How To Repair Damaged Tree Roots

Cracked walls and windows are often the first symptoms of foundation problems that a homeowner notices. While foundation damage can happen for a variety of reasons, copse tin get blamed for some foundation problems. Large trees that are very close to your habitation tin can sometimes contribute to foundation damage as a consequence of extracting water from the soil around the building. A lack of water around your foundation, whether it's the issue of tree roots or overall dry conditions, can cause foundation subsidence and cracks that remain fifty-fifty if the soil is rewetted and the foundation returns to its original position.

This doesn't necessarily mean that your trees are the cause of all of your foundation problems. You don't desire to cut downwardly a tree if you lot don't need to only because it's near your home—after all, foundation impairment from soil shrinkage tin can happen even without tree roots anywhere near your home. Here are things to consider before y'all become trees virtually your home removed.

Consider Your Foundation Depth

Different homes will have different floor plans and foundations, which tin determine how your home reacts to different sources of foundation impairment, including tree roots. Older buildings tend to have shallower foundations, which dry out faster and give tree roots more than access to the foundation. In the Midwest United States, full basements are more common. Basements are deeper, which means that it takes a while for the deeper subsoils to dry upwards even in dry spells.

Test the Soil

A soil test tin provide helpful information virtually your foundation likewise. Soil surveys give information about native soils similar shrink-great chapters that's useful for figuring out where to build or why a edifice is experiencing foundation damage. For copse to really crusade damage to a foundation, the subsoil underneath the foundation needs to take a moderate to high shrink-swell chapters and unusual drying from a astringent drought. Careful estimation of survey results can tell you lot whether to seek foundation repair virtually you.

Are Roots Actually Near Your Foundation?

Confirm the presence of tree roots before you make up one's mind to have whatsoever trees cutting downward. Root-related foundation damage is caused by roots that are growing and extracting soil about the base of the foundation. Aggressively rooting bottomland species like willow or elm are more than likely to cause problems than slower-growing species like soak and sugar maple. Trees that have higher water requirements could also present problems, especially for shallower foundations.

Tree roots tend to grow horizontally and relatively close to the soil surface, although sometimes loose backfill soil can make them first growing down. Tree roots can be located within a few feet of your foundation by excavation down a foot or two, although sometimes excavation to the base of the foundation might be necessary to diagnose the problem or make repairs. If you observe a root you think is causing problems, you tin can cut information technology off: between that and the installation of a root barrier, this could take care of hereafter root problems.

Bring in the Experts

Seek the communication of at least one certified arborist before you determine to remove a tree. Arborists are trained to audit your home and tree to determine if it needs to be cutting downwardly. They await at factors like tree health, the distance between the roots and your home, the type of foundation of your domicile, the soil type, the slope of the ground, and the blazon of driveway yous have. Well-nigh arborists are reluctant to cutting down trees unless information technology'due south absolutely necessary, and they should be able to discuss your options.

If y'all recollect you take to remove a tree, it's not something that yous should DIY. Tree removal is dangerous work and should be done with a certified professional that has the training, tools, experience, and insurance for the job. If the tree is healthy and keeping it is a priority, a structural engineer tin be brought in to assess the foundation damage risks. If harm has already occurred, foundation repair experts near you can make up one's mind the best solution for your domicile.

Acculevel Foundation Repair

Your landscaping could be damaging your foundation, but if you spot the damage early and take steps to minimize it, you tin can save yourself money in the long run. The foundation experts at Acculevel can audit your domicile for signs of foundation harm caused past tree roots and perform the necessary repairs to stabilize your abode. For a free dwelling inspection and estimate, contact Acculevel.

Source: https://acculevel.com/foundation-damage-caused-by-tree-roots/