Trees planted around your home are great. They block excess sunlight and heat from coming into your home, help reduce the risk of flooding, and muffle outside noise. If you plan to sell your house in the future, having trees and landscaped features around your property can also boost your home’s value. Although trees are a generally desired feature, they can also pose a threat to your home’s exterior components.
The Dangers of Having Trees Too Close to Your House
Although tree roots cannot normally pierce through your home’s foundation, they can damage it by getting into preexisting cracks. Large root systems can also extend beneath your house and cause your foundation to lift. An extensive root network that is too close to your house will also leech water from the soil beneath your foundation, causing the structures to settle unevenly.
Leaves and broken branches can clog gutters, potentially causing dreaded ice dams that damage your entire roofing system. Trees can be used by insects and small rodents to gain access to your house, and during extreme weather, tree branches can topple power and communication lines.
How To Determine if a Tree Is Dangerous
Trees with structural defects are the most likely to cause damage to your home so be on the lookout for dead branches, off-color leaves and general decay. There are also species-specific defects. Some species of maple and ash, for instance, form weak branch unions which are prone to snapping off at a relatively young age. A tree that leans more than 15 degrees should also be removed if it is too close to any external structures.
Frame Restoration Roofing and Construction is certified by GAF, North America’s leading roofing manufacturer. If you need any type of roof work done, schedule an appointment by calling us at (469) 346-8544. You can also fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.