A new roof is a big improvement for your home, but you do want to make sure the lawn and items in the yard are safe during the construction process.
1. Mow the Lawn
Your roofing team will take great care to clean up debris and dropped nails after the job is done, but you can make the process easier by cutting your lawn just prior to work beginning. A well-manicured lawn with no overgrown areas makes it much easier to spot fallen debris. Roofers typically use strong magnets to collect nails, and short grass allows the magnets to work more efficiently as well.
2. Put Away Everything
Don't leave toys, furniture, or other outdoor items out. Items that are left near the home can get in the way of the roofers, since they will need to stage things on the ground as well as move equipment into place when removing old shingles and bringing up the new ones. Further, anything left out may be damaged if debris or tools drop from the roof. It's simply safer for both the roofers and the items to put them away ahead of the start of work.
3. Move Your Cars
The roofers may need access to the driveway or the street in front of your home to stage ladders, equipment, and supplies. Further, you don't want to leave vehicles in the drop zone, which is the area at risk of fallen tools and debris during the roofing work. If there are vehicles you can't easily move, such as boats and recreational vehicles, cover them with a tarp while the new roof is being put on so that they are protected from most debris.
4. Protect Your Plants
Garden beds and plants growing near the home's foundation and under the eaves are at risk of being trampled or damaged by ladders and equipment. Place tall stakes around the plants or in the corners of the garden, and then drape a tarp over the top. This will protect the plants while work is being done on the roof. Just make sure to remove the tarp at the end of the day. If you are worried about trees, place stakes around the trunk to provide protection so nothing bumps into them.
5. Mark Sprinkler Heads
Sprinklers can be accidentally damaged when a new roof is being put on, especially in instances where equipment and supplies must be placed on the lawn because there is not sufficient driveway or street access. You can avoid this by marking each sprinkler head with a small lawn flag. Your roofing crew will know to avoid these flags when moving equipment and supplies across the lawn.
Contact a roof contractor at a company like Acoma Roofing, Inc. to learn other tips for preparing your home for a smooth new roof installation.
