Part 1 discussed tree and soil characteristics. Part 2 will provide examples of the effects of trees on buildings with some guidance on defects and how to spot them. The subject of trees, soil and their influence on properties is complex with much engineering research having been done over the years and still continuing. Let’s look at soil first. The soils, which will not affect foundations within the vicinity of trees, are rocks (igneous) and sands (sedimentary). Rocks can be hard like granite or limestone or soft such as sandstone or chalk. Trees can split rocks but realistically in terms of the average house in UK, this is not a problem. Chalk is an exception because it is generally a soft rock but if a trench is dug in it and it rains, for example, the chalk will dissolve into a clay-like soil. So trees in any of the above soils will not normally affect foundations. Read the rest…

The subject of trees, shrubs and other greenery and their effects on buildings is large. This technical note will therefore be split into two parts. Part 1 will discuss selected tree types while Part 2 will look at some of the effects of trees.

Trees on the whole split into two categories, namely Broad-leaf or Deciduous trees and Conifer or Evergreen trees. The distinction is clear in the winter because the Evergreen does not lose its leaves, pines, cones, needles and colour. Deciduous trees lose their leaves every year and change the Read the rest…

There are numerous brick wall bonds in residential and commercial properties. All of them have certain characteristics and purposes. A brick bond can be described as the jointing mechanism of brick walls, i.e. the manner or way in which bricks are joined, for the purpose in hand. Read the rest…