How To Determine If Your Trees Are Harming Your Foundation

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Some trees can cause serious damage to your home’s foundation. The roots of a tree close to your home can grow wild, and when the roots get too big, they slowly push obstacles out of the way. So if you have a tree with roots growing under your home, they will slowly but surely push your foundation out of its way. This can lead to long-term foundation problems. If you have a tree too close to home, here’s how to determine if your trees are harming your foundation.

If you are noticing that your foundation is breaking down, it could be due to many problems. Trees that have huge roots and are too close to your home can cause serious damage. Catch the damage to your home before the problem gets worse.

Look out for doors that stick to the frame or have a problem shutting, cracks in the wall or ceiling, and for windows that are hard to close. These are all indicators that your foundation is struggling, so if you notice this in your home, take action before the problem becomes irreparable or too expensive to repair.

How Close To Your Foundation Is Your Closest Tree?

To determine if your trees are harming your foundation, evaluate the type of tree it is and what type of soil you have. Measure the distance from the base of the tree to your foundation. This can help you determine if your trees are harming your foundation.

If your tree is too close to your home, the outreach of the root system can cause problems for your foundation and pipes. Now, you can’t exactly dig the whole tree up to discover how large the root system is, but there are a few things to take into consideration to help you determine if your trees are harming your foundation.

What Kind Of Soil Are You Dealing With?

The soil is an important factor in determining the likely conditions of roots and how far they may be stretching. For example, if the soil is well-draining, the roots will be more likely to grow down. If the soil isn’t well-draining, tree roots will have a hard time pushing through those firm dirt or clay layers, so they will grow out, rather than down. 

You want the soil around your home to be decently firm to prevent the foundation from shifting and it damaging the home because the ground is shifting, but this in turn causes those roots to invade the foundation sideways.

What Kind Of Tree Is It?

Next, consider what type of tree it is. Weeping Willow trees for example especially have very long roots. A willow tree can grow roots up to 100 feet wide, so if you have a willow tree too close to your home, you can see how your foundation is at risk for root damage. 

All of these factors can contribute to foundation problems. Use these factors to make an estimate of how far your tree roots are extending to determine if your trees are harming your foundation.

Prevent Foundation Damage With Root Barriers

If you have a tree that is growing and you are worried about the damage it could cause to your foundation or the pipes under your home, consider what a root barrier could do. Instead of a root system from a tree putting stress on your home’s foundation, look into a root barrier. A root barrier will prevent root systems from damaging your foundation.

Call Innovative Foundation Repair

It is not too late to correct the issue of roots. A root barrier will stop the damage and when you call us, we can fix any other issue your foundation has. Call us at (469) 529-7800 for all foundation needs, whether you need to prevent tree root damage or if you need to repair your foundation from tree roots. 
Contact Innovative Foundation Repair for any and all foundation problems you may have. Foundation problems can be caused by many things, from tree roots to poor drainage, call us to get a free estimate on your foundation issues. If you need our skills to determine if your trees are harming your foundation, give us a call and we can let you know if a tree root barrier would benefit you or not. 

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