Remove Dead Tree Limbs From Above Your Home

Trees are beautiful and can complement any house. They provide shade and they even make oxygen. However, over time they require maintenance and care or they can cause problems for your house. Tree limbs can die while still on a tree, making the branches more brittle and prone to breaking. It can be due to disease, storm damage, or even the age of the tree. These dead branches can fall onto your property, doing serious damage. It’s important, as a homeowner, to know how to remove dead tree limbs from above your home.

What Can Tree Limbs Do To a Roof?

Tree limbs can cause serious havoc to your home if they fall onto your roof. Small and medium tree limbs can puncture your roof, causing holes that will soon be leaking. If a bigger tree branch falls on your home, it can easily cause serious structural damage to your roofing. If the tree limb is big enough it can even cause your home’s roof to collapse. No matter what size branch, you’ll want to avoid them falling onto your roof.

How Far Should Tree Branches Be From a House?

A good rule of thumb is to keep trees between ten and twenty feet away from your house. At that distance, you may not have to worry about any overhanging branches. However, if you do have branches that hang over your roof or electrical lines, you’ll need to take precautions. Any branches that overhang your roof, or could grow to overhang your roof, require trimming and maintenance.

How Can You Remove Dead Tree Limbs From Above Your Home?

Cutting down tree limbs makes for hard and potentially dangerous work. The first step is to get thick nylon rope and tie it to the branch you’ll be removing. The number of knots you’ll need to tie on the branch depends on the weight and size of the branch itself. Larger branches will require many knots, while smaller branches will only need one or two. Then, tie the other side of the rope away from the house, anchoring it so the branch will be pulled away from your home. Next, you’ll want to find the branch collar. At the base of the branch, there should be a section of the tree that is thicker than the branch itself. That’s the branch collar. You’ll want to cut the branch on the thinner side of the branch collar, so the tree can properly callous after the trimming.

Once you’ve found the right area, and have the branch secured so it won’t crash into your house, you’ll be all set to start cutting. On the smaller side of the branch collar, cut downwards on the branch. Cutting downwards helps prevent the tree from having water set into the wound. If water does set into the tree then the tree can begin to rot. Once the branch is cut, it’ll only be held on by the support rope. You’ll need people on the ground to help pull the branch away from your roof. Once the limb is on the ground, you’re all set!

Call a Professional to Remove Dead Tree Limbs From Above Your Home

While removing dead tree limbs is doable, it can be easy to mess up and hurt yourself, your property, or the tree in question. It’s also possible to do serious damage to your roofing while pruning and trimming your trees. Your best option is to call a professional who can remove the dead tree limbs for you. Honey Bees Roofing & Solar offers free roofing inspections so you’ll know if you need your tree’s limbs trimmed. If you need a free roof inspection, or just want more information about your roofing, Contact Honey Bees Roofing & Solar online or give us a call today at 817-668-6131!