Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| Foundation Advice Needed
Proximity of tree to house | 
crack in the mortar | 
crack in the trim | 
one of a few cracks near area from inside |
I'd like the board's opinion on whether I should just remove the tree and kind of sit it out and see if things get worse. I'm okay with the current cracks as there's only about 1/2" crack in some mortar near my front brick and a crack near the trim (see pictures). I'd rather not get rid of tree, but doing so is obviously less expensive than fixing the foundation at this point and if I can stabilize the issue, I'm okay with that.
Thanks. |
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| I don't think the tree caused your problems, and I don't think that removing it will help.
If you have a slab, I wonder if injecting concrete would help. I would check with a contractor that has that as one of his tools. |
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 mityfowlPremium
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX | reply to SteelersFan
There is a saying in Dallas "The thing we all have in common are termites and foundation problems".
I have had both but the foundation issues are the worst. It has to do with the clay soil we live upon and the drought/ wet cycles we have. I think it's criminal that these houses don't have piers installed under the slab during construction but that's what we have.
That tree is too close to the house but I doubt that it caused your problems. I think a live oak is supposed to be a minimum 20' from the foundation.
I'll PM you a couple names later today of companies I think are reliable and honest. |
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| reply to SteelersFan
Those cracks look like they are more from that corner settling more than the rest of the house instead of the tree pushing up on it.
If the tree was pushing up you would see the stuff bow out instead of cracking open. |
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| Yea, but I believe the tree was taking much of the water from the soil under the house. |
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| reply to mityfowl
Look forward to it. Thanks for the reply. |
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guppy_fishPremium
join:2003-12-09
Lakeland, FL
kudos:1 | reply to SteelersFan
Definitely get ride of the tree, Your area is clay soil and expands/contracts based on the moisture content of the soil.
That tree will be causing localized to the corner of the house soil contraction for sure. |
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guppy_fishPremium
join:2003-12-09
Lakeland, FL
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
1 edit | reply to Anon
Re: Foundation Advice Needed Thanks for your input.
Clay soil is well know in Texas and other southern state to be the cause of soil expansion/contraction foundation issues based on the moisture content.
Maybe you have never seen this up in the arctic waste land of MI, buts is exceptionally common down here.
If your "so tired of everyone being an expert online!" then maybe you shouldn't be on a home-improvement forum, where we are all giving our opinions based on what we have for experience.
I've personally dealt with this issue on a home, so what are your qualification to say what I posted is not factual?
So before you type up a response, please read this
»fcs.tamu.edu/housing/constructio···ions.pdf |
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Reviews:
 ·Comcast
| reply to SteelersFan
said by SteelersFan:I live in a suburb in Dallas and have a small foundation issue near the corner of my house. Apparently, this particular corner has a depth of -1.5" from the rest of the house. As shown in the pictures, I have a fairly large oak tree near the corner of hte house with the foundation issue. It's probably about 9' from the house. I've met with various foundation companies and the number of piers needed to fix the job have ranged from 4 to 7. I'm a little reluctant to just move forward yet as I'm concerned that doing so might negatively impact other portions of the house and the obvious cost involved which is ranging from $2.5K to about $5K.
I'd like the board's opinion on whether I should just remove the tree and kind of sit it out and see if things get worse. I'm okay with the current cracks as there's only about 1/2" crack in some mortar near my front brick and a crack near the trim (see pictures). I'd rather not get rid of tree, but doing so is obviously less expensive than fixing the foundation at this point and if I can stabilize the issue, I'm okay with that.
Thanks.
If you let it go just wet the area and fill with mortar.
(One simply does not just fill with mordor)
I used to live near you and the ground is black clay. It is analogous to a slow moving ocean.
Make sure to keep soaker hoses around the perimeter of the foundation in dry times.
We used to get cracks in our yard that I actually lost a broom in trying to hit bottom.
It was so dry one year that one could reach up to the elbow under our driveway slab.
We began using the hoses pretty quick.
Dave
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I may have been born yesterday. But it wasn't at night. |
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Reviews:
·Comcast
2 edits | reply to Anon
Re: Foundation Advice Needed
Kitteh |
All I can be certain of is that it is black clay, it is damaging to foundations if not watered and trees near a foundation in dry times will rob the soil under the foundation of water that would otherwise keep the soil expanded.
But, I will always defer to the pros.
EDIT: I have attached a picture of a cat I drew to bolster my theories.
Dave
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I may have been born yesterday. But it wasn't at night. |
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| reply to SteelersFan
There are always alternatives. You could dig down to fix the foundation and while you're there remove the roots and install a wall. Taking a tree down you like is a bad option. |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| reply to workablob
said by workablob:EDIT: I have attached a picture of a cat I drew to bolster my theories. The 'Kitteh' clears up everything thanks! |
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| reply to workablob
said by workablob:trees near a foundation in dry times will rob the soil under the foundation of water that would otherwise keep the soil expanded.
EDIT: I have attached a picture of a cat I drew to bolster my theories.
Tree roots cause the most damage in dry conditions. The cat knows this. The rest can google it. |
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mityfowlPremium
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX | reply to SteelersFan
The roots of a Live Oak extend to the drip line.
90% of a trees roots are less than a foot deep. |
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