September is upon us, and with that comes the changing of the seasons, pumpkin spice lattes, and falling leaves. As gorgeous as the change in scenery is, it’s essential to be aware of the potential damage resulting from excessive fallen leaves. Aside from being an eyesore, accumulations of leaves can cause a severe amount of damage to your property.
The first problem to be aware of is clogged gutters. Not only will the leaves weigh down the gutters, but they will also jam them, which limits water flow. Unfortunately, stagnant water in gutters will often seep into the house. It can damage the roof, walls, and foundation. It can also lead to mold and flooding and permanent damage to your gutters.
Leaves can also damage the roof. If left to pile up for too long, moisture will become trapped, causing the shingles to decay. Even worse, this build-up of moisture, plus the roof’s decay, could cause water to leak into the house as well.
To address this, consider hiring a professional landscaping team or roofing contractor to clean off your roof once or twice this fall. If you would rather do it yourself, a high-powered leaf blower should do the trick. Just be sure that you are as safe as you possibly can be. Working on a roof can be extremely dangerous and needs to be taken seriously.
Finally, leaves can also be detrimental to a nice lawn. If you have many trees nearby that drop a large number of leaves, they can entirely block the grass from getting sunlight, causing it to turn yellow. Fortunately, this is easier to fix than issues with the roof or gutter. Just take the time to rake your lawn or hire someone to do it for you.
But let’s not let this topic be a downer! Leaves have several great uses:
For one, leaves are great in a compost pile. They are carbon-rich and will help balance the nitrogen levels in your stack.
They are also a great mulch to add to a garden. They are packed full of minerals, which will feed earthworms and other beneficial organisms. This way, you save money on having to buy mulch or potting soil and can watch your garden blossom next year!