Protecting Your Lawn and Garden Area During Roof Replacement

Whether you’re getting your roof repaired or renewed, as a homeowner, one of your primary concerns is ensuring that everything is done correctly on time and within budget. However, people often overlook the idea of how major projects like this would be, just like forgetting how messy it could get. 

Your exterior, which includes your lawn and garden, are a few of the spaces in your property that can quickly improve your home’s curb appeal. Apparently, they are not always mentioned during roofing projects. Remember that you’re encouraged to protect each corner of your home when conducting renovations. So while it’s common for roofing contractors to offer cleanup services after the job is completed, it is advised that you take some measures to reduce the debris and make sure your garden stays neat.

1. Identify what needs to be protected. Take note of the things around your home that might need protection. These may include vegetable gardens, children’s play areas, pools, etc. Should you have flower beds or newly planted areas, ensure to cover these up before the roof installation starts. If you have new entry doors, windows, or siding, make sure that these parts of your home will also be protected from old roofing materials that might drop from your rooftop.

2. Talk to your roofing contractor. Never hesitate to ask your roofer your questions relating to your upcoming roof installation. Remember that you are free to discuss with them your concerns, and chances are, they may already have solutions in place for preventing damage to siding, landscaping, and other parts of your home’s exterior.

3. Document your roof’s condition before the installation. Do not forget to advise your roofers beforehand of things that they need to take special care of. As likely, this includes your decking, swimming pool, hot tubs, or vegetable gardens. This way, they can secure your plants, siding, and other valuable components by laying down available coverings for them.

4. Define paths and work areas. Another thing you should raise to your roofing contractor is the work areas. It should be noted that parts of your yard will be needed for storage, staging, and placement of the garbage bins, where discarded roofing materials will be collected. Experts note that contact with plants can be kept to a minimum by keeping foot traffic to specific areas and covering them with boards.

5. Find a good location for a trash bin. Do not forget to have the trash bin placed at an optimal spot during a roof replacement to allow the best flow of old materials off your roof. Typically, this would be your driveway, so prioritize having it secured throughout the project. You can use plywood sheets on your driveway to guarantee the area isn’t dented, scraped, or damaged. You may also consider placing plywood under the full pallets of shingles to prevent yard or driveway damage. 

6. Work the lawn. You are urged to cut grass in your yard to the minimum height possible. This way, stray nails that fall from the roof during the process don’t get concealed. Also, turn off your automatic sprinkler systems to minimize any possible damage while the project is going on. Moreover, covering the areas immediately below the work area to protect them from falling debris is also a pro-tip. If you have more miniature plants in the area, wrap them with tarps as well. Don’t forget to seal the tarps and double-check wind forecasts in your location. 

7. Keep your roofing materials away from the grass. Preferably, put your trash bin in the driveway where roofing waste materials can be disposed of. As expected, your hired roof repair or replacement team will also put plywood sheets on the driveway before setting down your brand-new roofing materials to protect it from damages.

8. Secure your garden. Drape tarps to make certain your garden area and the grass are safe should they be directly located beneath your roofing system. For potted plants, you can use tarps over lumber leaning against the walls. Fortunately, 3you can leave your shrubs alone as they’re strong enough to handle debris they could come in contact with.

9. Give your roofers enough space. Your roof repair or replacement pros will have a flow for materials coming in and out of your property. That is a path they will take to move around the project site. Remove anything you don’t want to be damaged away from this area and place the trash and disposal bins along their path to help them keep the worksite clean during the construction.

Other Things You Should Not Forget

• Cover your furniture and appliances inside. All these must be kept in a secure area to ensure their safety. Keep in mind that accidents may happen, and misplacing them can also be a huge dilemma. The drilling on your roof can cause dust to fall onto furniture and appliances inside your home, especially your attic and vehicles inside your garage. Draping them with covers can save you the trouble of having to dust them off after the contractors are finished. 

• Tidying up the attic. Remove everything in your attic to push through with any roofing project. Whatever is in there is considered vulnerable to getting wet if it rains before your new roof is furnished.

• Turn your HVACs off. Turn off the air conditioner to prevent the dust from circulating throughout the house. You can also open one of the windows inside to let the dust and stale air out. 

• Inform your neighbors. Before the project commences, it’s ideal to give the community a heads up that you’re replacing your roof. This small courtesy is urged, especially if the neighbors have children, elders, or pets disturbed by the noise and commotion.

• Prepare exterior power outlets. The workers on your roofing project will need access to your home’s electrical outlets. What you can do is label the ones they can use. You can utilize extension cords from the garage or even the interior of your home if you don’t have any exterior outlets. 

Want to have your residential roofing checked? Summit Roofing & Restoration, Inc. is a family-owned and -operated roof replacement and repair company that delivers top-quality service to every customer. We’re a GAF Master Elite® factory-certified residential contractor, which means we’ve completed extensive manufacturer training to learn state-of-the-art installation techniques. Please call our friendly team at (901) 676-7449 or contact us online to learn more.