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Reasons to Hire a Professional Arborist to Trim and Prune Your Trees

 As a property owner, there are different expenses that can possibly occur throughout the year. Your hot water heater might have been broken or your roof is leaking, your home needs a lot of routine maintenance and repair once in a while. Thus, taking care of your own house and landscape can be very challenging, most especially when you do everything yourself instead of choosing to hire a qualified professional. 

The trees on your residential property can definitely play a very important role in the safety and aesthetics of your house, which is why they must never be ignored. If you have attempted to prune or trim your trees alone, then you must have already realized how dangerous and difficult this task can be. This is the reason why for tree services, it is always best to leave it to the hands of professional tree service providers as they can handle tree maintenance services and tree removal in a proper and timely manner. 

Let us look at some of the most important reasons why you should consider hiring a professional and experienced arborist to care for your trees and maintain it. 

1. If Done Wrong, Pruning Can Potentially Damage Your Trees 

Actually, not all trees are equal. Every type of tree needs special attention especially when it comes to trimming and pruning. In fact, sometimes, improper trimming and pruning can eventually do more harm to your trees than good. Once your tree has been damaged, broken limbs or disease, then you’re just putting the people around you at risk and the other trees will be infected as well.  This is why professional pruning is a really a good way in reducing leaf diseases on the tree. Furthermore, when unwanted limbs are cut off or shortened, it can help increase the flow of air through the tree’s canopy. Eventually, this will help the trees in your property continue to thrive and grow. 

2. The Dangers of Pruning Trees 

While you might believe that you can be able to prune a tree using a large saw from your garage, we highly recommend that you don’t do that and hire an experienced professional arborist instead. This is because tree pruning is a very serious business and unless you have attended training on how to prune trees properly as well as studied different pruning techniques as well as recognize a wide variety of tree and plant species, then this task is definitely not for you. Instead, it’s best that you leave it to the experts. 

When you hire a professional tree service provider for the maintenance and removal of the trees in your property, you will surely be able to rest easy because you know that the project will be done in a timely and professional manner. Aside from that, you will also gain more knowledge when you hire a professional because they can also give you advices on how to care for the trees in your property. For more tree care tips, visit Tree Service North Richland Hills TX

What You Should Know About Foundation Shifting and Settling

Shifting or Settling Houses 

Some notable signs of shifting and settling home structures are dragging and sticking doors and windows. There might be hairline cracks that are visible in the walls near the interior of windows and doors. Aside from that, floors may slant, slope, sag or buck. You might also notice some exterior cracks too. Furthermore, gaps might develop between windows, doors and caulking, as well as between the crown molding and ceiling. These minor problems can eventually become major issues unless you attend to it right away. It’s best to bear in mind that setting and shifting of your home structure may also be caused by soil related problems so it’s best that you have it inspected by a qualified and highly experienced foundation repair service provider in your area. 

The signs that you’re noticing can possibly be caused by the condition of the soil around and under your home structure. The soil might not be well compacted which can eventually cause your house to settle or shift. Soil is mostly composed of clay and most types of soil can be easily affected by moisture. This will then lead to shrinking and swelling. The movement of the soil can affect your foundation eventually if you don’t do anything to resolve it. Since the movement is not even most of the time, neither are the settling and shifting. This is why it’s highly advised by the professionals to have the soil of your home foundation inspected once in a while especially if the soil around your home structure is often wet. 

Things to Know About a Shifting Foundation 

The moment you notice any foundation settling or shifting signs, you should make sure that your downspouts and rain gutters are not sending anymore water near your foundation. Your yard must slightly slope or slant away from the home structure as well. Aside from that, you certainly do not want the water of your neighbor to runoff toward your home. Overall, all you have to do is to make sure that the water will run toward the right drainage system which is far from your house to avoid any damage to your foundation. Your home responses to too much soil and too little soil. This means that you’ll have setting and shifting during wet season as well as dry ones.  

If you’re located in a place where the soil has higher clay or sand content, then there’s a much higher probability of damage to occur in your foundation. There are countries know to have soil which contract and expands so it’s also best that you know what type of soil you have so you can ask advices from the qualified professional. Our houses certainly need good drainage too.  

It is very important that you have your house inspected by a qualified professional foundation repair service provider. Of course, you want to hear and ask help from an expert that can consult, educate, and inform you about possible solutions and repairs. You want a specialist like Foundation Repair Lubbock TX who can offer quick and dependable foundation inspections and repairs to keep your house as well as foundation in their best possible shape. 

Buying a New Home? Look for These Signs First

When you are on the market search for new home, do not fall in love easily with how it looks on the outside. Instead, it’s best that you run a full round of tests which measures the structural quality and integrity of the house as well as its system quality. While it’s highly advised by the experts that you contact a professional foundation repair service provider to check the foundation of the house you’re buying, there are also some simple inspections that you can do on your own before you hire a professional to do a thorough check.  

Fortunately, there are some simple ways on how to check if the house you are planning to purchase has some foundation problems that are just waiting to emerge. First and foremost, the first thing you should check is the level of the flooring, and other next thing to inspect is to watch out for any bad signs of drainage. You should also check these signs of having poor drainage on a certain property: 

The Home’s Structure is Downhill 

There is something truly picturesque about a home structure on a hill. However, the truth is that it also means water running down the hill will pool against one side of your house unless to prevent it active. As a matter of fact, houses that are built on a slope or downhill need to have well-maintained drainage systems and lawns that can help divert the water runoff around the structure’s foundation. Thus, if your dream home is on a downhill or slope, then you have to ensure that the previous owner of the house was also on top of the needed maintenance to make sure that the foundation of the house is still reliable. Aside from that, you also have to make sure that you are willing to keep that maintenance with the help of a professional. This is very important to make sure that your foundation will also be kept in a good state. 

