I'm dealing with a large silver maple tree in my neighbor's backyard that's causing damage to mine and other properties. I've offered to share the cost for its removal, but I need to know whether the heavy equipment will damage my home's foundation. The tree removal company informed my neighbor that the truck they'll use weighs around 30 tons, and they'll need access to my driveway for about 4 hours, as well as his for the same amount of time. My driveway is 20 years old, already has cracks, and sits right next to my foundation, which is part of a 100-year-old home. I'm concerned about the truck's weight, particularly how it may affect the foundation near my home. Any thoughts on whether this truck will cause structural issues?
2 Answers
Definitely reach out to the tree removal company and discuss your concerns with them. They should be able to give you details about their insurance and how they plan to handle the weight on your driveway. As for the truck, while it's heavy, most of the weight is distributed across the tires, meaning the pressure applied to your foundation will be minimal. Your driveway might take some damage, but your foundation should be okay unless there are already existing issues. Just make sure to follow up after the job is done to assess any potential problems.
It might be worth it to go ahead with the removal despite the risk of damage. The crane’s outriggers will help to spread out its weight, but you're right to be cautious. If it's possible, try scheduling the removal during a dry season to minimize any potential damage to both the driveway and the foundation. Just keep an eye on it and consider it a small price to pay for removing a hazardous tree.
What kind of damage are you worried about the most? I can handle some cracks in the driveway, but anything pushing against my foundation is what keeps me awake.
That math makes a lot of sense! I think I’ll contact them this morning. Sorry if I seemed abrupt; I just got stressed with everything happening close to the project date.