Can Tree Roots Damage a Foundation?

The trees around your home liven up your landscape and provide shade and a habitat for wildlife. They aren't typically known for house-destroying rampages or sneaky campaigns to destroy your living space — as long as you aren't secretly in a horror movie.

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Unfortunately, trees sometimes do cause damage, including foundation cracks due to invasive roots. Understanding how this kind of problem develops can help you avoid unnecessary, costly damage to your property.

Can Tree Roots Damage a Foundation?

The short answer is yes, tree roots can potentially damage your foundation, but the reality is a bit more complex. The type of foundation can affect how well it holds up to tree roots, and a completely solid, crack-free slab foundation on solid ground typically won't provide any place for roots to take hold or burrow underneath.

Most trees have roots that are too deep or compact to make their way underneath your home. Evergreens, such as pine trees, generally have deep roots that tunnel straight down, so they can be a foundation-friendly option for your yard. Hardwood trees, including oak trees and elm trees, have shallower root systems that could breach the surface or tunnel under concrete. These trees also grow quickly, which gives them less time to reroute roots that hit something hard, like your home's foundation.

If roots dip down beneath your foundation, they could pull groundwater from the soil below your home. This could leave an empty space that makes the foundation buckle or sink. Tree roots under your house tend to grow in the easiest-to-reach place, so any existing cracks in your foundation might be an invitation for further incursions.

How Do You Know If Tree Roots Are Damaging Your Foundation?

The biggest sign that tree roots have damaged your foundation is visible cracks. These might be in the foundation itself, or they could develop in the walls of your home as the house settles.

If tree roots are pulling too much water from the soil, your house might start to lean toward the tree as the foundation shifts. Sinkholes might develop in your yard, and you might notice that the doors inside your home become harder to open or close.

Tree roots might also damage pipes, sewer lines, driveways and sidewalks. Concrete can buckle from the stress of tree roots pushing up beneath it. Any cracks or loose connections in your underground water pipes can leave space for tiny roots to creep into the pipes and clog them.

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How Do You Prevent Tree Roots From Damaging Your Foundation?

Preventing tree roots from damaging your foundation starts with choosing the right trees for your yard and keeping potentially problematic trees away from your home. If you already have hardwood trees with a known horizontal root system, you might consider having the roots trimmed in the area near the home. While the simplest solution to stopping tree root incursions is to remove the tree, destroying a healthy tree isn't usually recommended for foundation damage. Tree removal should be reserved for trees that are damaged or dying.

Installing a root barrier could help divert any errant roots and prevent future damage. These barriers are made of plastic or metal and are placed near the tree to force the roots downward instead of outward.

Can Foundation Tree Root Damage Be Repaired?

The degree of damage is a major factor in whether foundation tree root damage can be repaired. In most cases, foundations damaged by tree roots already had some degree of damage that let the tree roots invade small cracks or fissures. Major cracks in a foundation require expert help to repair, and your house may need to be leveled if the foundation damage caused shifting.