Trees and Tree Roots

A single tree can pull about 100 gallons of water from the soil daily. Some large trees can pull as much as 150 gallons each day through their roots. Trees located close to or under your home’s foundation can leech excessive amounts of moisture from the soil, causing the soil to shrink. Soil shrinkage under a house may cause its foundation to move.

Sources of Foundation Problems

Foundation problems occur for many reasons. These may include seasonal weather changes, inadequate drainage, clay soils that expand and contract, plumbing leaks and invasive tree roots. Large, older trees located several feet away from a home can have roots that extend well beyond the foundation wall. Stretching out under the foundation, these roots not only suck the water out of the foundation soil, they can cause cracks and fissures in underground pipes.

A leaking basement is often caused by underground pipes and plumbing that have cracked. Tree roots can exert pressure upon these pipes, causing cracks. Water can leak from the piping and saturate the soil underneath the foundation. As the soil expands and contracts with water saturation and drying, it heaves and exerts pressure on the foundation. The result often is cracks in the foundation that can lead to a wet basement or moisture in the crawlspace.

Moisture Issues and Foundation Problems

Water issues in the basement and crawlspace must be addressed. Leaky basements and crawlspace moisture can lead to the development of mold and excessive humidity in the home, which can cause warped floors and doors, windows and cabinets that do not shut properly.

Foundation crack repair must be considered when issues develop within the house. Cracks in walls, uneven floors, crooked doors, bowing walls and bugs in the house all may be a result of foundation or concrete slab problems. Any time there are foundation cracks or foundation heaving; issues within the home can arise. The foundation problem needs to be addressed by a qualified repair specialist.