Clean-Up Process
Whenever a large project takes place, there can be some impact on the property, and a new roof is no exception. A new roof can have an impact on both the home and the homeowner, especially if they are not prepared. Our sales team goes above and beyond to help prepare customers for the effect the project will have on their property, and our crews and Project Managers are diligent in their clean-up efforts throughout the entire process. However, despite our diligence, a small margin of allowable error must exist to make the process financially feasible.
The Process
The roof replacement process consists of two major segments: tearing the old roof off, and installing the new one. Most of the dust, shingle debris, and nail mess occurs during the tear-off process. While we do our best to clean up regularly, and thoroughly at the end of the project, a few nails can often slip through the cracks. Here is why.
Shingles are measured in a unit called “squares” which are equal to 100 square feet of material. The average roof requires roughly 20 square of shingles, although roof size can vary greatly. Roughly 480 nails are needed to fasten 1 square of shingles. By the time roofing contractors shingle an entire 20-square roof, they have used approximately 10,000 nails to fasten the shingles securely (or possibly many more, if your roof is larger!)
When roofing contractors tear off that old roof, they also have to remove the old nails, and that is a messy job. It is almost impossible to remove old shingles and other materials without dropping nails in the process. Nails are small, and prone to go flying in the midst of the pressure and movement of tearing off the materials they were holding. As the nails are removed, they inevitably will fall on the walkways, landscape, and grass surrounding the house, as well as the driveway and other nearby structures. When they land on grass or landscape, they can be difficult to see. While contractors do their best to cover landscaping with tarps and contain the nails and debris, inevitably some escape.
The Cenvar Roofing Promise
The Owens Corning quality control standard is that no more than 5 nails per square of roof may be left on site. For a 15 square roof, this means that up to 75 nails can be left on the job site and still meet the quality control standards. This is roughly 1% of the total amount of nails used on the roof.
Cenvar Roofing is an Owens Corning company, which means we have to adhere to their quality control standards. However, here at Cenvar Roofing we aim to beat that standard on every job that we do. We aim to leave significantly fewer nails on the site than our maximum allowed, and we take pride in the fact that the majority of times this is the case. However, we can only guarantee that we will, at minimum, meet our quality standards.
That being said, when we are finished, homeowners should find no nails on any of the hard surfaces. This means your driveway, decks or sidewalks outside of your home should be completely clean. You can have confidence that you won’t puncture a tire on a stray nail on your driveway, or step on a nail left on your sidewalk. In the unlikely event we do not meet our own standards and you puncture a tire, Cenvar will take care of the damage.
Our Clean Up Process
Our clean up process happens throughout the day. Each crew manages the clean up process differently; some crews have a dedicated clean up person whose main job is to stay on top of trash, debris and nails during the tear-off and installation process. Other crews don’t have a dedicated clean up person, but take time at multiple points throughout the day to clean up after themselves during the job.
At the end of the job, we will sweep the area with a magnet. This helps us to find the nails that have fallen onto the grass and landscaping around your home. While the magnet is a helpful tool, it’s not foolproof. And sometimes, especially in thick grassy areas it won’t be able to pull all of the nails. This is the reason it is good to have your lawn freshly mowed right before we start, it makes the magnet work as well as is possible. Soft ground can also increase the likelihood that nails will be pressed into the ground such that the magnet cannot find them.
No matter which way the crew handles clean up, you can be confident that your home will remain as clean as possible throughout the day, and the site will be left neat and tidy when the job is finished.
Tips To Prepare Your Home
Many homeowners want to know what they can do to protect their home and make the clean up process easier. Here are a few tips to help you be ready for the day.
- Remove any breakable items from your porch and yard
- Make sure pets are safely inside, or away from the house, on the day of the roof replacement
- Move your cars well away from the house.
- Make sure your driveway and landscaping is free of obstructions
- Remove your screens from your Windows
- Have your lawn freshly mowed
- Cover anything stored in your attic with light “painters” plastic.
Cenvar Roofing
Cenvar Roofing contractors are committed to leaving each customer with an outstanding roof that meets the high standard of excellence that our company holds. Our goal is to clean up after our work so well that you barely know we were there. We are proud of our work, and you can be confident in your decision to trust us with the installation of your new roof.
If you have more questions about our work or our procedures and would like to schedule a further conversation with a member of our sales team, we would be happy to answer any further questions you may have. Schedule a free estimate today and someone will be in touch soon!
