Most people love having big, beautiful, well-maintained trees in their front yard that are as tall if not taller than their roof. After all, trees are majestic and a stunning part of our natural landscape, so having several on your property gives your home’s curb appeal an instant upgrade while also providing shade.

Bottom line: we could all stand to be in an area where there are more trees. Just be mindful of the many ways trees can cause unintended roof damage when you least expect it.

There are generally four ways your roof can fall prey to tree damage:

1. Falling trees — This is the most obvious and dangerous form of tree damage to a roof. A strong Connecticut storm blows through town, and either causes a tree in your yard to split and fall on your home or become uprooted and collapse. No matter the size of the tree, you can expect significant damage and an immediate roof repair should any tree fall on your home.
2. Overhanging branches — Low branches that overhang the roofline can snap under the pressure of heavy rain and harsh wind and damage your roof. Even if they don’t snap, a gentle wind can cause those that are too close to the house to rub against your shingles. That constant rubbing may not seem that bad at first, but leaving the problem unattended can destroy a roof over time. 
3. Access to critters — Trees that are too close to the house are a great springboard for squirrels and other critters to get on your roof. These critters can nest on your roof or claw their way into access points to your attic. 
4. Leaves and needles — Believe it or not, leaves, pine needles, and other debris can cause mold, leaks, and even rotting. Most homeowners aren’t going to be aware that this is a problem with their house, so scheduling roof repairs with MJT Roofing is critical. 

Even if it doesn’t look like you need a full roof replacement due to tree damage, your professional roofing contractor friends here at MJT Roofing want to stress the importance of regular maintenance and not taking any roofing issues for granted. Ignoring the issue or putting it off until later could take a small problem now and turn it into a bigger and more costly issue down the road.

Between roof inspections, there are simple things you as a homeowner can do to prevent tree damage:

• Remove low, overhanging branches.
• Check trees around your property for damage, rotting, stability issues, etc., and replace when needed. This will help you remove and replace a potentially hazardous tree before something happens.
• Keep your trees well-maintained and look for areas where critters may be getting onto your roof. 

Call MJT Roofing today!

At MJT Roofing, we hop on your roof and provide a thorough inspection of anything that may have been damaged. If everything looks great, we’ll continue to check in periodically. If there is significant enough damage, we will walk you through the next few steps to get started on roof repair and replacement. 

Over the next several weeks and months, we’ll continue to publish helpful content to our blog page so that MJT Roofing can be a go-to resource for you!