Trees’ roots are common but often overlooked causes of cracks on your concrete driveways.
With the help of Orlando concrete driveway experts, you will learn how to deal with tree roots crawling on your driveway and piercing concrete surfaces.
Also, find the best way to treat this problem without cutting the tree and save the environment while saving your bucks and your concrete driveway.
Potential Damages of Tree Roots to Your Concrete Driveway
You must know the potential damage to roots if you have trees n your driveways. The following will introduce you to the impact of the growing roots under your outdoor concrete surfaces.
Signs of Tree Roots Damaging Your Concrete
You need to watch out for three common signs on the surface where trees are growing near a driveway.
1. Bumps on the Concrete Surface
Watch out for bumps that seem nothing for you to bother. But if you got trees near the driveway, it only tells you that soon severe damage may occupy that spot. It can lead to the next sign.
2. Cracks with Soils Coming Out of the Surface
You may still need to see the roots. But the cracks on the driveway would come with debris, dark soils, or a tiny leaf of grass already peeking out for that crack.
This means that the roots are snowballing. You need to do something about it ASAP. We’ll get to the fixes for this later. For now, read further for more signs.
3. Scraggy Surface
Aside from bumps, look out for when the driveway surfaces beings to look scraggy.
Say you might already repair the bumpy surface, usually on the edge near the tree roots.
However, jagged areas will be scattered all over the driveway, causing an uneasy feeling when you drive or walk on it.
Tree Roots Impact your Driveway
Tree roots can damage your driveway in a few different ways. When the roots have broken the surface, you will need a professional Driveway repair to save the concrete material from further problems.
1. Roots Pushing Up the Concrete
Tree roots are constantly growing and expanding, which can cause the concrete to crack and bulge.
In worse cases, these roots may also cause the entire slabs to collapse.
2. Roots Growing Underneath
The concrete structure weakens when roots grow under the same spot as your driveway.
There is no going back from the damage it will soon create. Those roots have grown deep, and they will be difficult to remove.
Different Ways to Deal with Tree Root Damage
Taking action immediately is essential if you notice any signs of tree root damage. The longer you wait, the worse the damage will become.
There are a few different ways to deal with tree root damage, but the best option for you will depend on the severity of the concrete floor’s injury.
1. DIY Repair for Minor Damage
A DIY repair will be good enough to aid the issue if there are only minor damages, such as a shallow crack where the roots have not yet broken the resurface.
One common DIY fix for this is applying epoxy or concrete sealant.
2. Professional Repair and Resurfacing for More Severe Issues
Be sure that you know how to identify types of cracks. Severe concrete cracks require a professional to fix them. A professional Orlando concrete driveway contractor will use driveway resurfacing to fix up the cracks and prevent them from increasing on the surface.
The process involved here is cutting out the damaged concrete and replacing or resurfacing it with new concrete.
3. Root Pruning and Tree Removal
Ultimately if the floor surface had been extremely frail and damaged beyond repair, you must remove the tree altogether.
The tree itself is a hazard not only to the concrete but also to you. The roots may be too old and too difficult to control. Trimming the roots will be no good anymore.
But if you can salvage the tree and if you care for your overall outdoor landscaping, then root pruning will be the best move.
Take Away the Root Cause of the Damage
The ultimate solution is to remove the floor damage’s root cause. If it is the tree, then cutting it is the best fix.
Whatever solution you decide to apply, then have the professionals do it. Root pruning or tree cutting can eventually affect your floor surfaces.
It is advisable to have a resurfacing contractor retouch the surface or redesign the driveway to avoid the root cause of the damage.
Explore Related Article: How Much Does Concrete Driveway Repair Cost?
