Well, darn . . . for one reason or another, you’ve got some dead or dying trees near your home. Not only are you stressed about losing a precious tree, but you’re also worried about how its demise and possible removal will impact your home and foundation.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we understand the devastation of losing a tree or shrub and the developing concerns about what happens next. We have seen how trees and smaller flora can affect a foundation and can fill you in on things to watch for.
In this article, we discuss knowing when the time is right for tree removal and how it might affect your foundation’s health. We will also review steps to take should you notice foundation settlement after tree removal.
How To Know When a Tree Needs To Be Removed
Some trees live much longer than others, so that’s something to consider if you’re not sure if a tree is just sick or if it’s truly on death’s door. If you don’t know what kind of tree you have or don’t know its expected lifespan, contact a local arborist or your local County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Services and get some advice.
If your tree is already showing signs of distress or is known to be dying (but not fully dead yet), it is a potential hazard. A strong wind could take down weaker branches that can fall on you, your home, or other property.
It’s best to cut off any limbs that are suffering or not growing leaves as soon as possible even if you’re not ready to take out the whole tree.
Losing trees can be heartbreaking and people tend to hang on as long as possible, but at some point, you’re risking damage to your home if you don’t remove a dying tree.
A tree needs to be removed when it is at risk of falling over onto your home or vehicles. A tree should also be removed if it no longer offers your home any beauty or other benefits like shade. Dying trees start to look unattractive and it’s a sign that you’re going to be happier when it’s gone.
Don’t keep a tree around longer because you’re worried about your foundation either. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. If your foundation is eventually impacted, you can’t prevent that from happening by keeping the tree around longer.
Dying or dead shrubs are not usually a hazard, but they can surely be an eyesore for you (or your neighbors).
BTW – if you are interested in preventing healthy trees from affecting your foundation, check this out: Can I Prevent My Trees from Causing Foundation Problems? 4 Ways to Try.
How Can Tree Removal Affect a Foundation?
We can’t know for sure if a removed tree will affect your foundation, but it’s certainly a possibility to watch for. When a tree is removed, much of the root system below ground does not get removed. You don’t know how extensive or large the roots are or where they go. The roots could go under your house.
In general, tree root systems mirror the tree above them. However far out the tree reaches to the sides is about how far the roots reach below ground. So if you have a tree very close to your home that has a canopy directly above the structure, it’s very likely that the roots go under your house too.
But also, roots are going to grow where they can get water and they likely don’t get a ton of water under a house (unless they find a broken pipe but that’s another story). So there’s also a chance that the root system that runs underneath your home is more limited due to water being scarce under there.
When a tree is removed, the focus is on the *above-ground* part of the tree. Roots get left behind to decay underground. Although you can’t see the roots, they do take up space in the soil. When the roots die off, looseness and voids are created in the ground. If these voids are large enough, they could theoretically impact your home’s foundation at some point resulting in settlement or problems.
How Likely Is It For Tree Removal to Affect My Foundation Anyway?
There’s no guarantee that a removed tree would have any influence at all on your foundation. In my opinion, the tree would have to be quite large with a significant root system running under your home to cause foundation settlement. Because of the way slab-on-grade foundations are built, voids from dead tree roots might not be enough to create major foundation problems.
Tree root decay could more likely impact sidewalks, driveways, or other shallow concrete flatwork. These kinds of concrete surfaces do not penetrate the ground and have no supportive grade beams (like foundations do) to help protect against a dead tree situation like this.
Also, it takes a long time for tree roots to decay, and all the while the ground is moving anyway due to rainfall, runoff, drought, seasonal settlement, and rebounding. The chances of settlement happening due to tree loss while you are in the home are low. It might be something future generations have to deal with, but probably not you.
Here in Central Texas, you might experience foundation problems anyway for a whole bunch of other reasons before a dead tree affects your home.
Will Dead Shrub Removal Affect My Home Too?
Removing shrubs should not be a concern for your foundation. Shrub root systems are too small to affect your home if the roots decay. A dead shrub can be removed on any nice day of the week with some loppers and maybe a saw or shovel. Just be sure to fill in the hole left behind with soil and refill as needed.
