Winter is almost over and it's time to start thinking about what steps you need to take to prepare your home for the next spring. Pine trees, as well as many other types of trees, have a tendency to shed their leaves in the fall, which can be a wonderful thing to see. However, it can also be very dangerous if you don't get the roots from the tree removed properly. If your pine tree has roots that are close to your foundation, the last thing you want to do is dig them up and then try to seal up the holes so that they don't end up leaking into the basement, or worse yet, the crawl space below your house.
One of the first things you need to realize is that tree roots don't actually fall directly from the tree itself; they grow sideways, and they wind up underground. So what happens is that you have root balls forming where the tree has been growing for many years. If you don't get these root balls sealed up before winter, they will end up being the perfect environment for mold to grow, along with all of the crumbs and debris that has accumulated beneath the tree. Don't be surprised if you start smelling something fishy days after you remove the tree from the ground, because the roots are still alive, and can easily cause problems for anyone who enters your home through the holes created by the tree's roots.
Once you have gotten rid of any tree roots on your foundation, it's time to move on to something else. It's important to remember that not all tree roots are bad - in fact, many tree roots help provide natural insulation for homes. However, you do need to be careful not to remove too many at once, or you may cause some damage to your floor. Also, don't push the tree trunk down too far into the ground if you want to keep it in place. Doing this could cause it to break free of its support and become a dangerous risk for anyone who might walk underneath.
Now that your tree's roots have been removed, you can move on to the next step of removing the tree's leaves. Again, it's important to be cautious when you're doing this to prevent injury. Always wear a mask and gloves when dealing with tree sap, and be sure not to let any tree debris fall onto your face while you're shoveling. You'll also need to use a pressure washer to completely remove all of the tree sap from your house, and make sure to dispose of it properly to avoid causing any more mess to clean up.
After you've cleaned up the excess sap and dirt, it's time to remove the dead tree stump. This process isn't as hard as it sounds, so long as you have the correct tools and know exactly how much space you have to work with. Be sure to wear gloves and safety glasses, and be patient as it will take quite a bit of time to remove all of it.
Once the stump has been removed, it's time to check your foundation for cracks or other possible areas of damage. If you noticed some damage prior to removing the tree's roots, it will be easier to identify any damages after the tree's removal is complete. With a little bit of work, you should be able to remove your tree's destructive root system from your foundation without much of a problem. Just make sure you do everything in a timely manner, and you shouldn't have any more issues with your home's foundation in the near future.