Roofs getting overrun with debris can not only ruin their aesthetics but also result in structural issues. There are several things that you can do to prevent this frustrating problem from occurring.

Trim Overhanging and Adjacent Trees

One of the biggest potential issues is having a tree overhanging or adjacent to your roof. For example, debris can fall from it, landing on your roof. Now, this can consist of things that aren’t as significant of an issue, such as leaves. However, even in that case, leaves can accumulate and form dams in your draining system, resulting in much more debris on your roof than only those leaves. Conversely, large branches falling from trees have the potential to immediately and significantly cause a tremendous amount of damage.

Another issue could occur if the tree is close enough to your roof to allow animals to traverse it en route to your property. That’s because they can bring their own debris and do things like make nests. Trimming overhanging and adjacent trees will help you eliminate or at least minimize these issues.

Make Your Roof Inhospitable for Birds

Of course, birds don’t need nearby branches or other land-based means of transport to get to your roof. They can also bring a lot of debris as they create their own nests, hoard food, and leave droppings. You can make your roof inhospitable for birds through the installation of bird spikes or netting or by using sound devices that emit distress and predator calls.

Regularly Clean Your Gutters

One of the best ways that you can keep your roof free of debris is by regularly cleaning your gutters. Unclean gutters greatly increase the likelihood that enough debris will be trapped inside of them to not allow anything else to enter. With nowhere else to go, that debris will usually accumulate on your roof.

Cleaning your gutters twice a year — once in the spring and again in the fall — should suffice and ensure that water and debris continue to flow through them without issue.

Use Gutter Guards

Another gutter-related recommendation is to use gutter guards. These prevent nearly all debris from entering your gutters since they’ll be protected by these covers.

Install a Debris-Unfriendly Roof Design

If your house is being built now or you want to completely replace its roof, consider incorporating a debris-unfriendly roof design. A couple of options include a steep-pitched roof, which would result in much of the debris that does land there sliding off, and a smooth roof, which would greatly reduce the opportunities for debris to become trapped in its nonexistent nooks and crannies.

Help With Roof Repairs

If you were unable to prevent debris from causing damage, contact Pyramid Roofing in Richmond, VA to learn more about roof repair.