Planning Construction Work? Why You Need an Arborist Report
A building extension, new swimming pool, parking lot expansion, or foundation repair requires construction work and/or the use of heavy equipment. Construction is necessary for maintaining and improving your commercial property. However, because your trees enhance your property value, how the planned construction impacts them is an important consideration. This is especially true if the property has mature trees. They make your property a more desirable location to the tenants or businesses who pay you rent. Large trees add the most aesthetic value to property, and their loss therefore have the most impact.
It\’s In the Roots
If trees aren\’t cut down, how does nearby construction affect them? Through their root systems. Trees rely on their roots for moisture, nutrients, and stability. It\’s a common misconception that tree roots grow deep into the earth. All trees have roots that grow outward from their base, most of which are within 45 centimeters of the surface. Construction work that involves trenching, or moving heavy construction equipment over the ground, damages tree roots. These roots extend out to the tree\’s drip line at a minimum, and can extend horizontally as far as three times the tree\’s height.
Therefore, the extensive root area covered by large trees means that nearby construction is more likely to impact them. Damaged roots weaken trees and make them less resilient to environmental stress such as drought or insect infestation. They grow more slowly and may even die a few years after completion of the construction.
However, a more imminent problem may exist. Cutting roots too close to a tree weakens its stability. A tree\’s horizontal root spread has the same stabilizing effect as your standing with your feet spread far apart. Cutting these stabilizing roots reduces the base upon which the tree stands. This endangers both the tree and nearby property or people during high winds or ice storms, which can topple the tree. This loss of stability is immediate.
Determining which trees will be affected by your planned construction will require an arborist\’s expertise. She or he can suggest how to minimally impact nearby trees. Construction enhancements to your property need not take away the property value enhancements of your trees. Get an arborist report from Advanced Tree Care. You can follow along on Facebook and Instagram, or you can contact us here if you have any questions.
