Ways Trees Can Damage Your Home (And How to Avoid It)

Trees aren't just an attractive part of your landscape; they can also be an impressive force of nature. If your home gets in a tree's way while it's growing, or if part of a tree's structure fails and it falls onto your home, you could be in trouble.

Here are some of the ways a tree could damage your home, and how to avoid it from happening.

1. Roots That Block Pipes

Tree roots are always on the lookout for water and nutrients, and your pipes contain both. Water supply pipes provide water, and sewer pipes have both water and sources of energy that trees can use (such as ground-up food debris, human waste, and so on). Trees that breach pipes can cause pipe clogs, leaks, and similar issues. Common root intrusion sites include joints, places where a pipe has already had a tiny leak that the root sniffed out, and clay pipes such as those often used for main sewer drains. 

Preventing tree root intrusion is mostly a matter of making sure no trees are near enough to reach your pipes. If you can't do that (for example, if your pipes are near the property line and your neighbor has a tree nearby), you can also place a tree root barrier and root-killing chemicals underground around your pipes to protect them.

2. Roots Below Foundation

Moisture is one of the most common problems for foundations. For example, if the soil around your foundation is too saturated, this exerts a lot of pressure on your foundation wall and can cause cracks and eventually failure. But too little moisture can also be a problem. For example, if a tree has roots spreading under one side of your house, these roots are likely to suck up the moisture from that area. This can mean that the soil under one side of your house settles more than that on the other side, because it dries out faster.

Settling that occurs unevenly is bad for your foundation and for your home's structure. While a small amount of settling is more or less inevitable for any foundation, the amount caused by a large tree on one side of your house can be a real structural issue; it can make the floors uneven, cause cracks in walls, and make doors and windows stick.

If you're noticing that these problems already exist in your home, you may need foundation repairs. But to prevent such problems in the future, you may need to remove the tree near your house; the larger it is, the more water it will suck from under the foundation.

3. Debris Dropped on Roof

One of the most obvious dangers of a nearby tree is that it might fall on your house. But although that's a rare event and can only happen once per tree, dropping a large limb on your roof can also happen and could still mean hundreds of dollars of roof repairs. The larger the tree, the more limbs it could have extending over your home. 

In addition, even if no large limbs drop, the myriad twigs and leaves that likely fall to your roof every day can cause problems all by themselves. The everyday friction can rub off the asphalt roofing's reflective granules, shortening the roof's lifespan, and any buildup of debris can hold water in place, increasing likelihood of water intrusion through the roof, especially in such vulnerable areas as roof valleys and the spot behind the chimney.

If at all possible, you should keep all tree limbs trimmed back away from your roof to minimize the potential for these problems. Cleaning debris off your roof regularly can also help by preventing debris buildup that could encourage water intrusion.

4. Clogged Gutters Causing Water Damage

Even if the debris dropped by a tree doesn't stick on the roof, it can build up in the gutters. You probably clean out the gutters regularly as a part of home maintenance. But the more debris the tree drops, the more likely gutters are to clog.

Clogging up the gutters not only increases the chances that water can back up into your attic; it can also cause gutters to overflow, creating unsightly streaks on siding. And when water pours down the side of your house, it can also cause water damage such as erosion around your foundation or even water intrusion into your basement. 

Fortunately, trimming trees back and cleaning your roof and gutters regularly can help prevent problems.

5. Vegetation Providing Pest Pathways

Trees, shrubs, and similar vegetation all provide cover and habitats for pests that can eventually move into your roof and attic. Trees can also provide connections for pests such as squirrels and raccoons that wouldn't otherwise find their way onto your roof so easily. 

To reduce or prevent these issues, keep trees and other vegetation trimmed back away from the house and use cameras to monitor for any pests outside so you can before they can move into your home.

Trees may have the potential to cause damage to your home, but the preventive measures listed here, such as tree trimming, can help you keep it from happening. You'll be able to enjoy your landscape trees in peace without worrying about potential damage to your home's roof, foundation, and gutters.