Are you worried that tree roots may be growing underneath your house? The short answer is: probably not.
Most homes built on slabs have a substantial foundation wall around the edges, which helps prevent roots from growing underneath the slab. Even when roots do make their way beneath a foundation, they typically do not grow large enough to cause significant damage.
When roots encounter a foundation, they generally don’t try to break through it. They may grow upward until they run out of suitable soil, or downward where oxygen becomes limited—yes, roots need oxygen too. Small exploratory roots may occasionally make it underneath a foundation, but compacted soil with little organic matter, nutrients, or usable water usually isn’t a favorable environment for continued root growth.
Most often, roots simply turn and continue growing in another direction.
If you’re still concerned about roots growing beneath your home, air excavation can be used to carefully remove soil and expose the roots, allowing us to see exactly where they’re growing without unnecessarily damaging them.