The presence of trees too close to the foundation of a home has been identified as one of the causes of foundation issues. When this happens, the most common recommendation is for the tree to be removed. However, you shouldn’t just go ahead to remove the trees on your property for fear of foundation damage without knowing why you are doing so or whether it is even a solution to your foundation issues in the first place.
In this article, we answer the question of whether tree removal service can cause or solve your foundation issues.
Can a tree cause foundation problems?
When the roots of a tree keep spreading towards the foundation, it starts to absorb moisture from the soil beneath and around the foundation, thereby causing harm to the foundation. With time, the ground begins to sink as the tree roots continue to dry out the water. As a result of this, the foundation of your home shifts, cracks, twists, and settles. When a tree has dried out the soil on one side of the structure, the house will end up leaning towards the invasive tree.
One of the common misconceptions about invasive roots is that to cause damage to a foundation, they have to physically invade it. However, this is not necessarily true. What you need to understand is that for a tree to cause damage to the foundation, it must either be planted very close to the foundation or, in the case of trees with very invasive roots, the roots may find their way to cracks in the foundation, further causing damage to the concrete.
How do you know if tree roots are damaging a foundation?
One of the signs of foundation damage caused by tree roots is vertical cracks in the foundation. Vertical cracks usually occur when the soil around the foundation has been dried out by the roots of the invasive tree, thereby causing the foundation to sink. One other sign that your foundation is being affected by invasive tree roots is that the house may start to sink on the closest side to the tree. It can also manifest itself through slanted floors or a structure visibly slanting toward the tree.
Your foundation can be damaged by large trees planted within thirty feet of your home. So, you want to watch out for trees such as Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, and Oak close to your house. Small trees such as Dogwood, Crabapple, and Japanese Maples should not be within 10ft of your home as they can cause damage to the foundation.
Even when planted at a distance of 100 feet from the home, trees that have invasive roots can cause damage to the foundation. This includes Cottonwood and Silver Maple.
It is important that you know the kind of trees on your property and how close they are to the foundation. Some signs of foundation damage caused by trees include cracked windows, vertical cracks in your concrete foundation, visible surface roots close to … Read More...
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