 The Soil and Grass Around the Home Are Not Uniform 

Once the soil around the foundation of the edge of the property has smooth chunks that are carved out of its surface or is pitted, then you can probably say that the gutters of the house are not doing their job. In this case, the problem is that there might be some missing downspouts right at those spots or the gutters installed may be clogged. One cause there’s extra loamy soil on it. But whatever the reason is, pocked or uneven soil around the home’s foundation lien can simply mean that the previous owner of the house has not been paying attention to its foundation. Thus, there’s a big possibility that the house you’re about to buy has damaged or unreliable foundation structure. 

If having a poor draining system is a big problem to you but you still like to buy the house, then we suggest that you contact a professional foundation expert such as Foundation Repair Longview TX to have the foundation repaired right away and in a correct way. 

Things to Know if Your Foundation is Sinking

Are you suspecting that your foundation is sinking? Do you know the most common signs of a sinking foundation? If not, then you came to the right place. In this article, you will learn more about the signs of sinking foundation and how to resolve it. 

Signs of Sinking Home Foundation 

Some signs are not necessarily as obvious or visible as others. However, if you tend to notice any of the signs we have listed below, then you might be experiencing problems with your foundation. 

  • Hard to open and sticking doors and windows 
  • Drywall cracks above windows and doors 
  • Foundation cracks 
  • Sloping floors 
  • Exterior brick veneer stair step cracks 
  • Moldings and cabinet countertops pulling away from the wall where they are mounted 
  • Popping and creaking noises in your home because of structural stress 
  •  Tilting or leaning chimneys 

Reasons Why Your Foundation is Sinking 

There are actually several factors which can lead to the sinking of your foundation. Soil conditions can be one of your suspects. Below are some of the most common causes of a sinking foundation. 

  • Rotting roots of the tree that can cause soil voids 
  • Clay soil expanding and contrasting because of moisture content 
  • Soft sandy soil conditions 

How Far Your Foundation Will Sink 

The moment your foundation starts to sink, it might only sink an inch. But, the worst-case scenario is that there are other houses that have sunk thirteen inches deep. 

How Can Professional Foundation Repair Services Help Fix Sinking Foundations of Houses? 

Most professional foundation service providers install piers in order to remedy or fix a sinking foundation. Piers that are mostly helical are very heavy steel pipes and have round plates that can help support the foundation. These piers are drilled hydraulically right into the ground in order to bear on a solid soil or a rock, typically at depths of about fourteen to twenty-eight deep. These piers are then attached to your foundation in order to solve your foundation problems. 

Things that Can Possibly Happen if You Do Not Fix Your Sinking Foundation 

Letting a home foundation sink will definitely cause more severe problems that could last for a much longer period of time. If your foundation is sinking, your home structure’s overall stability is surely questionable and to make the story short, the structural integrity of your house will not be reliable anymore. It can even lead to these issues: 

  • Trusses begin to pop as well as rip apart 
  • Your siding will stretch 
  • Bricks and masonry can crack 
  • Electrical wiring installed in your framing will start to tear due to stretching 
  • Shingles can begin to stretch which causes leaking roofs 
  • Plumbing pipes can easily break 

To sum it all up, a foundation that is sinking can cause more damages to your home. The moment you begin to notice the signs we have mentioned above if you’re suspecting that your foundation might be compromised, then make sure to call in a professional and reliable foundation repair service provider such as Foundation Repair Lewisville TX and they will certainly help you so you can have a reliable overall structure of your building. 

Innocent Home Problems Which Mean Foundation Problems

Nobody wants their house to show signs of foundation problems. As a matter of fact, they are the stories of the homeowners which everyone wants to avoid. But while you check the exterior portion of your residential property for larger cracks, signs that you have a problem in your foundation do not often come from the foundation you usually see. However, sometimes your house may be trying to tell the problems of your foundation in more decent ways which you may not actually expect. 

Stuck Windows and Doors 

If windows and doors no longer close smoothly and gently – or at all – foundation problems probably will not be your first suspect. In addition to that, you’re more likely to think of the woods surrounding the frame is warped or swollen instead of just your home manifesting foundation problems. Nevertheless, any time the entryways stop operating as intended, you must be suspicious of your foundation.  

Drywall Cracks 

If the problems of your foundation have progressed enough that you’re manifesting drywall cracks, you have a very serious issue, especially if a very big crack has exhibited. Drywall can somewhat endure very small changes and is flexible however, if it’s cracking, then a major problem in the foundation is affecting it.  

Uneven Floors 

Despite being on the floors, if a few tiles have a raised area or come up in the hardwood, you may not usually look to the foundation however, you should. With that being said, raised flooring does happen for a reason and while it can be a problem with the flooring itself, it is very essential to make sure that it is not an issue with your foundation affecting the floors. 

If your house is showing signs of any of the following innocent issues, you must take a look at your foundation first. Having said that, if problems in your foundation are detected earlier, repair might be able to hold the problem from becoming even worse as well as vastly more expensive to repair. If your house is having potential problems in your foundation, do not hesitate to contact a professional and highly reliable home foundation service provider such as San Antonio Foundation Repair for early inspection and have the problems fixed as soon as possible.  

The following are some of the design trends you need to avoid in order to keep your home’s foundation strong and durable: 

  1. Adding Too Many Features of Concrete Around Your Home’s Perimeter

Watering the soil that surrounds your foundation is a good way to regulate settling. The soil basically expands and contracts so wildly when left to its own devices which you need a means to control the size changes. 

  1. Stone Façade Covers for the Exposed Foundation

Bare concrete is not always a good thing. If you have a paver or brick driveway as well as a flagstone patio, you may be looking for means to eliminate every exposed, visible concrete however, covering it with stone façade tiles is not a viable remedy.