How To Remove Trees Rooted On Walls And Roofs The Right Way

Trees are often an essential component of a gorgeous landscape that livens up a yard. However, when they are planted near a home, homeowners must take steps to ensure that the greenery can co-exist with its surroundings without causing structural damage or enduring harm. In some cases, trees can even grow into walls and roofs. Thankfully, Allen Tate, tree health specialist and certified arborist with Blooma Tree Experts, spoke exclusively with House Digest about how to solve this problem. 

"The first step is whole tree removal if less severe mitigation tactics, such as root pruning, are not viable," Tate explained. "Depending on the situation, pruning the culprit roots can be enough to resolve the issue." The certified arborist warned that pruning is only a short-term solution, though. He also provided a breakdown of how this problem typically occurs and what it looks like. With this information, you should be able to better identify tree growth that could lead to structural damage of your home. 

"Roots of any plant will follow moisture," our expert explained. "Tree roots generally are not likely to grow within walls or fences. Most often when a tree is planted (or volunteers) too closely to a building or fence it can cause damage by pushing against the structure horizontally or vertically. If a building's foundation is cracked, roots may exploit such damage when moisture is detected." According to Tate, this is when roots could grow into a wall or other structure. 

When trees have grown into walls or roofs, you might be tempted to reach for a chemical like glyphosate, or RoundUp, to tackle the problem. However, Tate advises against this. "I do not suggest using glyphosate or other highly toxic chemicals," he exclusively told House Digest. "The best approach is stump grinding and root pruning. Much of the issue can be dealt with in this way. Structural repair is likely needed, and, in that process, any remaining roots can be removed."

When it comes to structural damage caused by overgrowth, certain trees are more likely to cause this problem than others: "Some of the trees most likely to exploit structural issues are those which grow quickly and are considered riparian (water dwelling) such as willow, birch, aspen, cottonwood," Tate explained. If you have one of these tree types in your yard, consider paying extra close attention to identify whether there's any overgrowth that could eventually lead to structural damage or problems with your home's foundation. It's a good idea to conduct routine inspections to catch this problem early on.

While we now know that chemicals like glyphosate are not recommended, if you do prefer to use a stump-killing chemical, Tate shared that a nitrogen-based product is the better option because it's less toxic. "One can also sheet-mulch over stumps to prevent resprouting and accelerate decay," the expert added while speaking exclusively to House Digest. Based on Tate's advice, you may want to consider stump grinding, root pruning, and using a nitrogen-based stump killing product if preferred as soon as you notice trees overgrowing onto your home's exterior. Just make sure to prune your trees the right way if you don't plan to hire a pro to do it for you.

This expert-backed guidance will help you effectively protect your home and maintain the tree's health. When and if you do decide to apply a herbicide to your tree, there are few steps you need to take to ensure the best results. "When any herbicide is used, always follow the instructions and wear PPE," Tate revealed. "Explore natural and non-toxic ways of mitigating issues to help protect us all."