Trees are part of our natural environment and can even add to the appeal of any home. They can give you some much-needed shade during those hot Texas summers while adding to the landscape of your front and back yards, but they can also create problems for your home’s foundation. So if your house has a lot of trees, you need to be aware of any warning signs that can wreak havoc on its foundation. You should also understand that as tall as a tree grows, its roots extend to three times its height below the ground. But it doesn’t mean you need to cut down all your trees or that you need to repair your foundation. You will, however, need to take certain precautions.
Trees and Their Roots
You should never underestimate the strength of tree roots. They’re extremely strong. In many ways, they can even be unstoppable. They’re constantly looking for water, which is why they grow and spread so far underground. Much of it revolves around the type of soil you have. Clay soil is often extremely thick, so it compresses around the roots as they spread.
Looser soil will have plenty of rocks and dirt, so it shifts instead of staying in one place. In fact, the looseness of the soil allows the roots to spread more easily. Weather can also play a role in how roots spread. In clay soil, the roots tend to shift a little when there’s a drought. But if it rains, the roots are more likely to expand.
Tree Roots and Concrete Shifting
A lot of homeowners have been led to believe that trees can cause foundation damage, but it’s not entirely true. In many cases, it’s the changes in the soil that cause foundation problems. But both of them share some part of the responsibility. Concrete is often the primary culprit, especially when it settles. It can often lead to cracks. Sometimes, the effect is very minimal. But there are times when it’s more extreme.
Concrete shifting can also occur in these types of situations. While there are times when it will have a minimal impact on your foundation (or no effect at all), there are times when the shifting is more extreme (which is when you’re more likely to experience a problem). This is especially true if you live in an older home.
The problem may also be caused by the way your foundation was built, especially if it isn’t deep enough. Homes with basements aren’t as susceptible to this type of damage because the foundation is already deep into the ground, but most homes in Texas don’t have them. This makes them more likely to be affected by shifting from dry soil, especially in the summer when the heat is extreme.
How to Prevent Tree Roots from Spreading
If you’re concerned about how roots can affect your foundation, there are some things you can do. Root barriers can help you to stop roots from spreading around your foundation. You may have to dig deep to get to your foundation base, but it will allow you to cut away any roots that have come into contact with your foundation.
A trench of about 30 inches deep is usually dug into the ground between the foundation and any approaching roots. The barrier itself is made of a thick, impenetrable material that will guide the roots away from the foundation. You may need to cut away any roots that may cause problems later on, which can be helpful if your home has older trees that you’re not willing to cut down.
Another way to keep tree roots from spreading is to make sure they’re getting enough water. If trees aren’t getting the water they need to survive, they’ll move into places where you don’t want them to go. So if water deficiency is a common problem in your area, you will need to water around your foundation to keep tree roots from going under it. Trees have been known to discharge as much as 200 gallons of water into the air each day, so they must be able to get enough moisture from the soil to survive.
If you need to remove trees so you can replace them, you can choose from a variety of slow-growing species with roots that aren’t as aggressive. Some tree species (such as oak and maple) don’t grow quickly. But no matter what type of tree you choose to plant, you want to avoid varieties that have deep and invasive roots (such as willow and elm trees).
If you’re looking for one of the best places for foundation repair in Corpus Christi, be sure to get in touch with Streem Foundation Repair.