Do trees cause cracks in my house?

Do trees cause cracks in my house?

Planting trees

When planning to plant trees, it is important to also consider the strength of the footings under the house. For example, an old brick house with stone footings on a clay foundation offers little resistance to drying settlement, whereas a well-designed concrete slab may tolerate even a heavily planted garden. Knowing your building’s footing type is important. As a rule of thumb, trees should be planted at a distance from the house equivalent to their mature height, although trees may be planted closer and culled as they grow as part of on-going garden maintenance.

Removing trees

Well established trees are an asset to most properties. It is important to understand their growth pattern, particularly when moving into a new home, this way through careful and informed tree management and watering routines, you may be able to avoid the need for outright removal.

It is also important to understand that by removing a large well-established tree, you may also be significantly altering the ground conditions, as the moisture levels adjust and the ground settles over time around the void left by the now-removed tree and its decaying tree roots, which can, in turn, result in further cracking, or cracking in other parts of the property.

We recommend seeking expert advice before arranging for the removal of mature trees.