MINNEAPOLIS — What do you do with 400,000 old, bent nails as they’re being pulled from a roof? If you’re the team at Central Roofing Company, you take special care to assure they’re not dropped in a nearby stream, in a landscaped courtyard area or on asphalt driveways.

This detail was just one of many dealt with during the reroofing of Creekside Condos after a hailstorm damaged asphalt roofing over the four-story sprawling structure. Home to 126 condo units, Creekside was constructed in 2006. While the building was scheduled for a roof replacement in 2026, Mother Nature changed those plans with a damaging storm in August of 2020. After that, an insurance payout allowed the community to get new roofing.

“Something that impressed us all greatly was that the Central Roofing team took special care in disposing of roofing debris,” said Jack Drucker, co-chair of the Facilities Committee for the Creekside HOA. “They operated in an environmentally conscious way, which is important to all of us since we have a property line that is a boundary of Nine Mile Creek.

“That’s just one example of how the team took special care to minimize disruption to our grounds. The Central Roofing crew worked hard to assure residents could access the garage regularly, and to make sure existing structures, like the screened-in porches, were treated respectfully.”

Rebuilding a Roof

Starting at the beginning of the project in April of 2021, the main roof had to be torn off and completely re-shingled. Dozens of new vents and pipe flashings on the roof were needed, along with some gutters, downspouts and flat metal work where hail damage occurred.

"We came in with the intention of providing a roof that would really last for this multi-family community well into the future,” said Henri Germain, project manager with Central Roofing Company. “This building is very difficult to access. There are only three places where we could ‘touch’ the building with a material handler. Everything had to be carried several hundred feet to these three locations.”

For the new roof, Central Roofing installed GAF Ice & Water plus Feltbuster for the underlayment areas. GAF Timberline HDZ shingles were used for the roofing materials. When it came time to replace the vents, the team installed GAF Advanced Snow Country Ridge vents throughout, plus Broan venting for bathrooms.

Roofing Challenge

As a shingle project, Germain relates that Creekside was a challenging project. Along with being a tall structure that wasn’t easy to access, the design of the structure left the roofers very exposed to winds.

“There are 160 screened-in porches throughout the complex,” said Germain. “These porches are extremely easy to damage during tear-off. The interior courtyard also has nice landscaping that could be damaged. We worked hard to keep all these important areas clear from the old shingles and 400,000 nails that were removed.”

Dedicated Roofing Team

When working on a large project like Creekside, it’s not just the materials that are installed that count. It’s how the roofing team coordinates with condo leadership to make the job go smoothly.

“Henri was frequently on site and gave us ample warning about each stage of the process,” said Drucker, a seven-year resident of Creekside. “This was invaluable so that we could communicate quickly with our residents what they could expect during each day of the project. It was especially helpful that Henri handled so much of the communication and negotiation with the insurance company. Our entire experience with Central Roofing is that the company has hard-working, courteous and professional employees.”

During the month-long reroofing project, Drucker notes that resident concerns over disruption to the grounds and their lives was taken very seriously by Germain and his crew.

“Since Creekside is a 55-plus building, many of our retired residents had time to watch the crew throughout the day,” said Drucker. “They took a variety of videos of crew members moving quickly and seemingly effortlessly with heavy roofing materials on their backs.

“There were many amazed reactions to the work ethics of the roofers. Plus, there were quite a few gasps of wonder and concern about the workers. However, this job was completed with no injuries to workers or residents. Just a dedicated, experienced roofing team doing their job.”

Stand-Out Success

Completed in May of 2021, the new roof over Creekside is a hit with the HOA Board and residents.

“Reaction to the finished project is very positive,” said Drucker. “The shingles are of high quality and reveal a very attractive color and texture. The gutters, downspouts and metal work match nicely to our previously-installed materials. There’s absolutely no doubt that we feel we received a top quality job accomplished on schedule.

"Our property management company originally recommended we hire a third-party to manage this project. However, our committee and the Creekside HOA Board felt that we could work with Henri and his team directly to receive superior service. Our instincts were correct. Central Roofing gave 110% of themselves to this project and we’re extremely pleased with the results.”