Top 6 Construction Damages that Kill Trees
Don’t Let Construction Kill Your Trees
Not to put too fine a point on it, but construction can diminish your property value. It seems counterintuitive, we know, but allow us to explain.
While new construction or remodels can increase your home value, it often leads to irreversible damage in the landscape. From decimated root systems to compacted soil, large machinery and heavy foot traffic cause excessive stress to the surrounding trees and plant materials.
More importantly, trees increase property value by 7-19% and can bring in more value than remodeling. In short, trees can be your greatest asset or the ultimate demise of your investment. Any damage to or loss of trees reduces your property value. So how does this happen?
The Reality of Roots
Contrary to popular belief, trees don’t have large, deep-rooted underground rootstocks. In reality, ninety percent of the root system is in the top three feet of soil, and fifty percent of those roots are in the first foot. Not only do they reside directly beneath the earth’s surface, but roots often span up to three times a tree’s height.
This vulnerability makes root systems susceptible to damage, especially regarding changes in grading, trenching, or increased walking activity.
Check out the video above to see how easy it is to damage your roots in construction.
Ditch the Damage and Talk to an Arborist
Construction damages may seem inevitable, but prevention is simple. Bring an arborist on board before construction starts to lay out a plan of action to keep your trees happy and healthy throughout the project.
Arborists can work with your contractor to erect protection barriers for trees, establish routes for heavy machinery, apply air fracturing treatments to reduce soil compaction, and so much more.
Protecting what you already have is easier and more cost-effective than replacing mature trees.
