How Loud is a Roof Replacement?

How loud is a roof replacement? Well before the actual day of roof replacement is difficult to say unless you’ve experienced it in your own home and would raise concerns for any homeowner.

Not to sugar-coat it, it will be really loud and it will be like “BANG BANG BANG” all day long, constantly banging. Loudest during the actual installation (tear-off, re-sheathing and replacement) of the new roof when all of the equipment and workers are working; Roughly between 95-120 decibels, which is equivalent to thunder and electric drill sounds;

• Saws are running and cutting roof sheathing; 
• Gas powered compressors are being used to hammer in nails; 
• Gas powered elevators are lifting shingles onto the roof;
• Workers yelling, inside and outside of the house when installing skylights;
• Worker’s boots running along a sloped roof will sound like a big drum. With a 3” sloped roof and a hollow attic space is why it sounds like that;   

With the loud noise, this will cause the home to vibrate to a manageable degree. This adds some concern for anything that may not be secured to the floor.  

While a two-storey home would make this noise more bearable by muffling the banging on the first floor, or the basement of a home would muffle this banging about as well. The further away from the roof, the more muffled the noise will be.

For homeowners whose homes are close to their neighbors would need to realize the loud noises from their roof replacement will bother their neighbors too. The noise travels about a home’s length in radius away, so it's worth considering the neighbors have to deal with the noise as well.

Homeowner’s Considerations 

A homeowner can take a 5 steps to make the roof replacement more manageable for them:

1. Decide whether to stay home or go
2. Take Care of Pets
3. Take Care of Children and Elderly
4. Take Valuables off of Walls
5. Warn the Neighbors

Decide whether to stay home or go

As a precaution, any homeowner should move their car out of the garage and onto the street at a minimum. The reason is that it gives an undecided homeowner, and/or a homeowner who chooses to endure the noise at home will still have the option to leave whenever they choose. 

Now to answer, whether you should stay home during a roof replacement or not? Homeowners normally choose to stay at home if they are working from home, they have some pressing reason to stay at home and/or they’re staying at home to ensure the contractor does a good job (or to ask them questions). It’s up to the homeowner to decide, but it’s recommended for a homeowner to find another place to go during the daytime of a roof’s installation. 

A piece of advice, homeowners who become stressed out from seeing their home look like a construction zone are better off finding another place for the time being. Avoiding unexpected problems especially when a roofer has to tear-off two or more layers of roofing. There are a ton of neglected problems that are better off not being seen by the homeowner in the first place;

• A roofer falling through weak roof decking or framing,
• tearing off damaged siding, fascia and soffits due to water damage, and
• worse disturbing a rodent or pest infestation that has made its home in the roof.

How many layers of shingles are allowed? You may be asking, we recommend no more than one layer although two layers are generally accepted depending where you live. It's worth taking into consideration, trust us, there are many reasons not to put shingles on top of shingles from our experience.

Take Care of Pets

Many pets, dogs and cats, who have trouble handling noise from fireworks or storms will be stressed. 

To explain with a few cases:

• Some cats after the roof installation have stayed under the bed for up to a week after;
• Some dogs become extremely stressed causing homeowners to sedate them for the day;
• While other dogs become stressed and take a few days to calm down 

Roughly to give the homeowner an idea, it’s recommended for pets to be kept in the basement or in a temporary day care for the pet. Whichever is the least trouble for the family and the pet at the end of the day.  

Take Care of Children and Elderly

Having a family, younger children and the elderly, some have been known to become irritated by noise. 

Some children have trouble sleeping, eating or dislike the idea of not being able to go outside. While some elders have been known to forget it’s unsafe to go outside, the noise gives them migraines and so on. It depends on how your family member reacts to noise, it’s important to take it into consideration when deciding. 

For the homeowner’s peace of mind, consider having activities setup for them at home or have them visit a friend’s house for the day, even the recreation center. It’s up to the homeowner at the end of the day.  

Take Valuables off of Walls

As a precaution, the vibrations could cause insecure valuables to get knocked off of the walls (or shelves). Take these down to avoid any regrets later on when the roof installation work starts. 

It doesn’t mean everything should be taken off of the walls, further the shelves. If it’s secure and you’re confident it doesn’t hold sentimental value, that may mean it can be left alone. That’s a guideline, not to panic the homeowner. 

If it can handle a small tremor, leave it hanging, unless it’s valuable.

Warn the Neighbors

For homeowners who live close to their neighbors in a townhome complex or duplex for example. As much as you the homeowner has to endure the noise, your neighbors will be dealing with the noise too.

Now that you know the steps a homeowner should take, pass this information along to your neighbor to give them an opportunity to prepare for the noisy roofing replacement. 

Don’t forget others living in your area too.  

Ready for the Noise? Take a Breath 

Now that you’re ready and your neighbors are ready, take a deep breath and relax. It will be stressful for a day or a few days, depending on the size of the home; Based on the size of the home, number of gables, the roofing materials, etc.

Take the precautionary steps we have provided and it will be a better experience, take a roofer’s word for it.

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