Do Trees Affect TV Antenna Reception? How to Enjoy Greenery Without Losing Your TV Channels

TV attenna on the roof

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What To Know

  • Trees can interfere with TV antenna signals due to their physical obstruction and the water in their leaves, especially when they are tall or dense.
  • To mitigate signal interference, consider relocating aerials, switching between a TV aerial and satellite dish, or pruning trees rather than cutting them down.
  • If trees aren’t yours, seek permission for pruning from the owner, or consult a satellite expert to confirm the cause of reception issues and advise neighbors accordingly.

If trees surround your house, you are among the luckiest people in your city. 

Trees are great sources of fresh, clean air. They add curb appeal to a community, and they even provide a good base for kiddie playhouses and swings. 

But with all the good things they bring to every creature around them, trees do have one small drawback: signal interference.

Yes, trees, specifically the tall ones, can affect your TV antennas. Now, if you’re a lover of trees and have plenty of them surrounding your home, you’re probably always experiencing poor to non-existent TV signals.

Issues with your TV signal are a normal part of having trees nearby. 

We understand you don’t want to cut down your trees, and frankly, we don’t condone cutting down trees due to the environmental repercussions it has. 

Luckily, there are steps you can take to fix your TV antenna problems.

But why do trees affect your TV signal in the first place? What can you do to ensure that this problem doesn’t come up again? 

Don’t worry. We’re here to talk about all of that and more. So keep on reading!

Do Trees Affect TV Antennas?

House surrounded by tree

Yes, trees do affect TV antennas. 

But why and how does that happen?

Well, there are a few reasons why trees would affect your antennas. So we created a simplified list below to help you out. Let’s get started.

Signals Come Straight from Space

The first thing you should remember about antennas is that it receives their signal from the satellite roaming around in space. 

What this means is that anything obstructing this signal can and will affect your TV reception. So buildings, trees, and other tall structures that tend to loom over houses will affect your signal.

Water Affects Signal Too

As we all learned from science class in middle school, water is a conductive element. TV antennas are also made of conductive materials. 

So when it rains, the droplets that land on the leaves and the tree itself can divert the supposedly “flowing” signal towards your antenna to the earth.

And the denser the trees around your home, the worse it will be for your TV reception.

Apple tree with water on them

The Culprits are the Moving Trees

Okay, we’re not talking about the Ents in the Lord of the Rings. 

Trees don’t actually walk around and mess with your TV antenna on purpose. But other forces of nature, such as strong winds, can cause trees to move and “break up” the TV signals.

More Leaves, More Signal Issues

Have you noticed that your TV reception is much better during the winter? 

That’s because most trees shed their leaves during wintertime, allowing the signal to move freely without being halted by the leaves.

Unfortunately, hay fever is not the only thing you’ll be worrying about during warmer seasons!

How Can You Prevent Trees from Affecting Your Antennas?

While you can’t exactly blame the trees themselves for interfering with your TV’s reception, there are a few adjustments that you can make to avoid TV reception issues in the future. 

Don’t worry. These are quite easy to do and won’t require you to spend too much money. Heck, most of these are even free. So take a look!

Move Your Aerials and Dishes

Home satellite dishes

If you have an indoor aerial, you may want to switch to one that you can install on your roof. If you already have an outdoor aerial, you can try moving it to a different spot on your roof with less interference. 

The same can be said for your satellite dishes. If you notice that your dish is starting to get obscured by trees, it’s time to move it somewhere more open.

Swap to a TV Aerial or a Satellite Dish

Depending on which one you’re already using, you might want to switch to a TV aerial or a satellite dish. 

For example, suppose trees completely surround your house, and you are experiencing bad TV reception because your satellite dish is getting covered by the leaves. 

In that case, you may want to invest in a good-quality TV aerial.

And if your TV can’t get good reception with your aerial, then a satellite dish may be what you need. Just make sure to install it somewhere that is not obscured by trees.

Prune Your Trees

Prune Trees

You may want to consider pruning your trees. Unless the tree poses a lot of danger to your home or property, then there won’t be a need to cut it down.

All you will have to do is regularly prune the tree, so its branches don’t grow long enough to cause TV reception issues. 

Cut It Down

Cutting down tree in the house yard

Cutting trees is not an alternative we want to encourage as they do so much for our environment. However, there are some circumstances in which this is the only choice.

For example, if the tree is riddled with termites, angled in a way that puts residents in danger, or is dead and starting to negatively affect the other plants around it, then it’s time to crank up the chainsaw. 

What If It’s Someone Else’s Tree?

Tree in the neighborhodd

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do anything without the owner’s permission. Having a TV or a satellite doesn’t give you the right to cut down other people’s trees to boost your signal. 

What you can do is politely ask your neighbor if they would allow you to prune one side of their tree that is covering your antenna or aerial. 

If you are unsure if trees around your home are causing your TV’s reception issues, call up your local satellite/aerial expert. They will be able to assist you in figuring out the root cause of your TV problems.

After the satellite check-up, you can ask the expert if they can provide you with a written statement explaining the situation for you to show to your neighbors.

Conclusion

Tree and TV antenna

Trees are amazing plants to have close to your home. The air around you is purified and cooled by them. They are beautiful and the sight of them can be relaxing. 

Yes, trees bring a lot of good things to every living being on Earth. The one small caveat is that they tend to block satellite signals. However, there are other alternatives to combat this without chopping down the tree.

We gave you our top tips and tricks on the best ways to deal with TV reception issues caused by trees.

For your own safety, make sure to contact a satellite expert before putting our tips to the test. Good luck!

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