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Your Home Exterior Design Project: Before, During, and After

Written By Owens Corning Roofing

Designer Chad Esslinger answers questions from homeowners about home exterior design projects, including getting a new roof. Chad provides a few key tips to keep things manageable before, during, and after a big home exterior design project.

Homeowner question: Do I need to do anything after home exterior project is completed?

Chad’s answer: Like a good story, a home exterior design project has a beginning, middle, and an end – and maybe several sequels, if you have split your home exterior design project into phases. There are a few things you can do at the end of a project to help ensure smooth sailing down the road. Keeping samples, products, and contact information well-organized and on-hand for future reference is always a good idea.

Here are three tips to keep in mind before, during, and after designing or refreshing your home exterior, including replacing your roof.

3 Tips for Managing Your Home Exterior Design Project

Reference this list before, during, and after your home exterior design project!

1. Before: Take the Time to Plan

It may seem obvious to say, “have a plan”, but seriously taking the time to plan your home exterior design project is key to helping you get what you want in the end. Sometimes people get excited about an idea and rush into a project without thinking through the key aspects that have a big impact. From setting a budget and project scope to picking the right contractor(s) and color palette, you’ll know you’re on track, on budget, and getting what you want if you’ve taken the time to research and write it all down before things get underway.

Photo of a woman sitting at a kitchen table with a laptop open, taking notes in a notebook

Having a plan before you start your project is key

Get more tips from Chad on planning your home exterior design project.

2. During: Keep Communication Open

Once contracts are signed and your project is underway, sometimes it can feel like things are getting away from you or are out of your control, especially the more complicated the project.

Couple meeting with and shaking hands with a contractor

As part of your contract discussions, get agreement from your contractor on how and when you will communication updates on your project

If you’re working with design professionals or contractors, discuss upfront how you’ll communicate throughout the project and what expectations are on both sides so everybody is in agreement. Let them know that you don’t want any surprises and that you’d like to be informed of any issues or changes to the plan, so you can discuss them before any decisions or installations are made. You should also be sure they are delivering on all aspects of the contract. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just like any good relationship, communication is the key.

3. After: Register Warranties and Organize Project Details

When your project is done, you may want to kick back and enjoy the results. But, before you do, there are a few post-project items you’ll want to check off your list, so you can have peace of mind.

Woman sitting on a bench outdoors, sipping from a coffee mug and sitting next to a dog

Complete your post-project tasks before you relax after your project

Taking a few extra steps to register any warranties can help to protect your investments. Registering warranties can help make things a little easier to manage should you have any issues down the road since your information will be on file and you won’t have to search around for paperwork.

Owens Corning warranty brochures
Don’t forget to register your roofing warranty

File and keep a record of colors, products, and companies you worked with for your project for easy reference. When the time comes to start planning the sequel to your home exterior design project or should you ever need to file a claim, retouch, or replace paint or other materials, you’ll be thankful that you have completed these steps and have this information easily accessible.

Person's hands looking through folders in a filing cabinet

Be sure to store your important project information

Learn more about the three main types of roofing warranties or visit the Owens Corning Warranty page to learn about their roofing warranties.

More from Chad Esslinger

Illustration of a house with the text "Roof Color Q&A" layered over top of the graphic

Chad answers homeowners’ questions about their roofs and home exterior design.

Roof Color Q&A with Chad Esslinger, Designer
Style board graphic featuring Aged Copper swatch and color palette with the text “Aged Copper Style Board” layered over top of the visual

Chad shares his thoughts and style board for our 2021 Shingle Color of the Year, Aged Copper

Chad's thoughts on Aged Copper

Design Inspiration from Owens Corning

Looking for design inspiration? Explore the many tools and content Owens Corning has to offer:

Montage image with a wooden boat in a lake with a scenic wooded landscape behind. Wooden oars and deep green furs also composited for a very earthy, nature-inspired visual.

Learn more about our 2021 Shingle Color of the Year, Aged Copper

Learn more about Aged Copper
Style board graphic with text "Shingle Style Boards" in the upper corner

Not sure what color shingle will work with your roof? Explore our Style Boards

Explore style boards
Owens Corning Design EyeQ® displayed on a laptop, tablet, and mobile phone

Upload a picture of your home and “try on” shingles with Design EyeQ®

Try Design EyeQ®
Screenshot of Owens Corning Pick Your Shingles web page with text "Pick Your Shingles" in top right corner

Explore the many shingle color options from Owens Corning with Pick Your Shingles

Pick Your Shingles

About Chad Esslinger Design

A photo of Chad Esslinger on the left with a logo on the right with the text "Chad Esslinger Design"

Chad Esslinger Design is a full-service design company focusing on residential interior design, decorating and remodeling. Chad loves partnering with homeowners to create beautiful and functional living spaces.

Chad Esslinger Design is committed to beautiful and creative design as well as unparalleled service. Chad believes that great design is contemporary but timeless, simple but elegant. The goal of any project is to create breathtaking beauty, innovative functionality, and a truly enjoyable design process. Learn more about Chad.

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