Preparing Your Yard for a Roof Replacement
Advanced Exteriors Roof Repair Service MN
If your roof has been damaged or is showing signs of wear and tear, it is important to get a roof replacement. This is simply because of its long-term benefits. A good roof will be able to protect your home for years to come and will raise your home’s value as well. You can hire a responsible roofing company to get the job done. While the company usually does most of the work, you can do a few things on your own too to ensure that the work is carried out smoothly. Things like moving your children to a place they won’t get hurt, bringing down the mirrors, and cutting the grass isn’t too difficult but will make a lot of difference on the day of the project. It is also advisable to ask for the things you should expect on the day so that you can stay prepared. Usually, you can expect roofers to walk in your yard while they work. Nails, old shingles, and other debris will fall off the roof as the roofing team removes your old roof. A dumpster will be parked in your driveway and the team will work from the opposite corner of the roof towards the dumpster so that most of the debris falls in. They also lay down tarps to collect debris and use magnets and metal detectors to find nails. However, shingle scraps can only be found by careful visual inspection. The following are a few important steps that should be taken to clear your yard for the ease of work.
Clear toys and patio furniture
The roofing professionals will need to walk all around your home to access the roof from different sides and they can trip on the toys if they lie around carelessly and might need to move the furniture if it blocks their movement. Falling shingles and debris might also damage the toys and furniture. Therefore, ensure that there is a 15‐foot clearance all around your house. Put anything that can be picked up and moved into storage in the shed or the garage, and cover it with a tarp. If there’s a gazebo or another structure that you can’t move, either take it down or tie up its curtains.
Clear your vehicles from the driveway and garage
Park your cars a safe distance away on the street the night before the roofing team arrives. Do not wait till the morning because your car might get trapped as a supplier tries to drop off shingles or other materials. Another reason to clear your vehicles off the driveway is that the roofers will need to use your driveway all day. They will park their dumpster in the driveway and place their equipment nearby so that they can bring it up on the roof as and when they need it. You might want to put your vehicle in the garage if you won’t be using it and aren’t worried about it getting trapped there during the replacement. However, this isn’t the best idea because garage roofs are usually not insulated, and so shingle granules and nails can drop through the roof during the work. This can result in the granules getting gathered on your car the paint getting scratched when you try to wipe them away.
Mark or protect plants
You surely have plants that are either very delicate or very expensive. All plants are vulnerable to dropped shingles. But you can mark out any especially valuable or fragile plants with a tape. Also, remember to place netting or a tarp over flower beds and the other plants. You can show the roofers’ manager which plants need extra care so that the team ensures that an extra wide berth is given to them.
Clear the garden
Move whatever you can from the garden. This includes everything from birdhouses, potted plants, solar‐powered lights, mosaic stepping stones, statues, water fountains, bird feeders, wind chimes, and more. A sudden drop of shingle can damage these delicate items. And you, of course, don’t want the local birds trying shingle granules for their meals!
Mark sprinklers
If you have a sprinkler system in the yard that you can’t remove, mark each sprinkler head so that the roofers do not trip over it.
Talk to your neighbors
It is advisable to warn your neighbors ahead of time about the noise, the disturbance, and the possibility of a shingle or a nail flying into their yard during your roof replacement. This will ensure that they are cooperative on the day of your roof replacement. Also, don’t forget to ask them if they are willing to unlock their gates for the roofing team so that someone from the team can grab any stray shingles they spot in the neighbor’s yard, should they fly over. Also, if their property is very close to yours, they may also want to cover their plants and board up their windows as well. And if you share a driveway, your neighbor will need to remove their car from the driveway, too.
Mark ponds
If you have any hidden water features, such as small natural pools tucked behind reeds or koi ponds covered in foliage, notify your roofing professionals and mark it. This will prevent accidents.
Cut your grass
It’s much easier to find leftover debris and nails in short grass. Your roofers will be able to spot these things in your grass easily during clean up and possibly save you from stepping on one.
Check your electrical outlet
Your roofing team might need to use powered equipment on your roof, and so they’ll need access to an outdoor electrical outlet. If you have one, ensure that it works and if you don’t, leave a door or window open near an outlet so that the roofing professional can use the power source.
Unlock your gates
You will need to unlock all your gates for the roofing team so that they can move around freely during work.
Are you looking for a roofing contractor in MN? Get in touch to see how we can help today! Advanced Exteriors MN has years of experience in fixing roofs in the area.
Minneapolis, MN 55428






