April weather in Tennessee can bring many storms, tornadoes, high winds, and microbursts, and in turn can cause a lot of damage to the surrounding trees as well as your home. Is it possible for your home’s foundation to be affected by a fallen tree? Read on to see exactly what could happen if a tree has fallen on your house!
The Impact on your Foundation: All from a Tree
A root system for a tree can spread as far and deep under the soil as the tree is tall. This means that if a tree is close to your home, then the root system can bury itself under the most important part of your home, the foundation. This can cause many issues for your foundation like absorbing moisture in the soil around the foundation, which causes the soil to shrink around the property, causing foundation cracks and settling in around the home.
Those are just the problems with just the existence of the tree. When or if that tree falls from bad weather, the root structure can lift from the ground. The root system shows no mercy for the things in its path and vast destruction can be had. Not only can damage be found in the soil, but also occur to the home, and the concrete around the affected area. Voids will be caused in the area where the roots had grown, leaving large, gaping holes.
So, lets expound more on the topic of uprooted trees and your foundation. A mature tree can potentially cause grave damage to the foundation of your house, should it be uprooted. Trees must survive, and their way of doing this is by having their roots constantly searching for water and nutrients. Should water not be available in the area they are looking, they will extend themselves until it is found. When the roots grow and expand, it causes the soil to be denser from the movement. Thus, shifting and shrinking the soil around your property, causing problems like the ones described above. This is not all, because trees are not the only thing you have to be concerned about. Plants around your house can also cause problems.
Shrubs and those decorative bushes and plants can cause issues for your foundation. Plants and shrubs absorb moisture as is, but in the dry season they absorb all of the leftover moisture they can find in the ground. Homeowners can add two to four inches of mulch in order to maintain their soil’s moisture. A soaker hose for those hot months will keep the plants adequately watered. Be sure to leave it on for at least thirty minutes, enabling your plants to be fed and the soil around your foundation to remain moist.
Contact Barrier Waterproofing Systems.
If you have experienced foundation problems, or what you suspect to be foundation problems caused by the rooting system or a fallen tree, don’t hesitate to call Barrier Waterproofing Systems at (615) 257-1060 | (931) 536-1168.
