When it comes to roofing, one of the most common questions we get from customers is, “How are you going to protect my property while you’re doing my roof?” or “Have you ever damaged anything?” Well, let’s dive into that.
The Honest Truth: Yes, We’ve Damaged Property Before
I’ll tell you about one of those times in a bit, but first, let’s set the stage. Picture this: a roof replacement means everything up there—shingles, nails, old roofing materials—has to come down. We wish we could just make it all evaporate into thin air, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. Instead, we’re dealing with tons (literally!) of debris that needs to be carefully removed and safely disposed of.
Keeping It All Together—On the Roof and On the Ground
Anything you have up on the roof, be it a hammer, a saw, or even a water jug, is at risk of falling off. So, our first order of business is to make sure everything is securely fastened so it doesn’t fall. Then, there’s the old roof itself.
When we arrive at your property, our crew does a thorough walkthrough, snapping pictures of everything. This way, we know exactly how things looked before we started, so we can make sure they look just as good—or better—when we’re done.
If something can be moved out of the danger zone, we move it. Bird feeders, garden gnomes, deck chairs—you name it, we relocate it to safety. But for things that can’t be moved, like flowers, shrubs, air conditioning units, or siding, we’ve got other tricks up our sleeves. We cover them with tarps or plywood to protect them from any falling debris.
But here’s a pro tip: we can’t leave those tarps on the ground for too long on a hot day, or they’ll end up scorching your grass! That’s why we have a dedicated “groundskeeper” on our crew who makes sure everything stays protected and nothing gets damaged.
Directing the Debris
We always try to direct debris away from anything that could be damaged and, when possible, toss it straight from the roof into a dumpster. But that depends on how close we can get the dumpster to your house. If we can’t, we bring in our trusty “roofer’s buggy,” which is like a mobile dumpster on wheels that we can maneuver around your property to minimize mess.
The Dreaded Nails: Where Are They All Going?
Nails are a huge concern for homeowners—and for good reason. A typical roof might have 6,000 to 10,000 nails, and even if we recover 99% of them, that still leaves 60 to 100 nails potentially lurking in your lawn.
To tackle this, we take cleanup seriously. Our team uses special magnets on wheels to comb through your lawn and flower beds multiple times, making sure every nail and piece of debris is picked up. We want to leave your property spotless and safe.
The Story You’ve Been Waiting For
Now, back to that story I mentioned earlier. Yes, we’ve damaged property before. One time, a shingle fell off the roof and landed smack on a customer’s upholstered deck chair. The problem? They had a set of six matching chairs. Fixing one meant the other five wouldn’t match anymore.
So, what did we do? We paid to have all six chairs reupholstered. And you can bet we changed our process to make sure that never happened again.
Our Commitment to You
At the end of the day, our crew and project managers genuinely care about your property. While accidents can happen, they’re rare. And if they do, we go out of our way—at great expense if necessary—to make things right. That’s our promise to you.
Let’s be honest: roof replacement is a big deal. It’s disruptive, and it’s hazardous—not just for the folks working on the roof, but for anyone on the ground, and even for that bird feeder nestled in your flowerbed. That’s why we’ve spent years perfecting our process to ensure everyone and everything stays safe from start to finish.
We think we’ve gotten pretty good at it. So, if you need a roofer, call Joyland. We’ll keep your place safe and clean, making sure you’re happy not only with the price, but also with the care and attention to detail in our cleanup. Because at the end of the day, your peace of mind is our top priority.