One of the best things about living in the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee is Autumn. While the hills and mountains are beautiful throughout the year, for a few months of fall, usually after the first frost, they put on one of the best displays of color in the county. Millions of tourists visit our area to see the leaves change from green to brilliant red, orange, yellow, and even violet. Some of the favorite spots to visit in the fall include:
- Beautiful Lake Watauga east of Elizabethton
- Buffalo Mountain in Johnson City
- Roan Mountain State Park near the North Carolina
- Bays Mountain Park near Kingsport
- The Appalachian Trail near Ewin
- South Holston Lake near Bristol
If you are a resident of the area, your favorite place might be your neighborhood park or your own backyard. While the colors of October and November are spectacular even until the final leaf falls, all of those leaves have to go somewhere. Often, the place they end up is in your gutters and on your roof. While they seem harmless enough, those fallen leaves can lead to significant roof damage that can go on to cause water issues inside your home.
Here is what you need to know about leaves on your roof and what you should do about them.
Can Leaves On Your Roof Really Be That Bad?
Colorful falling leaves sure are pretty to watch as fall fades into winter. Often, we get to watch as snow flurries fall with the leaves as well. Is there anything better than watching fall unfold in East Tennessee? We would not trade it for anything. However, when it’s all said and done, you have to get those leaves off your roof; otherwise, here’s what can happen:
- The Leaves Will Get Wet: Wet leaves are a lot like cement. They get heavy and sticky. In other words, once that pile of leaves on your roof gets rained or snowed on, it’s not going anywhere.
- Wet Leaves Will Gain Weight: Almost like a bear preparing for a long winter, those wet leaves will keep gaining weight, getting heavier until they put pressure on your roofing.
- Wet Leaves Will Trap Limbs and Twigs: When the wind blows behind arctic winter cold fronts, limbs and twigs will blow onto your roof and get trapped amongst the wet leaves, adding to the weight and putting even more pressure on your roofing.
- The Weight Will Put Holes in Your Roof: That little pile of leaves on your roof looks harmless, but it can ultimately damage your shingles and cause a hole to form.
- A Hole in the Roof Leads to Water Damage: If there is a hole in your roof, it is inviting water from rain and melting snow to enter your home’s attic. This water can leak into walls and cause damage all the way down into your basement if it’s not repaired.
- Water Damage Leads to Organic Growth: Many homeowners discover water damage too late. It takes just 48-hours after the occurrence of water damage for mold to develop.
- Roof Holes and Water Damage Cause Expensive Repairs: By the time you discover the roof and water damage, you could be looking at a costly repair. Roof and water damage repairs must be performed properly; otherwise, homeowners can incur ongoing expenses.
- Wet Leaves Will Fill Your Gutter: The few leaves that escape the pile on your roof will end up stuck in your gutters. When your gutters are full, rain and snowmelt will not be adequately channeled away from your home. This can lead to expensive water damage repairs as well.
Heavy wet leaves are not good for your roof. If the falling leaves are beginning to pile up on your roof, here’s what you can do.
What Can I Do to Get Leaves Off of My Roof?
So, you have leaves on your roof; does that mean you are going to need to get the ladder out and climb up with a rake? Absolutely not. What you need is a professional team to perform a no-pressure roof cleaning. We are certified to perform no pressure roof cleaning. This practice helps remove those heavy piles of leaves from your roof and clean up ugly black mold and mildew stains on shingle roofs and add years of life to your roof without causing damage by pressure washing.
The team at Cates Pressure Washing is ready to help you clean up after the leaves of the Tri-Cities have fallen on your home. Call today for a FREE quote and more information about no pressure roof cleaning.