Tree Root Removal | Cost and Everything Else You Need To Know

June 11, 2020

You’ve got a beautifully landscaped yard, park or building with loads of trees around. But what happens when those trees’ roots begin to grow too large for the area, begin to grow towards pipes or even find their way into your foundation? Tree root problems are quite common, especially when you have large species or a type of tree with invasive roots planted. If you’ve got a tree like a silver maple, then you could be in for trouble. A species such as this one has an extremely invasive root system. Their roots grow fast and shallow and they are notorious for cracking sidewalks and driveways and making their way into home foundations and plumbing. 

If you’re considering planting new trees with any of those potential hazards nearby, then we suggest doing some good research into which trees have the least invasive roots. But what about the well-established, huge trees you already have growing? Sometimes tree root removal is the answer, or at least some proper root maintenance. You can trim tree roots without harming or killing a tree, but other times, full removal or stump removal is the best option. 

When it comes to tree roots causing damage to things like your foundation, many people are misinformed about what is actually happening. Most people hear “tree roots have damaged my foundation” and they immediately picture massive arm-like roots reaching towards a house and busting their way through the foundation. While tree roots are incredibly strong and this seems almost possible…that’s not actually what happens.

Trees are incredibly smart and they are always on a hunt for the soil with the best moisture and nutrients. This is their life’s mission. But what happens when that perfect soil happens to be the soil that surrounds your house’s foundation? Oftentimes the tree roots will suck up all the water leaving the soil dry and loose. THIS is where foundation cracks begin to happen. So the tree roots themselves do not bust through your home, but they disturb the soil, which then creates space for movement and your foundation cracks. 

How To Remove Invasive Tree Roots Yourself

Tree root removal is oftentimes a job that requires specialized equipment and trained professionals, but sometimes you can do the job yourself. If the tree is small enough and has not yet caused any structural damage then things like chopping roots and grinding down the stump can be done yourself. However, for the most part tree root removal takes more than an axe and a rented stump grinder.

If you tackle the job on your own without knowing what you’re getting into, you can cause more disruption to the ground than is necessary and you risk more damage to things like pipes and foundation. 

Why You Should Hire a Professional To Remove Tree Roots

While it’s true that you can tackle some tree root problems yourself, hiring a professional arborist company takes the guesswork out of the process and can save you a lot of headache. A good arborist will come to the job site, assess the issue properly and decide on the best course of action for the tree root removal.

Hiring a professional means that they come with the proper equipment, skills, training and team to handle the problem, prevent further damage and solve all your tree root issues.

How Will An Arborist Handle Tree Root Removal?

Depending on the severity of the damage caused by roots, many places will not actually remove them out of the ground. Sometimes pulling them out completely will only contribute to the damage they have caused, but it can be done. 

If the tree is still standing, the tree will be cut down completely (starting at the very top). During this process you want to ensure you have the right company with the right equipment. You don’t want someone sending massive branches falling to the ground creating the real possibility of damaging things around the space. Instead, you want an arborist that has the equipment to tie the branches and lower them to the ground. 

They will continue to “dismantle” the tree branch by branch until nothing but the stump is left. Using a stump grinder, they will grind down the stump until it’s flush (or deeper) than ground level. Most times, the roots themselves are not actually pulled up from the ground. But by grinding the stump right down, the roots will have no way of continuing to grow and this typically ends your tree root problems.

So Who Do You Call?

Pevach Corp in Northern Alberta is an arborist company with all the proper skills, training and equipment needed for successful tree root removal. The cost typically runs around $195 per hour and depending on size the job can take roughly 2-3 hours. Pevach will not only get the job done right, but they allow the client to choose what they want to do with the leftover wood and mulch. If you’d like a pile of mulch for the garden, logs for firewood or you just want it all hauled away, they’ll have you taken care of. 

Don’t let those pesky tree roots cause any more damage and call Pevach Corp today. The cost of tree root removal will be significantly cheaper than fixing your foundation or replacing underground pipes. 

If you’ve got roots that just need to be trimmed and you want to keep the tree, ask the crew at Pevach about that too!