This is a simple yet often overlooked aspect of home ownership and property maintenance. Are there trees near your house or other structures?
One of the most commonly seen forms property damage caused by trees is roof damage due to contact with tree limbs!
Our Arborists see this all the time and one would be surprised how small a branch it takes to wear a hole through shingles and even metal roofs. The cost of roof repairs can well exceed the cost of tree trimming, especially if the proper clearance of your roof is the only tree trimming maintenance you care to manage.
What is a Safe Distance?
A minimum of 3’ of distance is considered an industry standard from an insurance standpoint. There may be exceptions to this rule however, such as when a large trunk or lead of a tree is closer than that. The larger parts of a tree are moved quite less by the wind and would be much less likely to brush against the building in question. A close inspection of the potential contact point on the structure is the best way to determine if a tree has begun to touch during a windstorm. If there are marks on either the building or the tree, it is bound to only get worse with time.
How Often Should I Inspect My Roof?
If you have established at least a 3’-5’ of clearance off your roof, it is usually 2-3 years before most tree would have grown close again. There are large shrubs or bamboo grasses that grow quite a bit faster than that though. If you have landscapes that include large shrubs, grasses or fast-growing trees such as Chinaberry or Tallow Trees, it would be advisable to make an annual check of your roof-line.
I Can’t See Well From the Ground, Should I Get on My Roof?
No.
According the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in a study done in 2004, every year 500,000 people are treated for ladder-related injuries and approximately 300 of these incidents prove to be fatal. In 2007 alone, more than 400 people died as a result of falls on or from ladders or scaffolding. In 2014, there were 647 fatal falls showing an increase in the frequency of this kind of accident. Of those, 340 involved falls from 20 feet or less.
There is almost no circumstance that would recommend one climbing on a roof, trust us, you are going to want to leave this to the professionals.
Why Call a Tree Service and not a Roofing Company?
Well the hope is that you call the Tree Service before you need a Roofing Expert. By having tree experts inspect and service your trees, you can not only avoid damage to your home in the first place, but you can also prevent damage to your trees.
Take the time to walk around your house and see how close the limbs appear from the ground. If it looks close from your vantage point, it probable gets much closer when the winds are blowing and may even be touching out of your line of sight.
With the proper pruning practices, your tree will be trained away from a structure and future pruning may become less often a necessity.
