Owning a tree offers several benefits for you and the environment. A tree serves as a source of fresh air, a shade from the scorching sun, a tree house for children to play in, and a perfect landscaping edifice. However, as useful as a tree can be, it can also cause serious damage to your home.
As a homeowner with trees in or close to your compound, Gresham’s reliable tree company advises that you take time to understand the risks a tree poses and the various ways you can deal with it.
Meanwhile, here are some of the ways trees can damage your home:
Foundation And Building Damage
As trees grow and search for nutrients and water in the ground, they displace the soil surrounding them. While Clay soils remain compact, dry soil in arid climates shifts and turns, making them ineffective in supporting the structural load.
Generally, tree roots can’t cause direct damage to foundations and buildings. This damage is usually done when they grow deeper into the ground, leading to massive shifting of the soil. As the soil gets displaced, anything resting on it moves as well.
Plumbing Damage
Most buildings designed for habitation have a drainage system that disposes of water and sewage. These drainage-field pipes are usually perforated to promote the movement of wastewater from the interior of a building to the ground.
As we all know, sewage is full of nutrients that are highly beneficial to plants. As such, they attract tree roots, especially those of invasive species like maples, aspens, and willows.
Typically, these tree roots extend to where the drainage-field pipes are buried and damage them. Old clay pipes with deteriorated joints are most prone to this form of damage.
Landscape Damage
Even though they make an excellent addition to a home’s landscape system, tree roots can ruin other landscaping pieces. They could also deplete the nutrient level of the source around them, making it difficult for other plants in the area to thrive.
What To Do When Tree Roots Invade Your Foundation
When you maintain your foundation, there’s a chance that you won’t have issues with your tree roots. But if you have strong trees, you can notice signs like:
- Cracks within your foundation floor
- Vertical cracks on your foundation’s walls
- Uneven window and door frames
- Shattered or cracked windows
- Buckling of your floor surface
All these are signs that something is wrong with the soil underneath your home. So if you have trees around your home and you notice these signs, the best thing to do is to dig around the tree to know if its root is extending towards your foundation. If they are, they could be responsible for your foundation issues.
Meanwhile, here are some tips you can apply to avoid further damage:
- Before planting any tree, ensure you install root barriers. These barriers help to deflect roots away from your plumbing, pavement, foundations, and others.
- Another useful tip is to eliminate the offending roots. However, you have to be cautious with this measure because some trees die after losing part of their roots. You can hire a tree-trimming expert to handle this task to avoid harming your tree.
- Cut the entire tree and remove as many roots as you can. You can also hire a tree removal expert for this purpose.
What To Do When Tree Roots Burrow Underneath Your Driveway Or Sidewalk
Check the signs below if you feel trees are disrupting your sidewalk or driveway:
- Cracks across the concrete
- Buckling within the concrete’s surface.
- Bumps of earth or roots causing cracks
For concrete issues, you can make use of the steps for safeguarding home foundations. You can also contact your local arborist to know if cutting the roots or the entire tree is the best option for you.
What To Do When Tree Roots Crack Your Plumbing
Some of the common signs of tree roots cracking your plumbing include
- Drains that flow slowly and don’t become clear with flushing treatments
- A remarkable change in water pressure
- Fully clogged drains that don’t become clear with a drain cleaner or plunger.
Most times, you don’t need to maim or kill your tree when it reaches your sewer system. The best thing to do is contact a tree-trimming expert that can remove the portion inside your plumbing system.
In summary, it’s important for you to always be on the lookout for signs of tree damage in your home to prevent further damage. After noticing these signs, contact an expert immediately!