The roof to your home or business is one of the primary necessities to a well constructed building. The roof provides shelter from the elements, the cold and the hot temperatures, and so much more. Keeping the roof in prime condition is not only important to avoid the need for a new roof sooner than later, but leaky roofs and other damage can extend all the way down to the foundation if left to fester. There are many things trying to destroy roofs such as the sun’s UV rays, harsh winds, pounding rain, snow weight, and so on. But birds, pigeons specifically, are actually doing their fair share of escalating the deterioration of roofs in the North Lake Tahoe Basin.

Nickerson Roofing Shines Some Light on What Pigeons are Doing to Your Roof

1. Pigeon Droppings Cause Roof Damage. For those that don’t know, pigeon droppings are very acidic. Tar based roofing materials are more susceptible to the acidic compounds found in bird’s droppings, but generally speaking, the pigeon droppings literally eat away at the many substrates of your roof. With the accumulation of droppings and the course of time, the life expectancy of your roof can literally be dropped to down by up to 50%. In addition to eating away at the roof materials, the acidic bird droppings can also affect the siding, air conditioning units and other materials. If the air conditioners that are fitted on rooftops get destroyed, it can cause leaks in the condensation lines as well as the refrigerant, contributing to more damage from the pooled water.
2. Birds that Nest in Roofs. Pigeon droppings are not the only problem, but their innocent little nests can also be inflicting damage to your roof. Nests are frequently found in gutters, drains, and corners throughout the roof top. If the water from rainfall cannot be properly circulated off the roof, the weight of the water can cause it to collapse. Mold can then take seed, and water leakage can commence to not only destroy the various places on the roof, but as it leaks into the building, the other components; walls, foundation, insulation, and so on, can all become damaged by the water. Nests will not only add to the water elements, but the fire elements as well. Pigeons use fairly flammable materials in the construction of their nests that can easily set a home in a blaze if ignited by an electrical current from appliance or a collapse or even lightning! Nests can also be an issue with the roof’s ventilation systems and chimney. If the ventilation’s air flow is blocked, serious issues can arise, along with bird dropping debris getting introduced to the indoor air. If a chimney is in use, and it cannot ventilate accordingly due to bird’s nest in the chimney, you can be exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning, a seriously harmful gas that is odorless, tasteless, and invisible.
3. Collapsed Ceilings. After the damage the birds ensue on the rooftops, they can easily work their way into the crevices or damaged ventilation and set up a community in your unfinished attic space. With the weight of fecal matter, nests, and constant in and out, the pigeon’s activities can make ceilings collapse.

Roof Installation, Replacement, Repair, Maintenance & Related Services in Truckee, Mystic, Floriston, Olympic Valley, Alpine Meadows, Tahoe City, Dollar Point, Ridgewood, Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach, Eder, Norden, Soda Springs & The North Lake Tahoe Basin of California

If your home or business has experienced the abuse of pigeons, call on Nickerson’s Roofing to perform an inspection service. Our skilled professionals can find all the problems pigeons have caused and offer solutions to remedy the issues.