How to Protect your Home and Roof from Tree Damage

8/22/2019

No home feels complete without trees. They can turn a boring home into a relaxing refuge. A stand of trees can even reduce your heating and cooling bills and help protect your home from the elements.

But, if you aren’t careful those trees can cause damage to your home and roof.

In this guide we’ll take a look at a few common-sense steps you can take to protect your home from damage from trees.

Getting Started with Protecting your Home from Trees

Trees can cause significant damage to your home, and in certain situations they can even be very dangerous to you and your family.

We suggest regularly evaluating not only the trees in your yard, but the trees around you for potential hazards. A falling limb won’t care about legal boundaries and yards.

For limbs that are higher in the tree, or in a more precarious situation, you may need to call a professional to remove the limb or tree.

Steps to Protecting your Home from Tree Damage

Here are a few items to look for when evaluating your yard and trees for hazards:

• Branches: It’s a good idea to not let a tree grow too close to your home. Limbs can break as they age or under the weight of snow. Try to keep a 15 foot radius around your home clear of branches. Remove limbs that show signs of rot.

• Trees: In a storm, a whole tree can fall causing catastrophic damage. Look for smaller trees, or trees that show signs of decay.

• Leaves: Dead leave and pine needles should be removed from the roof. They can trap water and cause seepage under shingles.

By taking the time to assess your home and evaluate any potential problems, you can stay ahead of problems before they cause damage. We suggest scheduling an afternoon in spring and fall to evaluate both the trees in your yard and your roof for any potential damage.