Top 5 Reasons to Keep Birds off the Roof
Birds may seem harmless enough, but don’t be fooled. These feathered friends might as well be considered a roof system’s kryptonite. Here are five reasons why.
1. Bird nests clog drains.
Birds often nest in the comfort of roof drains and gutters. When these drainage paths become obstructed, water ponds on the roof, accelerating its degradation and thereby reducing service life. If a high enough volume of water collects because of clogged drainage, roof collapse is even possible.
2. Droppings can decrease roof life.
Due to their acidic nature, droppings damage the roof, eating through most roofing materials, including metal and can even reduce the efficiency of solar panels. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that accumulated bird droppings could reduce the life of some building roofs by up 50 percent.
3. Birds carry disease.
Widespread reports document the dangers of parasites and transmittable bird-borne diseases. Inhaling and ingesting micro-organisms from bird droppings can result in serious health problems. If diseases are transmitted into the facility through roof leaks or tracked in from rooftop workers, contamination in food production facilities is especially concerning.
4. Pecking results in punctures, and eventually leaks.
For some facilities, especially whenever grain may be present on the roof, pecking birds can cause punctures to the roof system. They can also peck at roof membranes looking for insects, increasing the likelihood of leaks.
5. They create a safety hazard for rooftop workers.
A roof system covered with even a thin coating of bird droppings can be very slippery. Nesting birds may swoop and dive at rooftop workers, creating dangerous working conditions. The slip and fall hazard is greater when birds have been on the roof.
Suspect your roof is damaged from birds? Call D. C. Taylor Co. at 319.731.4118 to schedule a Roof Inspection today!
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