How Trees Can Cause Damage To Your Home And What To Do To Prevent It

Are you worried that one of the trees in your yard will eventually cause damage to your home? If so, you aren't alone. Unfortunately, it isn't only trees that aren't healthy that cause damage to homes. Even trees that look perfectly fine sometimes need to be trimmed or removed, because they could pose a threat to your home's windows, roof, or foundation. To prevent a tree from damaging your house, you need to know how to spot potential problems.

Foundation Damage

You need to keep a close eye on trees that grow close to your house. When a tree's roots grow, the dirt that's surrounding the roots shifts. Normally, this isn't a problem. However, if tree roots cause the soil surrounding your foundation to shift, your foundation doesn't have the same amount of support, which could cause it to move slightly. When a house's foundation shifts, it can cause cracks in the concrete. Unfortunately, once the foundation of a home cracks or shifts, it takes a professional foundation repair company to fix the problem, and the cost of the repairs will depend on the amount of structural damage.

Fortunately, there are a few different ways to prevent a tree's roots from causing foundation damage. You could contact a tree service company to have the tree removed completely. However, if you'll want to save the tree, you need to contact a foundation repair company. A foundation contractor can build a root barrier around your home's foundation that prevents root penetration completely

Other Potential Problems

There are several other problems that can be caused by trees that sit close to your home. The proximity of the tree promotes mold growth on areas of your home that are heavily shaded. Also, if you have trees sitting too close to your home, there's a bigger chance that you'll be infested by termites or carpenter ants. To prevent these problems, you should keep all of the tree's branches trimmed back so that they aren't hanging over or touching your house. Additionally, you need to make sure the branches aren't close to any electrical wires or are in danger of falling.

For the most part, the trees in your yard shouldn't be close enough to your house to cause any major damage. But, if you do have trees that sit close to your house, you should consider having them inspected occasionally to prevent future problems. Also, if you're worried about the tree's roots causing damage, contact a local foundation repair company, such as Safe-Guard Waterproofing, to see if a root barrier can be installed.