How to Get Rid of Tree Roots Under House? Step by Step Guide for Newbie

Trees are good for the soil, environment, and your health. Trees also bring much-needed personality and charm to a house which makes the look of the house stunning. But the problem occurs when tree roots spread under your house, right?

You might have noticed some tree roots growing closer to your foundation, and some went under your house. The roots that go under your house can damage your foundation.

To escape from this damage, you may be wondering how to get rid of tree roots under houses which will help you to remove the roots.

Therefore, the article below shows the way of removing the tree roots, which will eliminate the chance of damaging the house foundations wall and will ensure free sidewalks.

See Also: You can find an in-depth suggestion for How to Dig UP Tree Roots?

How to Find Out Damage Made of Tree Root

Tree roots usually spread all over the area to create a healthy root system. You may have many trees around your house, and some of the tree roots go under your house. But this is not a problem since the tree basically does so.

But when trees damage the property or foundation of the house, then it causes a huge problem. Habitually tree roots don’t damage the house, but when the root finds any crack on the foundation, it tries to grow through this crack and eventually damages the house.

It’s really difficult to know whether any tree roots went underneath the house and damaged the house or not, but there are some signs you can follow to know whether they are damaging the house or not.

• Cracks on your foundation’s floor
• Vertical cracks on the wall
• Broken windows with no other evidence of trauma
• Uneven door and window frame
• Breaks on the floor surface

Prevention from tree roots

You must have heard, “Prevention is better than cure.” So, it’s better to prevent the roots from going under your house. Try to prevent the problem before it creates any problem by using root barriers.

Root barriers help to protect the root from growing towards your house also help to direct the root spread in another direction where there is no house or foundation. There are different types of barriers available; you can use any one of them.

Barriers are used when you plant a tree; the barrier guides the roots spread in the direction you want and block the direction where you don’t want the roots to spread. This is not harmful to the tree at all.

Process of finding roots under house

Inform utility service

The first thing is to inform the utility company to verify if there are any buried cables or pipes under or around your house. This is the most important task to perform before digging into your apartment, but many of us don’t realize the importance of the step.

Contact the utility service to identify buried cables or pipes and avoid these places while digging. Otherwise, damage to these cables can cause serious problems.

Find where the root comes from

Once you have informed the utility service company now, you are ready to dig. First of all, try to find out the root which entered your apartment. You may have many or few trees in your apartment; try to find out which tree root can enter your apartment.

Find where root and foundation meet

Find out the meeting point of the root and foundation. It’s difficult to find out the meeting place in bare eyes. That’s why you can use a shovel to remove soil and find out the root’s meeting point. Don’t throw away the soil because you are going to need it later.

Find the entrance of the root to house

You have identified the roots meeting point. Now keep digging the meeting point for at least 3 feet below the surface. This will help you know the exact point of entrance and the size of the root.

The Process of How to Get Rid of Tree Roots Under House

Cut the selected root

You find out the root which enters your foundation now you want to get rid of the roots. You have to cut the root, but before cutting the root, you must need to consider some essential steps. If the roots are the largest root of the tree, then don’t cut the root.

Cutting the main root will cause the death of the tree. If you have no other option except cutting the structural root, then make sure you call a professional to solve the problem.

Try to pull out the root

Dig around the root so that you can pull it out from the ground. If the root is relatively smaller, then you can use gardening scissors to cut the root and use your hand to pull out the root. If the root is bigger, then use a shovel to remove the soil and try to pull the root out.

Create a barrier

Once you remove the root now, you have to create a barrier so that the root doesn’t enter your house again. The barrier will help to keep away tree roots. Use an acrylic glass sheet to create the barrier.

The sheet must be approximately 30 inches long to avoid subsequent roots from spreading into the floor. After placing the barrier, refill the places where you dug with the soil you removed. While adding the soil, make sure the barrier sheet stays upright.

Use of chemical

In case you are unable to remove the root physically, you can use a chemical component. Glyphosate herbicide is such a chemical that will help to eliminate the tree roots. To get a better result you need 41% chemical concentrates.

Spraying the chemical directly can react negatively so don’t spray it directly. Add 50% water to Glyphosate herbicide and spray the chemical to the root. This chemical will take a few weeks to eliminate the roots completely. Add 50% water to Glyphosate herbicide and spray the chemical to the root. This chemical will take a few weeks to completely die off the roots.

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Conclusion

Everyone wants their house to be perfect and wants to save from any damage. Tree roots can be one of your problems, but you might not be worried now as you know how to get rid of tree roots under house.

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