Trees are a tremendous asset to any landscaped yard. They offer shade, beauty, and protection against ground erosion in heavy rain. However, trees can become a costly hazard if they are not well maintained or are placed too close to a house. That’s why timely tree care, maintenance, and removal in certain circumstances, especially before winter weather, is essential.

While most homeowners know that trees can pose a risk during severe weather, the risks are often multifaceted and should be fully understood. In addition to the risk of falling trees during high wind events, large branches can break off during storms and become airborne. This can be a hazard to both people and property.

Additionally, when ice storms and heavy wet snow occur, excess weight can cause large branches to break off damaging roofs, windows, decking, power lines, and garages. That’s why preventive care is essential. Completing tree removal and branch maintenance after a storm can be difficult, especially during the colder months.

While many homeowner’s insurance policies cover some of these risks, they often do not cover the cost of displacement during repairs and other incidentals. Losses and expenses are often not covered when falling branches and trees injure people in the home.

Trees Can Increase Mold Risk

Most people think of mold as something that occurs because of flooding or too much moisture in a home. However, trees can increase the risk of mold growth in a house when branches overhang, on siding, and on the roof. It can be incredibly challenging to deal with mold if it’s present during the colder months.

Mold on roof tiles can cause shingle buckling and pose an increased risk for roof tile repairs, sub-roofing damage, and the need for partial or whole roof replacement. Mold caused by tree overgrowth can also permeate attics, eventually spreading to the main living space, causing a health hazard and a significant cost for cleanup.

Trees Can Cause Insect Infestation

During the warmer months, trees that have insect infestation with overhanging branches on the home and those very close to a house can cause insect infestation in the home. This is especially true with carpenter ants, carpenter bees, yellow jackets, and wasps.

Tree Risk to Sewer and Water Lines

Tree roots continuously grow and expand, which can create a risk for underground pipe incursion of water, sewer, and septic lines. This is especially true for larger, more mature trees. If roots permeate water and sewer lines, the repairs are often expensive and can leave homeowners without access to water, septic, and sewer line usage during repairs.

How to Assess Your Home Damage Risk

If you have concerns over any of these situations with the trees in your yard before the holidays and winter weather sets in, our professional arborists will be happy to assess your tree maintenance and removal needs, the cost, and the timing of the work to be done.

Our tree maintenance and removal experts can give you a free evaluation of the condition of your trees and branches, branch and tree hazard risk to your house, and dangers to power, water, sewer, and septic lines from trees in your yard.

Call our team at L&J Tree Service to learn more about tree removal in Medford, OR.