Check the Roof Before You Remodel the Rooms Under It

Finally, you’re redesigning the upstairs bedrooms that you talked about for years. You’ve chosen the paint colours, flooring samples are ready, and the contractor will start the work in three weeks. 

But before the work begins, check out the roof space area, whether it is ready for redesigning or not. The roof is the main part of your room; if it is in poor condition, then it may damage the new drywall, paint, and floor underneath. 

Here are several ways given in this article to check out the area of your roof space. 

Start at the Top

Builders mainly work from the outside in and the top down, because water slops downwards, and water leakage doesn’t stop at the roof space. It soaks the insulation; mark stains on the ceiling, then the dripping water runs down the inside of the wall and finally reaches the floor. 

The roof repair will cost a few hundred dollars if it’s fixed before the renovation of the room. But if the twenty-two-year-old roof starts to leak, it will cost you a lot more, and you end up paying for the room twice. 

What to Look For

You can check out the signs without using a ladder. Look at the ceilings near chimneys, skylights, and outside walls. If there are yellow-brown rings or bubbled paint, that usually means water has been getting in, even if it’s dry today.

Turn off the light and look at the roof space area and insulation, too. If it is compressed, clumped, or smells musty, then probably the area is wet. 

Curled edges, bare patches, and missing tabs in shingles are all signs of years of age. So are piles of coarse small particles at the bottom of the downspouts; those are the particles that wash off the shingles. 

So, if the roof is more than twenty years old, or nobody knows when it was replaced, get it reviewed before the interior work starts.

Some Projects Involve the Roof Directly

A few popular renovations not only change under the roof area but also change how it works. Finishing the roof space changes the insulation, ventilation, and sometimes the framing. If the ventilation gets blocked or left out, the moist air from the new room ends up in the roof structure. That can lead to mould on the sheathing and shingles that wear out early. 

Skylights can cut a hole in the roof, but a good one, installed with proper flashing, will stay for decades. However, a poorly flashed one is often the first place where a leak shows up. 

Converting a flat ceiling into a curved one can remove the roof space area that helps the roof keep cool and dry. Even a new bathroom requires proper planning; it must have a vent outdoors through the roof or a wall. 

For any of these, talk to a roofer while the design is still on paper. Changing a drawing is cheap but opening up a finished ceiling isn’t.

Getting the Order Right

If the roof actually needs work, then late summer and early fall are good times when the weather is usually dry and comfortable for roof work. 

After finishing the roofing, leave it for at least a week; however, it will start cracking or can cause any other damage. 

Before your work starts, ask the roofer whether the roof needs a repair or a full replacement and how they’ll protect the windows, siding, and garden beds. They can also suggest something in your renovation plan that can affect the roof.

The Short Version

Fix what’s over your head before you start what’s under it. An hour in the roof space and it will cost very little next to a renovated room that has to be torn open again.

Disclaimer: This article is general information for homeowners planning renovations. It is not a roof inspection, structural assessment or building-code advice. Attic conversions, skylights and ceiling changes may need permits and input from licensed trades, engineers or your local building department. Only an on-site inspection can confirm a roof’s condition. The contractor link is included for convenience and is not an endorsement. Get more than one quote before hiring.

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