Hello, I am looking into purchasing a property by a river. It is an older house and lifted off of the ground. There are Bald Cypress trees on both sides of the house and I can see the knees of the trees spreading to under the house. However, I can’t see the condition of the knees under the property, and the water lines travel under the house. Has anyone seen cases where the knees grow up under an elevated property and cause damage to the plumbing and flooring?
Bald Cypress Trees Knees Growing Under House?
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benjo75
ArboristSite Guru
I've not personally seen it but I've seen Cypress knees going crazy in an area. The are like cane and can take over. I've also seen Cypress that didn't do that at all. I would check in to it further before buying. Could be a disaster waiting to happen.
I have one about 20 ft from my house. It didn't start producing knees until about 5 years after I bought the house. It's about 40ft tall and from my research, it can grow knees the same distance as the height of the tree. I can confirm that. I had a huge one under my driveway that lifted the concrete about 4 inches. They can definitely be a threat to the foundation of a house. The one under the driveway was about was about 12" tall and 32" in diameter. I would be concerned about future damage.
Update: I cut out about 3 dozen knees from around the tree, they are under my house too. Tree is coming down this week because of hurricane damage and it's leaning towards my house. It's leaning because the neighbors trees are cutting off all the sunlight and the hurricane, but the "bark" is starting to come off the opposite side of the lean. Small price to pay instead of having it fall on my house.
veronicadouglas
New Member
Yes, it's not uncommon for the knees of Bald Cypress trees to spread under elevated properties, potentially causing issues with plumbing and flooring. The roots can disrupt underground pipes and foundations, leading to leaks and structural damage. It's advisable to have a thorough inspection of the property, including the area under the house, to assess the condition of the plumbing and flooring. Consulting with a professional arborist and a contractor experienced in flooring estimation can provide valuable insights into potential risks and necessary repairs or preventive measures.
