Tree Roots and Foundations

Everyone loves the look of a majestic tree in the yard. They provide shade and beauty and supply us with wonderful oxygen. However, when trees are planted too close to the foundation they can cause problems. That damage can mean thousands of dollars in repair costs. But don’t panic if your foundation is showing signs of damage there are ways to remedy this

First look for signs of tree roots under your foundation. Here’s a list of things you could expect to see:

• Foundation damage near the tree. Some trees can draw as much as 190 gallons of water per day. This leaves the soil beneath your foundation without moisture leading to its collapse.
• Is there foundation damage on the side that receives the most sunlight? Trees naturally require light to grow and the more trees there are in the sunlight the more roots they’ll produce.

Here are a few ways to prevent or/and fix root foundation damage.

• Do preventive landscape. Trim and cut tree roots to prevent them from growing towards the foundation. Avoid planting shrubs or trees near the foundation. Plant the right trees in your yard.
• Install route barriers. Root barriers help avoid foundation settlement since they control the growth of roots near the foundation.
• Install irrigation drip line. Add water to the area around the trunk space of trees on your property that seems to be sucking the surrounding soil dry.

These are just a few tips that you can initiate to help prevent tree roots from damaging the foundation.