Roofs are an essential part of every home’s defense. They, therefore, need to be adequately maintained and cared for. As a part of the maintenance process, it is important to eliminate accumulating debris.
Roof debris causes more than just a displeasing sight on your roof. They are also capable of causing all sorts of damage. While some may slowly weaken your roof structure if left for a long time, others may create quicker impacts, like leaving dents or punctured holes.
In this post, professionals at Shoreline roofing talk about the worst debris that can damage your roof. Keep reading to find out.
The Types Of Debris That Damages Your Roof
Here are the types of debris we recommend looking out for. They are highly liable to cause damage to your roof.
· Pine needle
When you allow several layers of pine needles to accumulate on your roof, they can begin to clog up your gutters. Most times, they also cause gap infiltration on your roof. These effects lead to the trapping of moisture on your roof. Consequently, the presence of excess moisture brings about unfavorable outcomes like the growth of mold and moss.
Having mold and moss growth on your roof may pose health hazards to you and your family. They may also cause structural damage to your roof if you leave them for a long time.
· Tree branches
Though the trees around your home can be a useful source of shade during the summer, they can also be a threat – especially if they are very close to your roof. In the event of a strong wind, their branches may break off. For trees that are too close to your roof, their torn-off branches are more likely to crash on top of your roof, causing damage to your shingles or puncturing holes.
Even when storms do not tear off the tree branches onto your roof, strong wind gusts can repeatedly cause nearby branches to scrub against your roof surface. With every scrubbing and scrapping, the twigs of the branches will likely tear away the shingles. They may also cause damage by dislodging and rubbing off on your roof granules.
However, the worst-case scenario is the complete fall of a tree on your roof. If this happens, it is very likely to create serious damage in the form of openings on your roof.
Fortunately, there are some preventive measures you can follow to prevent the damage tree branches tend to cause. Firstly, you need to trim off trees with branches that are overextending onto your roof. Ensure they are at least six feet away from your roof. An alternative means is for you to fell the trees that are too close to your home and roof.
· Fallen trees
Though they may not look like they threaten your roof, they do. The thing about fallen leaves is that they can quickly accumulate and clog your gutters. When they clog your gutter, it may cause water to overflow and then penetrate your walls and ceiling.
· Man-made objects
You must always look out for the aftereffects of extremely windy weather events. The strong wind during a tornado or hurricane may carry debris like glass shards, masonry, etc. Items like nails, fencing materials, and shutters can land on your roof due to the strong movements of the wind. Unfortunately for you, these things can cause serious damage to your roof when they fall at high speeds.
If you look out for these things, you may only know that they’ve caused damage to your roof once you start noticing leaks. This is why we often recommend hiring roofing professionals like Shoreline roofing to help inspect your roof from time to time.
· Hail
Hailstone is another debris that can cause serious damage to your roof. However, the severity of the damage hailstones can cause to your roof depends on some factors. One of these factors is the shape of the hailstone. Most hailstones are usually round, but some also have irregular shapes. The impact affects the irregularly shaped ones and often depends on their shape.
For instance, hailstones with narrow ends usually hit roofs with more impact, causing more damage than the regularly shaped ones. Another factor to consider is their size. The larger the hailstone, the larger the impact it delivers. Besides, larger hailstones also tend to fall faster from the sky, increasing their impact power.
These heavier hailstones can tear off the protective granules on your roof’s shingles. This speeds up the wear and tear process and then causes your roof’s lifespan to reduce significantly. If you do not remove the hailstones as quickly as possible, they will weaken your roof. Moisture will also begin to penetrate your roof as time goes on.
Though there’s little you can do to prevent hailstone damage, scheduling regular roofing inspections is a good start.
· Ice dam
Ice dams often occur as a result of the excess build-up of ice. They usually form on the roof’s edge, and when they do, they prevent melting snow from properly draining off your roof. We recommend that you hire the services of a professional ice dam remover when you want to get rid of ice dams. They can safely eliminate the ice ridges from your roof.
Need Help Against these Debris?
The best course of action is always to call roofing professionals if you have any concerns about your roof’s condition. Contact Shoreline roofing professional for a comprehensive roof inspection.
Call us today at (250) 413-7967 or reach out to us here.