by Alex A. KecskesAs a professional roofer, you’ve learned to recognize the signs of bird damage: If you’re dealing with an asphalt shingle roof, it’s the tell-tale nearly circular shapes of granule loss from bird droppings. The damage is usually found under antennas, trees, or similar raised perches where birds can conveniently “drop their loads.” And one thing you know is that the deterioration of the asphalt coating on a shingle can usually be traced to the acid in bird droppings. If you’re dealing with a wood roof, bird droppings will, over time, leave the shingles brittle, causing them to crack. Tile roofs, on the other hand, can also be damaged by birds, who often build their nests under tiles, causing them to become loose or dislodged. Tile roofs, often installed for their beauty, can get pretty ugly when covered with bird droppings. The point being, that birds can cost property owners hundreds, even thousands of dollars in roof damage. Over time, bird nests, droppings and other debris can cause irreparable damage. Roofs damage by birds can leak and even collapse. It’s only logical, therefore, that as a professional roofer, you should consider adding bird proofing to your roofing services. Property owners who spend thousands and tens of thousands of dollars on a new roof will be eager to protect their investment with the professional roofing products you can install for a fraction of that cost. Without effective bird proofing measures, roofs are vulnerable. Pigeons, starlings and sparrows will often build their nests under roofing shingles and tiles, causing water to rise and leak into the subroof and below. This can cause rotting and extensive damage. Bird nests built near AC units, solar panels or other rooftop electrical equipment can also become a fire hazard. When you add the fact that pest birds can also damage roof-mounted air conditioning equipment, attic ventilation turbines, skylights, solar panels, and solar water heaters, most properly owners will be most receptive to the idea of effective bird control. Here are just two examples of effective bird proofing devices currently on the market:Bird Spikes. Used worldwide to bird proof roofs and structures for decades, Bird Spikes are among the most effective bird control devices ever devised. The spiked strips make it impossible for pest birds to land on or near them. Blunted and safe for birds, pets and work crews, the spikes come in durable stainless steel or stiff, unbreakable polycarbonate. For properties near the sea or other large body of water, there's the Mega Spike, which features intimidating 7-inch spikes to deter seagulls, cormorants, turkey vultures and raptors. To keep pest birds out of rain gutters, there's the Gutter Spike, which can be equipped with adjustable clamps at the base that attach easily to the lip of a gutter.The marine-grade stainless steel bird spikes are extremely durable. You can also get crush-proof, non-reflective spikes with a metal finish that blend in nicely on most roofs. If your customers are concerned about how the spikes might look, the spikes now come in several colors--including crystal clear, brick red, light grey, brown, black and tan. Plastic spikes are ideal for use in areas where steel spikes might cause signal interference problems (roofs with cell-phone antennas, dish antennas and air traffic control towers). Bird spikes with a U.V.-protected polycarbonate base are recommended in harsh weather. Bird Slopes. For the truly aesthetically conscious property owner, these angled PVC panels blend right into the building or commercial structure. The panels present a super smooth surface that has birds scrambling like Keystone Cops to get a solid footing. But they never do and slip off every time. Birds soon give up and move on. Bird slopes are ideal for bird-proofing eaves, ledges, and many other nooks and crannies. The angled panels are easy to install on almost any flat surface using nails, screws or glue. They also come in several colors to match a property's exterior décor.