When it comes to protecting your home, you have to prepare to take on a number of problems you might not have anticipated. One such problem can include the presence of roots throughout the soil beneath or around your foundation.
Of course, trees do not intentionally cause foundation damage or other problems around your home. More often than not, roots will just grow toward the nearest source of groundwater or other nutrients. Unfortunately, those groundwater or nutrient sources can sometimes be too close to your foundation for comfort.
During that growth process, the roots you’re dealing with can cause significant damage throughout your home. Your foundation can sink or settle, your basement walls can develop cracks, and your floors can buckle if you aren’t able to respond to the damage quickly.
The good news is that you can take action if you catch this damage early. You can invest in home waterproofing measures, including vapor barriers, sump pumps, or interior drains. Alternatively, you can take on the tree itself in an attempt to preserve its appearance while also protecting your home.
When Do You Need to Remove A Tree?
Again, tree roots do not work maliciously against your home. They can, however, cause increasingly significant damage if you let them go unattended.
As such, you’ll want to determine quickly what kind of damage you’re contending with and whether that damage can be attributed to the roots themselves. Some of the most common forms of damage to be associated with root growth near or around your foundation can include:
- A slanting or otherwise uneven foundation
- Foundation damage on the same side of your house as the tree
- Standing water in your home after a storm
- Excessive moisture in your basement
- Unusual amounts of foundation settling
- An uneven basement floor
- Sticking windows or doors
Note that these forms of damage can also indicate damage in your basement or foundation. If you’re not sure what kind of problem you’re dealing with, you can reach out to the contractors working in the Raleigh, NC, area for a home inspection. Together, you can identify any problem roots or other sources of damage in your home.
Getting Started
When it comes to removing tree roots from your property, you have a few different avenues available to you. These include:
Dealing with Your Stump
You don’t want to leave an exposed stump unattended to in your yard if you’ve been dealing with root damage in your foundation. You’ll want to remove it as best you can or at least dig up the roots around it to prevent them from growing deeper beneath your foundation. If you give those roots the opportunity to continue growing, it is possible that they may sprout a sapling in another part of your yard.
The Benefits of Chemical Root Killers
When in doubt, you can take advantage of some traditional root killers to get rid of the stray roots near or underneath your foundation. To apply it to the problem roots, you’ll want to first dilute it with water to keep it from overpowering the whole of your tree. Then you can apply it to any exposed roots you have near your home. Do what you can to apply this mixture a reasonable distance away from the trunk of your tree.
Again, if you haven’t diluted the mixture enough, or if you apply it too close to the trunk, you may accidentally kill off a significant part of the tree.
When Can Professionals Help You Protect Your Home?
Know that you do not have to go about the process of fixing up your home on your own – and that you shouldn’t! While do-it-yourself solutions to home problems can be effective, you do not want to try and fill a crack or leak on your own. You especially don’t want to try and undo root damage done to your home without professional guidance, as you may accidentally make the problems you’re dealing with worse. If you need help repairing your foundation after tree root damage, or if you want to get ahead of that damage with some waterproofing measures, the contractors in your area can help. You can schedule a free home inspection with the experienced professionals at Tar Heel Basement Systems. During this evaluation, these experts will look over your home and provide you with a free quote on any repair services you may need.
