing to re-shingle your roof, you have to go with the best quality materials to get the most out of work, there are several types of shingles fitted to various kinds of roofs, and you should always go with the option which would work best for you.
Depending on your type of roof, the following installation process would be able to last for the listed number of days;
- Wooden shingles installment should last for 3-4 days.
- Asphalt shingles installments should last for 1-2 days.Â
- Concrete tiles and shingles should last about 8-9 days.
- Slate tiles and shingles installments will last about 6-7 days.
The days listed above are the estimated time you should finish these installments.
Still, in some cases, it is usually more or even less, depending on the type of roof you have and the weather condition of your area during that season.
How Often Should Roof Be Replaced?
You do not need to install a new roof often. Once a professional contractor has done the job, your roof can stand firm for about twenty to forty years.
You don’t need to replace your roof whenever you like; ideally, you should do this when the top is close to ending its lifespan.Â
Regular maintenance also helps to ensure that your roof lasts for a longer time, coupled with the type of roofing material you use for the job.
Below is a table that shows some types of roofs with their lifespans;
| Roofing Types | Lifespans |
|---|---|
| Asphalt roofs; 3-tab, luxury, and architectural | 25 years, 30 years, and 30 years, respectively |
| Standing seam metal roof system | 30 years or 50 years when properly maintained |
| Synthetic roof | 40 years |
| Cedar shake roof | 30 years |
| Slate roofs | Last the longer for about 90-100 years |
How Do You Remove a Roof from The House?
Removing your roof is very easy if you know the steps you should take. Removing an old roof is a crucial step in the replacement process.
The steps you should take to clear your old roof successfully include:
- The first thing you should always ensure is that you protect your other properties correctly. You can achieve this by placing tarps on your grasses to protect them from debris and make cleaning up more accessible since the dirt would be falling on your tarps.
- After protecting the essential components, you move to the central part, tearing up the roof. You would want to remove the shingles first, and you can achieve that with a tear-off fork or the notched shovel. The ridge cap would come off. First, the division would start tearing off the shingles and the roof.Â
- After removing all the shingles, roofers would start pulling out all the nails left hooked up for the deck, and in some cases, roofers hammer these nails down, paving the way for the new roof to be nailed.
- After the top of the roof is free from debris, shingles, nails, and the old roof, you can examine the rafters to ensure they are in good condition for the new top.
- After you install the new roof properly, you can now clean up the work area, and you are all done.
Summary
Tearing off your previous roof to install a new one is not easy, but with the proper knowledge, you can determine the best time to tear out your roof at any time of the year.
To get the most out of the money, you will be getting professional roofers, preferably from a company, to come and remove your roof.
