When Trees Get the Drop on Your Roof: 3 Damaging Things Trees Drop on Roofs

The shade provided by a nearby tree can keep your home's roof cool, reducing your energy bills. The shade of a tree also stops UV radiation from draining the colour out of your roof. If well placed, a tree is your roof's best friend. However, when a tree's branches or canopy loom over your roof, it is likely to do more damage than good.

Metal, terracotta tiles and asphalt shingles can all suffer damage from the overhanging branches of a tree. If a nearby tree's branches are above your home, your roof could suffer damage in one or more of the following ways.

Dripping Tree Sap

A healthy tree that is free of pests and diseases will not leak sap. However, if pests, such as bark beetles and other borer insects, have invaded a tree sap will leak from the wounds left by these pests. It is also normal for pine trees to drip a little sap from time to time.

Tree sap can damage any kind of roof because once it hardens, it attracts dirt, encourages moss to grow, and is difficult to remove.

Bird Poop

Of course, it isn't the trees doing the dropping in this case, it is the birds roosting in their canopies. If the tree overhanging your roof is popular with birds, your roof could very quickly be coated with their droppings. Again, it doesn't matter what material your roof is made of, be it metal or concrete, bird droppings will damage it.

Bird droppings are acidic due to the uric acid in them. This means that over time, bird droppings can corrode metal, concrete and asphalt, not to mention cause terrible staining. Moreover, as in the case of tree sap, bird droppings also encourage the growth of moss, fungi and plants.

Leaves, Seeds and Seed Casings

Even a single branch can shed enough leaves and seeds to cause significant damage to your roof. Firstly, since leaves and seeds are biological, they serve as food for bacteria and fungi, which will begin to grow in the shaded areas where leaves drop. Moreover, if leaves and seed casings build up in your gutter, they may block it and cause water to pool on your roof.

One big storm then could leave a substantially large amount of water sitting on your roof. This could lead to some serious water damage that won't just affect your roof, but could also leak into your home. Then you have the seeds. These can and do often grow into little trees, in gutters and on damaged roofs. Not something you want on your roof!

If a nearby tree is overhanging your roof, you should consider trimming it or even removing it before it can damage your roof. You may also want to hire a contractor to inspect it for damage and perform roof repairs if necessary. Even minor damage can quickly cause a roof to fail.

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