Roofing shingles last only as long as the amount of accumulative damage they can handle. This damage comes from multiple factors, including rain, snow, sunlight, heat and cold.
Most of these factors are unchangeable. Your roof will get the amount of rain it gets, the amount of solar radiation it gets, and nobody can control the daily temperatures.
However, you can greatly impact the effective amount of moisture from rain that damages your roof through managing the trees around your roof.
Trees can be breeding grounds for water and other chemicals to get on the roof and deteriorate the shingles prematurely.
Fallen leaves from overhanging branches can accumulate on the roof, which leads to trapped moisture. This will happen typically under shade from other branches of the tree, and you’ll end up with an area of roof that is perpetually damp and grows other lifeforms on it.
Cracks and malformations will happen sooner than otherwise, and moisture will begin to seep through them. This can lead to total destruction of an area of not only the roofing shingles but of the wood framing underneath it. And when eventually you have to replace the roof, the cost to do so will be much higher because of all the additional damage that needs to be repaired.
Birds are another source of roof damage that can come with overhanging trees and branches. Their droppings are highly acidic and can gradually alter the chemical composition of the shingles such that integrity gets lost.
Roofs are designed to handle these issues within reason, but it’s the cumulative damage of lots of droppings over time or lots of moisture over time that will deteriorate the shingles earlier than they otherwise would.
The good news is that these problems are preventable, primarily two ways:
- Remove any overhanging branches that are a big source of fallen leaves, debris, and animals.
- Remove accumulations of fallen leaves and debris as they arrive.
Making sure that trees cannot cause this cumulative and costly damage to your roof can save you a great deal of money in the long run.
If you live in the south Puget Sound of Washington State and need any repairs for tree damage or want to replace your roof, Chase Construction North West, Inc. knows exactly how to help you! Please call us at (253) 544-3651 or fill out our quick estimate form.
