Tree Roots - A Major Culprit in House Destabilisation

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​There’s no question that trees are beautiful and majestic, but they can be a pain to homeowners. When it comes to reinforcing the foundation of your home, trees play a more significant role than you may assume and it is our continued goal to ensure that your home is as safe and as comfortable as possible. Read on for more information:
Tree roots are strong. Super strong. And the reason that trees can be so beautiful is that those roots search out water and nutrients. When you plant trees too close to a home, they’re going to seek out water and nutrients directly under your home. Directly under your home is also (as one might assume), the best place to fortify your foundation, either through restumping, reblocking or underpinning. When these two priorities meet, they don’t work out so well.
Right off the bat, you should determine what kind of soil or land that your home is built on because tree roots will act differently.

• You may have the clay-dominant soil. This type of soil compacts a lot more easily, but the converse effect is that the soil will become more and more dense when tree roots arrive.
• The second type of soil that you may have on your property is made up more of loose dirt and rocks and will move on a more regular basis, so roots have a much easier path to push through and navigate.

Both of these can affect your foundation.
Tree roots aren’t the only culprit of damage that can happen to your foundation. Even though they’re one of many pieces in the equation that you should be aware of, they’re nonetheless a significant one. That’s because tree roots are a catalyst for concrete settling, and when concrete settling occurs, your home’s foundation can shift and even crack. 

Concrete settling isn’t the nicest thing to look at, but if gone undetected, it can also be dangerous for the inhabitants of the home. So, look for the warning signs. Keep an eye out for doors that don’t swing open or shut correctly, floors that tilt one way or the other and cracks in the walls or ceiling.
These symptoms can impact homes of any age, but they’ll be much more prevalent in older homes or those that haven’t seen maintenance in a while. The easiest way to avoid any of the above? Reach out to your local experts who can assess your property and correctly advise you if you need to take care of any trees that are too close to your property. A lot of neighbourhoods have guidelines on this, but the bottom line is if trees are very close, it’s a challenge that you can take care of easily.
We’re here to help, so if you have questions, comments or feedback, please reach out.

​Company Bio: Vic Underpinners are Melbourne’s underpinning specialists, having performed thousands of successful underpinning jobs for many happy customers for more two decades. Our work is guaranteed for 15-years, so that you can shift your focus to building memories inside your home.