Many homeowners love it when a home has mature trees because trees give homes a beautiful look. Besides, trees serve shade to the house and fragrant flowers give the surrounding a nice smell. On the contrary, mature trees are sometimes not all good for the house. Trees can negatively affect your roof and the shingles in many ways except you control them to prevent damages. If you properly manage the trees, you can prevent mostly all roof damage in a simple and cheap way.
In this context, we shall discuss some effects of trees on your roofing system and how to prevent all kinds of damage they can cause. We will also examine what you can do if your neighbor’s tree has fallen on or damaged your roofing system.
The Positive Effects of Trees to Your Residential Roof
Don’t think that trees are totally dangerous to your roofs, they have some reasons to keep them around you. Trees can positively influence the beauty of your home and provide shade as well. Trees can offer protection to your shingles in the right conditions. Here are some positive effects of trees.
Protect the Ultraviolet radiation (UV Ray):
Trees sometimes serve as shade to your roof in Canton Mi once they are matured. Shorter ones may just shade your roof early in the morning or late in the evening. Nevertheless, any shade can help in reducing the influence of ultraviolet light on the shingles. Ultraviolet light can reduce the life span of most roofing material down the line if care is not taken.
Wind Breaker:
Trees that are upwind of the roof can serve as windbreakers for great wind. The mature trees in your home can help to reduce the effect of severe windstorms on your shingles. Though this can give a positive result, but once the tree is much taller than your roof, trim the stems.
Keep Your Home Cool
Mature trees help in reducing hot temperature in the house during the summer by providing shade for the roof. The shingles on your roof absorb heat from the sun which will emanate back into your home at night, but you can reduce the effects on your roof with trees.
The Negative Effects of Trees to Your Residential Roof
Trees Can Crash Your Roof:
If the trees around you are too weak to withstand a windstorm, they can fall on your roof and damage it. Try to notice some things about the trees to detect if they are weak, dead, or unstable to avoid the risk of falling on your roof. Check if there is any splitting trunk. Call professionals that know about trees to save such trees with large cracks in the trunks. A splitting tree can rip and fall on your home. If your tree has a fungus growing on it, the tree may die and fall off. A rooting tree is a threat to your roof. Trees with missing leaves have no nutrients again, so it’s a threat to your roof.
Damages from Tree Branches:
Tree branches can damage you roof. No matter how small it may be, branches can scratch the roofs as well as the window. Winds can blow them on your shingles and they’ll add too much weight to the roof and even cause dents on it like a fallen tree. Thus, it is common during the winter when the tree branches are heavy coupled with ice and snow.
Damages from Leaves and Needles:
Fallen leaves on your roof can mess it up. Also, evergreen trees can drop their needles all year round. This debris is bad for your roof if you let them gather. They can clog your gutters and valleys which can endanger your roof. Leaves and Needles can enhance the growth of moss, mold, or algae which will discolor your roof or reduce its life.
Damage from Fruits and Nuts:
Some trees can drop serious ammunition on your roof. Trees like walnut will drop large and heavy nuts that can damage your roof down the line. It is reasonable to avoid planting all fruit-producing trees near your house.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many damages that trees may cause to your roof but always take necessary precautions to avoid them. Trim the trees that are closer to your roof remove every overhanging branch. Clean debris and bring down all unstable and weak trees. Always remember that there may be laws governing your jurisdiction about trees removal. therefore, don’t trim a tree that overhangs on your roof by yourself, hire a professional to do the job to avoid damaging the roof.
