One of the beautiful, special, and unique details about living in East Texas is the prevalence of trees.
East Texas is known for its piney woods and beautiful trees and flowers. Tourists visit from far away to marvel at the azaleas and other beautiful flora of Tyler, Texas and surrounding areas.
A negative consequence of all of the trees is something many people don’t think about: the impact on their roofs.
Debris from trees can impact your roof in many different ways and in both the short term and long term.
Short-Term Tree & Branch Damage to Your East Texas Roof
While having trees around your home adds shade and a beautiful aesthetic, having trees, especially large trees, around your home can also be dangerous during a windstorm.
East Texas is known for big storms and powerful tornadoes. These storms can produce heavy rain, 40+ mph wind gusts, and even hail. Especially when combined, these three elements can be very hard on your roof, no matter how much seasonal roof preparation and roof maintenance you’ve had done.
Large trees can be uprooted by strong winds and fall on your home or roof, causing major damage and potentially resulting in the need for storm damage restoration.
Branches can also fall on your roof and cause a roof leak that, if not found and repaired quickly, could lead to major structural and aesthetic damage.
If your roof suffered damage and needs roof repairs or a professional roof inspection, it’s important to contact an experienced East Texas roofing company such as Steele Roofing in Tyler, Texas to safely perform a storm damage roof inspection.
Damage to your roof from trees or branches may result in the need for emergency roof tarping, emergency roof repair, or replacement of roof gutters, shingles, and other roofing materials.
Contacting a local roofing company because of fallen trees or branches is a more common roofing issue than the lesser-known and often hidden roof damage caused by wet leaves and pine needles.
Long-Term Roof Damage from Accumulated Leaves & Pine Needles
Your local roofing company in East Texas will tell you that you need to schedule regular seasonal roof maintenance to help prevent expensive roofing problems, and they’re right.
Regular maintenance such as roof cleaning helps stop leaks from forming, and regular inspections help catch both small and large leaks before they become major and expensive home repair projects.
Too often, homeowners don’t pay attention to their roofs until there’s a major issue and it’s too late.
A good example of this is letting wet leaves and pine needles build up on your roof. Those rotting leaf piles in the eaves or along your gutters may seem harmless, but they’re causing more damage than many homeowners realize.
Removing leaves, pine needles, and any other debris that has accumulated on your roof is about more than aesthetics. It’s also important for the longevity of your roof.
East Texas is a hot, humid environment and often receives large amounts of rain. These conditions can quickly cause a pile of leaves on your roof to turn into a small rotting compost pile that can damage both your shingles and anything else they’re touching, especially wood.
In a hot, humid environment, wood can rapidly begin to deteriorate, causing both visual damage and significant structural damage as well.
Pine needles and leaves, as they begin to break down, can also cause unsightly and irreversible stains to your molding, eaves, roofing materials, gutters, and more.
If you remove them as soon as they begin to accumulate, wet leaves and pine needles often won’t cause staining. But waiting even a week could be too late.
How Wet Leaves and Pine Needles Cause Mold and Mildew on Your Roof
With wet leaves and pine needles comes the perfect environment for mold and mildew to grow and thrive.
Mold and mildew are major problems when it comes to both the physical health of people in your household and the structural health of your home.
Mold and mildew spores can be unhealthy to breathe, particularly for people with respiratory or immune issues.
Mold and mildew can also cause major structural and visual damage to both the interior and exterior of your home, especially if the spread isn’t caught early.
How to Protect Your East Texas Roof from Leaf & Pine Needle Damage
While trees, wet leaves, and pine needles can pose considerable threats to the visual and structural integrity of your East Texas roof and home, the good news is that many of these issues are preventable.
Have tree branches near your home or over your roof cut back so they’re less likely to impact your home during a storm.
Have leaves and pine needles that accumulate on your roof, in the gutters, or on the eaves removed as soon as possible.
Schedule a Free Roof Inspection in Tyler, TX
Most importantly, have your roof seasonally inspected and cleaned by an experienced East Texas roofing contractor.
