Do you need to empty the attic when the roof is being replaced?

Geneticsbunny · 27/10/2025 11:53

I would put tarps over it. It will be messy.

GasPanic · 27/10/2025 12:03

Suppose it depends whether you want it covered in water, shifted around, potentially broken. Whether it's valuable and someone might make off with it, with you not finding out about for years.

Maybe take it as an opportunity to dump a load of stuff you don't use.

FenceBooksCycle · 27/10/2025 12:06

You don't need to, but everything will get a thick coating of dust and debris from when they remove the old roof (some dust from the tiles, but mostly the old lining under the tiles crumbling into bits). Anything that can easily be wiped clean, just leave it.

Rollercoaster1920 · 27/10/2025 12:06

Are you ok with it getting filthy, possibly wet, and heavy tiles dropped on it?

Depending on the job, they might need internal access.

jinyjo · 27/10/2025 12:23

2cubesoficeandasliceoflime · 27/10/2025 11:49

Just that.
Our roof is being replaced next week. The roofer is on holiday now until the day before he starts.
The attic is tidy and most things are in plastic boxes. Most things are down one side.
It's a small roof.
I don't want to empty it unless I have to as we have nowhere to put the stuff and its a lot of work.

I was advised to empty the partially boarded loft when I had my house reroofed. He said no matter how careful he is debris will fall down. So I did I emptied the loft and when I got the the last article it dawned on me that the partially boarded loft also had walls and a ceiling ! So all the debris would just fall onto that !. I have a very tidy loft now though :)

SwedishEdith · 27/10/2025 12:57

We did. It was a good opportunity to sort stuff out until I got bored and shoved a lot back

Original poster

2cubesoficeandasliceoflime · 27/10/2025 13:04

We only got it boarded 2 years ago so it's not full of crap or needing sorting through - yet!

I didnt even think of the dirt! I was thinking about whether it would get in his way. Now I feel stupid!

Ill get down what I can then and cover the other stuff.

OP posts:

Nearly50omg · 27/10/2025 13:30

if you want your roofers to hate you as they are doing a difficult job already and you leaving crap everywhere that they have to trip over or move 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ of course you have to move it!!! Stop being sp
lazy!

Plugsocketrocket · 27/10/2025 13:35

Gosh reroofing in November is very brave if you are in the Northern Hemisphere.

My answer is it depends on the weather.

When you get a roof redone they are usually just doing the pitched part, felt, battens, roof tiles. But all of the stuff in the attic is exposed to the elements, has the potential to be blown away and damaged and get wet and be broken. Personally I’d move it.

rwalker · 27/10/2025 13:37

Nearly50omg · 27/10/2025 13:30

if you want your roofers to hate you as they are doing a difficult job already and you leaving crap everywhere that they have to trip over or move 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ of course you have to move it!!! Stop being sp
lazy!

I doubt they’d even be in the loft it’s all done externally
but the mess is horrendous if you have the old tile with lime mortar
mid empty it completely and put old sheeting down then you can just roll it up and bin it

it will take a lot longer to clean up than bring your stuff down

laughingnow · 27/10/2025 13:38

No need in my recent experience. Everything stored there was covered or contained in some way. I’d had a declutter previously. I went up with a dustpan and brush but there was minimal debris to sweep. I love the nice new light coloured lining now!

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 27/10/2025 13:42

When ours was done [old slate, no insulation] most of the work was done from the outside. Roof tiles all stripped back, tarp over the top to stop rain coming in with an opening left to go and and out of the loft space while that was insulated and boarded.
They added cross supports [as only a couple of verticals in our sagging victorian terrace] and then laid the waterproof membrane, light cross lathes and tiled on top. The new slates were attached to the light wooden horizontal lathes.

The mess was terrific in the loft, bits of slate and tons of dust. We got up there and cleaned it all out to stop it being buried under insulation and boarding in case we ever had to have the ceilings below done.

As yours is already boarded, you will need to hoover all that up [or insist they do with an industrial hoover and check on it] which will be a horrible job in an airless loft. So I'd cover as much as you can in cheap painting tarps that you can fold up and take outside to shake off.

Original poster

2cubesoficeandasliceoflime · 27/10/2025 15:36

November isnt a great time. 🤣 But it leaks and I think we are getting it a little bit cheaper because no one else is stupid enough to do it now. Plus we have the money and want to use it for what it is there for before it gets mixed up with other stuff.

Its a 2 up 2 down so it is a relatively small job.

OP posts:

OnlyOnAFriday · 27/10/2025 15:43

I never emptied the loft, they never came inside, they took slates off, put tarp on, put slates back on. Dh might have chucked a tarp over some items in the loft possibly, can’t remember

Plugsocketrocket · 27/10/2025 16:16

2cubesoficeandasliceoflime · 27/10/2025 15:36

November isnt a great time. 🤣 But it leaks and I think we are getting it a little bit cheaper because no one else is stupid enough to do it now. Plus we have the money and want to use it for what it is there for before it gets mixed up with other stuff.

Its a 2 up 2 down so it is a relatively small job.

They will fly a two up two down, mid terrace I presume, the ends won’t even be exposed. Stuff will be exposed for a couple of days. Fingers crossed the weather stays as good as it has been until now. They should be roofing new builds this time of year not refurbs though 🤣🤣