5 Simple Tips for Keeping Birds off Your Roof

City birds, such as pigeons, sparrows, and crows, are an integral part of modern life, to the point where people will even keep them as pets or build feeders for them. Unfortunately, these feathery critters can also be a major nuisance, especially when they decide to take a liking to our homes and start treating them as their own.

This can be especially problematic if birds start nesting on your roof. In addition to reducing the curb appeal of your property, this issue can lead to roof damage that can lead to you needing roof replacement or repair services.

If you live in MD, VA, PA, NJ, or DE and your roof has sustained damage from birds and other pests, trust the expert roofers at Nu Look Home Design! We can inspect your roof and provide you with an accurate quote.

5 Tips To Keep Birds Off Of Your Roof

Unlike raccoons, squirrels, and other critters that like to climb on roofs, birds are able to fly. This makes it much harder to keep them from gaining access to your roof. Still, there are quite a few things you can do to discourage these feathered invaders from taking an interest in your roof.

The roofers at Nu Look Home Design have been replacing roofs in Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey for years. Over time, we’ve learned the best tips for keeping birds from nesting on your roof. Here are 5 tips for keeping the birds away and protecting one of your home’s most important features:

• Install roof spikes along the ledges and the peak of your roof. Despite their scary name, these spikes aren’t actually sharp and only serve to make landing difficult for birds.
• Install fake predators such as plastic owls, ravens, and falcons. These decoys can even play predator sounds that will keep other birds away.
• Remove food sources that may attract birds to your house.
• Adding bird wire or netting will make it impossible for birds to colonize your roof.
• Call in the professionals. When all else fails, get the pest control services involved.

Are birds bad for your roof?

The short answer is yes, birds can be bad for your roof and roofing materials. Bird droppings are highly acidic, so they can gradually damage asphalt roofing materials and even ruin other roof equipment as they decompose. To make matters worse, birds also like to build nests out of branches, leaves, and other organic materials that also become acidic as they start to rot.

Their droppings and nests also absorb water, which increases the stress on roofing materials and makes it more likely that mold and algae will appear on your roof. If left unchecked, this problem will eventually result in leaks and shorten the life of your roof.

What do you do when a bird is nesting in your house?

Since native bird species in the United States are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it’s strongly advised that you refrain from disturbing their nests, killing the birds, or destroying their eggs. It’s also illegal to attempt to incubate wild bird eggs on your own. This law applies even if the nest is located in an inconvenient location, such as on a roof or in the gutters.

Luckily, most young birds will only spend a few weeks in their nests before they’re able to fly away on their own. Once that’s done, you can remove the nest and take measures to prevent future nestings. If you like the idea of providing a nesting area for native species, you can also build a bird-friendly green roof.

Replace Your Roof With The Top Roofers in the Mid-Atlantic

Nu Look Home Design is an established home improvement company that caters to private and public clients in  Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We’re known for our client-centered approach and unrelenting emphasis on quality.

Book your consultation today. Our roofers can inspect your roof and provide you with an accurate estimate using stat-of-the-art roofing technology.