How Trees Cause Roof Damage
Most homeowners prefer mature trees, enhancing the beauty and the feel of the home and offering shade, greenery, and protection. However, they cause the risk with how trees cause roof damage if not appropriately managed.
The roof is a critical component of any structure, and maintaining its integrity and beauty should be the top priority. Whether there is a risk of falling trees or moss growth, trees become a big concern and even surprising source of roof damage. They can reduce the life of your roof. Hence, the management guide is vital to prevent tree roof damage.
How trees benefit your roof
To start, there isn’t always the downside of any creation like tree roof damage. Some people prefer them not only for the beauty and shade but also for protective reasons.
1. Comforting during summer temperatures
The first advantage of trees that ever comes to mind is the excellent shade-giving comfort from the scorching heat. It significantly helps to reduce the temperature in your home by blowing in the outer surroundings. Generally, roofing shingles absorb heat from the sun and reflect it into your home, causing heat by increasing the temperature at night. However, roofs covered with trees remain at moderate temperature and do the same at night.
2. Blocking the windstorms
Sometimes, windstorms can take away everything lightweight and pressurize the heavy material like a roof and cause damage to it. Meanwhile, tall trees are the best to block the severe winds, affecting the shingles, and prevent roof damage from trees. They act as a stopper and confront a great deal of wind by stopping it from persuading the roof to upwind.
3. Protecting from direct ultraviolet (UV) rays
Direct sunlight increases the chances of damaging effects of UV rays on your roof shingles. They shorten the roofing material’s life span and fade the colors of shingles if there are any. Contrarily, if you have grown up mature trees that are shading your roof around your house, the shade protects the top not only during the early hours of the morning or evening but also for the whole day.
How trees can cause roof damage
Where trees have common benefits, they can cause a great deal of damage too. You need to pay serious attention to ensure the prevention of tree roof damage.
1. A significant fall on the roof
It is the most considerable risk that a tree can anytime fall on your roof even without informing. There can be various reasons like the damaged roots, the severe wind, too weak branches, and more leading to an unstable tree. The fall can misplace the shingles and can even cause damage to the interiors because of the roof boom.
2. Frequently dropping branches
It seems a straightforward issue that tree branches are getting broken and falling on the roof repeatedly. Are you not taking this source of tree roof damage seriously? If not, you should take it because these small branches can cause scratches on windows and ceilings. Those weak branches can be blown off by a storm and result in damaging the shingles.
If they are large branches, they can indeed cause dents or holes on the surface by adding too much weight to your roof.
Also, when the same branches become heavy with ice and snow during the winter, they almost act like a fallen tree.
3. Hanging branches
The dropped branches cause tree roof damage, but the low-hanging branches do the same. If the tree branches are not pruned, they start hanging on the roof. During a windstorm, they may touch or rub against the roof to cause scratches. Thus, shingles’ outer layer meant for beauty and protection loses its charm and function.
As a simple solution, you can adequately trim the branches overhanging your roof and prevent them from abrading the shingles.
4. Mess of dropping needles, leaves, nuts, and fruits
If you have deciduous trees in your home, be aware of their mess of dropping leaves every fall. They usually fill up the rooftop leaving no space to walk. Hence, the evergreen trees might drop the needles all year round, leaving you with the frequent responsibility of cleaning it up. On the other hand, if you let the debris collect, it may clog your valleys and gutters.
Also, the trees dropping heavy nuts and fruits damage a roof after a few years. Additionally, if the debris starts absorbing moisture, it may give birth to moss, mold, or algae growth. Hence, you find your roof discolored and with its shortened life. Thus, the trees result in troubling you and your roof.
You can use rain gutters and algae-resistant products for the safety of trees and granules.
5. Causing excessive shade
Where little shade is better to cool your house down, its excess amount can cause difficulty during rains to dry off the roof. So it is also tree roof damage that keeps your roof wet for too long and, allowing development of bacteria growth/ algae staining/ and moss growth.
6. Tree animals accessing the roof
Lush green trees attract squirrels and other birds to sit or choose to nest on your roof if the branches are hanging on it.
What should be the distance between tree branches and your roof?
Most of the roof damage from trees seems to be due to branches. Therefore, maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet is essential. If you are planting the giant trees, they must be 20-30 feet away from the exact home location.
How to prevent the trees causing roof damage
You can perform the following:
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Trim the branches that are too close
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Give good nutrition to the roots to prevent them from getting diseased
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Prune young trees to control tree growth
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Do regular checkings of unstable trees and cut them down
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Assigning someone consistent responsibility of cleaning up debris for safe and clean gutters
It is all about knowing how trees can benefit your roof and cause damage. You can prevent roof damage from trees with expert tips and quality maintenance to upkeep your surrounding natural beauty.
