Trees provide shade, oxygen, and are a lovely addition to most yards, but they can have some unwanted impacts, too. For example, if you have one or more large trees in your yard, they could be impacting your roof. The good news is that you can likely mitigate the damage being done just by having your roof inspected regularly. Here are the main three reasons why.
Seedlings
Many trees contain seeds of some kind that can grow other trees of the same species. This includes fruiting trees and even some that lack seeds but can potentially sprout if small pieces of branches break off of the main tree and land infertile earth.
The problem with these seeds is that they can start to grow plants on your roof, of all places. While it won't happen overnight, these little saplings can find a place to grow anywhere that dirt has accumulated on your roof. The morning dew and any rainfall in your area is usually enough to provide for them, too.
Once this happens, roof tiles will begin to have problems. They may break off or become pried up due to growing saplings. Removing any growths and repairing these tiles will help prevent serious damage from being done to your roof.
Storm Damage
When people think about their roof being damaged due to the weather, oftentimes things like high winds and hail come to mind. But your tree can do it, too.
Large trees standing over or near the home often end up damaging roofs because of high winds moving the tree branches around. If large tree branches repeatedly hit your roof because of high winds, this can damage roof tiles and break them off. If you've had a big storm recently, especially if you could hear your tree hitting the roof, you should get an inspection.
Animal Life
Lastly, this isn't entirely the fault of the tree, but it still stems from trees. Small animals like squirrels, raccoons, and possums often see trees as convenient highways to climb up and scurry about. This can lead to wildlife running around on your roof when the tree is in the range of your home. The roof isn't intended to support weight and regular percussive motion like an animal running around, and wild animals' sharp claws can start to wreck roof tiles, too. If you've seen any animals in your neighborhood or know that they regularly climb your tree, consult with a roofer.
Roof inspections will let you stay on top of these problems and prevent them from becoming so severe that you need to replace the entire roof. Reach out to a company near you for residential roof maintenance in your area.
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