It’s that time of year again. When it comes to the fall season, you may think of pumpkin patches, drinking apple cider, pulling your favorite sweater out of the closet, and watching football on the television.
Another thing that comes with the temperature drop is the leaves changing. Leaves begin to change colors, and before you know it, they start to fall before winter. Red and orange trees go bare as their leaves start to fall.
But what happens to the leaves that fall?
When leaves fall, they go everywhere; your driveway, your yard, and even on the roof of your home. Leaving leaves in our yard usually doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing to the neighbors, and wet leaves could cause problems on your driveway, so it’s necessary to make sure you pick them up or blow them away.
For this project, you might use a rake or a leaf blower. But what about the leaves that are left on the top of your home? If they are not properly disposed of, they can cause a number of issues.
Leaves get rained on and can cause problems for you moving forward. Here is why you should not leave those colorful leaves on your roof this fall.
Reasons to Make Your Roof Leaf-Free
- Wet leaves get heavy. Have you ever been kayaking and water gets in your kayak, thus making it heavier to pull? Water can be heavy. When the leaves get rained on, they will trap the rainwater and get increasingly heavier. This added weight on your roof can cause roofing issues moving forward.
- Wet leaves serve as traps. Wet leaves are heavy enough to resist being blown away by high winds, but those gusts might blow some sticks and limbs onto your roof. The wet leaves can prevent that debris from moving, adding more unnecessary weight to your roof.
- Potential water damage. With wet leaves on your roof, there is a high risk for water damage. They weigh enough that they could puncture your roof, causing a hole to form and allowing water to leak into your home. Even a slow leak into your attic can cause significant damage and lead to the development of mold and mildew. In addition to the potential for a hole to develop, the moisture could cause your shingles to rot. Rotting shingles are weaker and can allow water to leak into your house.
- Potential mold. One thing that can age your home quicker than anything is mold. Mold occurs in a moist environment and can leave a smelly home that leads to it deteriorating. If there is water damage in your home or on your roof, it only takes 48 hours for mold to begin developing. Scary thought!
- Weakening beams. These heavy, wet leaves can weigh enough to cause an uneven weight distribution on your roof. This pressure could weaken your beams, and the result could be costly: it could call for an entire roof replacement.
It is so easy for these little things to add up. And once the little things add up, it can equal big, costly problems.
What Do I Do Now?
After reviewing these five reasons you should not leave leaves unattended on your roof, what can you do with this newfound knowledge?
- Keep tree limbs trimmed. If you have a tree that hovers your home, wind and rain could cause limbs to fall on your roof and add that extra weight. Keep those trimmed, and you’ll minimize those issues.
- Keep your roof clean. A lot of these problems listed above persist because of a dirty or cluttered roof. The best prevention is keeping your roof free of wet leaves, twigs, and other debris that build up over time. Roof cleaning can be dangerous. It is wise to trust it to a professional team like Mobile Magic Pressure Washing.
- Get your roof inspected. You should have your roof inspected by a professional to make certain there is no water damage from the rain and the wet leaves that can accumulate on your roof.
Rely on Mobile Magic
Mobile Magic Pressure Washing is a professional team that wants to help you maintain your home and give your roof a long, healthy life. Mobile Magic, located in Asheville, can help maintain and clean your entire property. You should take great pride in how your roof and home look, and Mobile Magic does too!
Contact us for roof cleaning that will extend its life. We can also help you with pressure washing for your siding, deck, sidewalk, driveway, and other places that leaves like to collect.
You can also visit our website to get an estimate, learn about roof maintenance, or explore our other expert skills and services.
