Tree Roots and Foundation Problems… Could You Be Growing A Problem?
While moisture under the house tends to cause soil to expand, tree roots on one side can reduce moisture and cause foundation failure. The impact of tree roots on concrete slab foundations is a controversial subject. This is because, while trees and their roots don’t often pose a direct issue, their presence can cause a variety of issues for your property’s foundation.
In our experience as foundation repair experts tree roots cause substantial foundation damage in North Texas. This post will cover why tree roots can pose an issue and how to protect your property from them.
Issues with Tree Roots
Tree roots can extend as much as 5 times the canopy height of a tree. In periods of drought, tree roots seek out water to ensure survival. According to Dr. Tom Witherspoon, if the soil under your foundation is more moist than the soil outside, the tree roots will seek out the water from under your house. As the moisture content drops, clay soil shrinks, and the foundation support in that area is reduced. So while the roots aren’t causing foundation damage directly their presence can be the net result is foundation failure and the need for foundation repair.
How Do These Issues Start?
One thing that could expose your property to more issues is a shallow foundation. This is because they’re more exposed to issues caused by droughts. As the top layers of soil dry out, tree roots can work their way under the foundation to seek more moisture and this can result in cracks and settling.
Poor backfilling can also create issues. For instance, backfill that has a lot of clay in it will be more prone to shrinking during a drought. What’s more, if the clay soil gets wet it can expand significantly resulting in added pressure placed on the property’s foundation.
Should You Cut Down a Tree?
You don’t necessarily need to cut a tree down to protect your foundation. The first step is the have an expert assess your foundation to determine what the cause of the damage is. If it’s not from the tree then there’s no need to touch it. If the roots are causing problems then you may need to take action and then install root barriers to limit re-growth. Ultimately cutting down trees should be a last resort.
How to Protect Your Property
You want to start by ensuring the area around your house slopes away from the property to ensure effective water drainage and prevent pooling near the home foundation. You also want to inspect your plumbing and drains and make sure that any leaks can cause water to seep into the soil around your foundation. This water can cause added moisture which could result in shifting and draw roots closer to the property.
Note that while you’re trying to drain water away from your property, you still need to ensure that there are balanced moisture levels within the soil surrounding your house. In the event of a drought, you need to slowly restore hydration as overwatering too quickly can cause flooding.
Ultimately the best way to protect your property is to have your foundation inspected by professionals. Contacting a local foundation repair company to routinely inspect your property can help you save money long-term.
Bottom Line
Tree roots don’t pose a direct threat to your property’s foundation but they can disrupt moisture levels in the soil around your home. As such you need to be careful when planting new trees and have your property inspected to prevent serious damage.
If you’re looking to hire the services of a trusted foundation repair company, consider the team at Granite Foundation Repair. Contact us today for a free inspection!