How to Plant Trees Without Risking Damage to Your Home

Trees can help improve your home’s aesthetics, as well as protect your home from storm damage and solar heat. However, you have to make sure you’re planting the right trees. In celebration of Arbor Day, we’re sharing some tips on how to plant trees without risking damage to your home.

Know the Root Types

Tree roots can either grow deep into the earth or grow wide and shallow. The former is ideal, as it can be very sturdy in the face of high winds. While these species grow slowly, they produce tougher wood. On the other hand, trees like silver maple and willow have shallow roots that grow outward. These trees tend to have brittle wood and can be easily uprooted in a storm. The outward growth pattern can also damage nearby concrete hardscaping.

Keep Trees With High Water Requirements at a Safe Distance

Generally, it’s not a good idea to keep elm, willow and cottonwood in the yard. If you must have these in your yard, you should know that they require a lot of water, and therefore may deprive surrounding plants of moisture. These trees should be planted away from the house at least 1-1/4 times the average mature height. Keeping such trees with easily breakable branches also reduces the chances of your roofing getting scratched or poked.

Know Your Property’s Layout

Your home has various buried components such as drains, the basement and the foundation, which may get damaged from tree roots as they grow. Therefore, trees must be kept at a safe distance to avoid such problems. Use root barriers to control and direct root growth. Also, mind neighboring properties. The tree roots could grow into your neighbor’s yard, or the leaves could fall onto their roof and gutters. Avoid situations that could lead to disputes by carefully planning where you plant your foliage.

Coleman Roofing is your number one provider of asphalt shingle and metal roofing in Louisiana. Give us a call at (225) 379-7663 or fill out our contact form to get started.