Up Close and Personal: how trees affect your roof’s longevity
In Colorado as elsewhere, roofs need routine maintenance for a variety of reasons, one of which is the nearness of trees to your roof. What you need to know is when close becomes too close.
Begin by checking whether or not tree branches are abrading shingles. This could indicate the roof is being damaged, which would require continual upkeep, and maybe a weakening of your roofing structure.
The potential causes of damage to your roof and its neighboring structures (gutters and downspouts) include:
Branches leaning heavily over your roof. Such branches not only strip off roofing material, but also poke holes in it.
Branches which have fallen. These can pierce or otherwise damage shingles.Leaves that have fallen. They can block your gutters and cause water backup, invading your attic, home, or in back of fascia boards.
Another danger of trees intruding on your roof is the risk of mold occurring, known in roof-speak as “black spots”. You can’t afford the appearance of mold because it is a serious health hazard. Upon checking your roof, you discover black or discoloration stripes or smears, you have a mold problem.
Discoloration could also indicate an algae or fungus taking hold. Another factor increases the likelihood of mold, algae or fungus spreading more quickly, humid weather, particularly if the roof is not exposed to sunlight much of the time.
To keep mold at bay it is wise to monitor the appearance of the roof. If you observe color shifts beginning to happen, make an inspection of your roof, and get the services of a roofing contractor for their professional opinion.
In the case of leaning, fallen, or dead branches, hire a tree trimmer. They can decide if the condition of the tree requires branch removal, or removal of the entire tree.
While tree removal can come with a hefty price tag, it’s a situation you can’t afford to