5 Ways to Prevent Tree Removal From Affecting Your Home
If you’re worried about tree removal affecting your foundation, there are a few things you can do to prevent settlement issues. We’ll list them first, and then elaborate:
- Remove trees carefully and don’t let them fall
- Fill holes repeatedly to prevent washout and erosion
- Even out the terrain to avoid standing water or drainage issues
- Monitor closely for signs of settlement
- Mudpump voids if holes persist or grow
1. Remove Trees Carefully and Don’t Let Them Fall
Tree removal should be done with care so that you don’t tug on the root system. Don’t bulldoze the tree over, make sure it gets cut down piece by piece.
Definitely remove a dying tree before it topples over on its own. A huge tree falling causes the roots to pull quickly and forcefully on whatever they are attached to. A suddenly falling tree can cause settlement of flatwork, or worse, could yank at your plumbing lines and rupture them. A falling tree creates more damage or things to fix, even when it doesn’t fall on anything.
2. Fill Holes Repeatedly to Prevent Washout and Erosion
Any holes in the ground that exist after a tree is removed should be filled right away and packed down with soil. Each time a hole begins to appear due to tree root decay, continue to fill the holes repeatedly. If you leave a hole open, it leaves the door open for washout and erosion to develop and compound. The longer you leave a hole, the bigger it gets.
Make it a point to keep packing in more dirt and don’t let any crevices turn into chasms.
3. Even Out the Terrain to Avoid Standing Water or Drainage Issues
Evening out the terrain goes along with filling holes. Even if it’s not a hole, the ground could get wavy and uneven after tree removal, creating high and low spots. These kinds of ups and downs hold water longer, and can even create hidden tripping hazards that could turn an ankle.
Standing water and drainage issues contribute to foundation and flatwork settlement. So even out any bumpy ground for your best chance at avoiding issues.
4. Monitor Closely For Signs of Settlement
Keep an eye on your foundation for movement or settlement. On the exterior of the home in the vicinity of a removed tree, look for doors that start to misalign in their frame, become hard to open, close, or don’t lock or latch properly. Keep an eye on brickwork and look for developing stair-step cracks or brick frieze separations.
Inside your house, look for developing diagonal wall cracks or trim separations. For more on the early signs of foundation issues, check out this article: What Are the Early Signs of Foundation Settlement and Problems?
You can also watch your concrete flatwork for signs of cracks, tilting, or sinking panels.
It’s not that you need to take immediate action if you see one small sign of settlement in your home or concrete surfaces. You should monitor things for a while and see if it stops or if the issue continues and gets worse.
5. Mudpump Voids If Holes Persist or Grow
If you can see that a void is persisting even after filling with dirt repeatedly, you might need to take further action. Using a slurry material to fill voids is a step above plain dirt that can easily wash away. Mud pumping is something we do here at Anchor to fill voids under homes after the raising process with foundation repairs. But we can also mud pump voids created for other reasons.
Filling a developing void caused by tree root decay could prevent your home from settling if it’s done soon enough. Here’s some more info on how mud pumping works to fill voids under your home.
Side note: We can also mud pump under concrete flatwork if panels have not yet sunken but you know a void is there. Plus, mud jacking is similar to mud pumping and can be done to raise and restore any sunken concrete flatwork too.
What Is the Best Way To Remove Dead Trees and Shrubs?
Now that you know the possible impacts and preventions that go along with dead tree removal around your home, are you ready to get that tree taken out? We recommend that you always use a professional arborist or tree removal service that can keep your home safe and has all the right equipment.
Even though cutting down a tree seems like a fun time to whip out the ol’ chainsaw, if you don’t have a lot of experience with large tree removal, you may be asking for trouble.
We understand the stress and anxiety that comes with overwhelming home problems like dying trees. At Anchor Foundation Repair, we offer empowering education to help you through these issues with confidence, especially when your foundation could be impacted. It’s the house you love and you deserve to be 100% informed before making your home repair decisions.
We often get asked who we recommend for tree inspection and removal in our area, so we’ve got a list for you! Check out: The 4 Best Tree Service Providers and Arborists in the Brazos Valley. One more tip for you, remove trees in the late fall or early winter so you can benefit from the tree’s shade for one more summer before you lose it.