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Roof Shingles All Over The Yard?
If you are having your existing roof replaced and tearing off the old shingles make sure you have a clause in your contract with the roofing company that specifies exactly how roof debris will be torn off and disposed of.
Under no circumstances should a roofer throw shingles directly onto your lawn or driveway without protection. As you can see in the image of nails below, roofing nails have a large head that allows them to stand up easily and this is dangerous. If a roofing contractor throws shingles directly onto your lawn, you will always worry about nails left in the grass – and there would 100′s, if not 1000′s!
The last thing you want after your new roof is completed, is to worry that you, your children, or others visiting you could step on roofing nails hidden in the grass!
In the image above, you can see that these roofers are taking good precautions to protect the house, shrubs and lawn – take note that they have support under the tarps – no damage or nails should be left behind when they are done. How a roofer protects your property might be different, but it must be done. It is important to remember that roofers will be dropping clumps and piles of shingles that can easily weigh 50 lbs or more – can you imagine the damage to your favorite rose bush or flowers if this was dropped on them from 10′ to 20′ up!
Ask your roofer exactly how they plan to remove debris and protect your home, yard and plants – then make sure this is included in the contract and you are comfortable with the solution provided. Also make sure your Roofer has insurance to cover any damage should it occur.
In most cases roofers will have a large garbage bin dropped off and shingles will be thrown directly into the bin. If the roof is fairly high above the bin a garbage chute should be used.
If a bin must be dropped on your lawn (and this should be a last option), make sure they lay 2 sheets of 3/4″ plywood (minimum 3′x3′ to distribute the weight of the bin rails on the lawn) at each corner of the bin especially under the back rollers as these can do serious damage to your lawn when the bin is unloaded or picked up. Also make sure the truck dropping off the bin will not cause damage if it must drive over the lawn – especially if the ground is moist or wet as the ground is much softer at these times. Why 2 layers of plywood? The weight of a full bin may cause rollers on the bin to go through a single layer.
Bins should never be left on lawns more than 3 to 4 days or you may risk killing grass, or having unsightly patches of half dead grass.
Ideally, a bin should be placed on a hard surface like a driveway even if debris must be brought to the bin from other areas of the yard or roof. Even on driveways, care should be taken to protect paved or concrete driveways, and bins should never be dropped as this could result in cracks to your driveway. A good driver can easily lower the bin gently to the ground. Either way, make sure the roofing contractor places 2″ x 12″s or thick plywood under the bin rollers and rails. It is not uncommon for drivers to slide or drag bins as they are loaded and unloaded and this can sometimes cause damage – whatever is placed under the back rollers should be long enough that the bin can move at least 3′ or 4′ without the rollers leaving the protective wood used. On asphalt pavement, the wider and thicker the material the better, especially in hot weather when asphalt pavement can get much softer.
Bottom line: Make sure your roofer has a good plan for the protecting your property during the roof tear off and get it in writing – or you may never be truly comfortable walking on your lawn again!
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