Did you know that trees are a common cause of damage to roofs? Whether you have a yard full of trees or just a few garden variety trees, the closer the trees are to your home, the more likely they are to cause roof damage.
Damage Caused by Falling Trees
When most people think of damage caused by a tree to their home, they think of a fallen tree landing on their home. A felled tree can cause quite a bit of damage to a roof and to your home. Trees that are planted too close to your home can be blown over by inclement weather landing on your home. In addition, trees can fall on your home due to rot or the poor health of the tree. Therefore, it is important to learn to identify the signs of an unhealthy tree to help determine whether a tree should be cut down before it damages your home. You can learn to identify signs of poor health, or you can call an arborist to inspect your trees.
Damage Caused by Falling Limbs
If you have any tree branches that hang over or near your roof, there is a good chance that at some point they’ll cause damage to your roof. Tree limbs are prone to puncture shingles and boards when the wind causes the limbs to knock into the roof or when the limbs fall due to inclement weather or rotting branches. Therefore, it is important to inspect trees near your home to ensure that there are no overhanging branches.
Damage Caused by Leaves
Most people do not think of leaves as a hazard that could cause damage to your roof. However, leaves are a common cause of roof damage. When leaves accumulate on a roof, they increase and hold in moisture between the leaves and your roof. This moisture can damage the shingles by causing them to disintegrate or rot. If left, the moisture can get to the boards under the shingles causing mold and/or rot.
In addition, leaves also are prone to clog gutters. When water is unable to flow through the gutters to run down the spouts, it overflows over the gutters and runs down the fascia or eaves of your house. If there are any cracks or openings in your roof’s foundation, water can accumulate there and cause rot and damage.
If you have allowed leaves to accumulate on your roof or if a tree or limbs have landed on your home, you should have the roof inspected by a professional. Roof damage caused by these trees is not always visible to an untrained eye. Call JACO Contracting today for a free roof inspection. 770-385-5788
