Do you need to empty your loft for a new roof?

1Where the dust and debris come from

An old roof is a thick layer of overlapping tiles on top of battens, with little to stop fine material falling through. As the tiles come off, years of accumulated dirt, moss residue, broken mortar and bits of old felt drop down. If there is no underlay, which is true of many older houses, the loft below is open to all of it. Where an old underlay exists, it is cut away and goes into the loft space or onto the scaffold platform.

Dust finds its way into every gap, including cardboard boxes, clothes and the top of the loft insulation. Even a carefully run job cannot stop all of it. This is the reason roofers ask for loft contents to be cleared back from the eaves and covered, not because the work is unusually messy but because the nature of stripping a roof releases whatever has settled on it.

2What to move, what to cover

Anything fragile, valuable or sentimental should leave the loft. Photograph albums, paperwork, suitcases of clothes and anything electronic fall into that group. Bulky furniture and large items that cannot be moved can be gathered in the middle and covered with dust sheets or plastic, away from the slopes where the work happens.

You do not need to carry everything out of the house. Clearing a strip along each slope, and a route from the hatch, is often enough. The survey shows how much room your particular roof needs, for example around a hipped end or beside a chimney, where more space is wanted. Older storage such as trunks or a stack of timber is worth mentioning too.

Water tanks, pipework and cabling should be left in place and pointed out to us. If you spot anything you suspect may contain asbestos, such as old lagging or boards, leave it untouched and mention it. HSE's advice for homes built or refurbished before 2000 is to presume asbestos could be there.

3Access for the roofers and for you

Most of the work happens outside, from the scaffold. The roofers still need to reach the underside occasionally, for instance to check rafters, secure a batten line or look at the chimney breast from inside. A clear hatch, a loft ladder that works and a lit space make that safe and quick.

If there is a boarded floor, tell us what is under it, because boards are sometimes lifted to inspect the ceiling joists or check for damp. Lofts with fitted storage are worth discussing early, as shelving may need to be dismantled, and a loft already converted to a room needs a different plan altogether, with furniture and floor coverings protected throughout. The page on what happens to the chimney when you re-roof describes the work that often needs internal access around the breast.

Where a bat is known to roost in the loft, tell us before anything starts, because bats and their roosts are protected.

4How the loft is protected as the roof comes off

The best protection is a method that keeps material out of the loft in the first place. The covering is stripped in sections and passed down to the scaffold, rather than tipped, and the exposed area is covered before we leave. Sheeting is laid over insulation and edges where debris would otherwise settle, and any grit lying on the floor is brushed up and taken away at completion, together with the offcuts and packaging.

Do not expect the loft to look untouched at the end. A sweep and removal of loose debris is part of clearing the site, but a fine film of dust can remain on stored items, which is why covering them matters. Take care that pets and children stay out of the loft until it has been checked. If you plan to keep neighbours informed, re-roofing and your neighbours covers noise and dust beyond your own walls.

5Planning the clear-out around the programme

Clear the loft a few days before the start date, not the night before, so nothing is left until the last minute and the roofers can see the structure when they arrive. If you are already thinking about the value of a new roof or its cost, what a new roof adds to a house and what a new roof costs explain those. The wider process is on the roof replacement page.

For a house that is occupied during the work, plan which rooms below the loft will be affected and cover furniture there as well, since dust can fall through ceiling hatches and light fittings. A written quote follows the survey, and the loft can be discussed then, including any items you are unsure about moving. Where space elsewhere in the house is short, tell us early and we can plan the order of work around it.