Concerns About Wisteria and Property Damage

AdventureRocks

We are in the process of purchasing a house and have noticed a Wisteria plant, planted around 2010, growing right against the front wall of the property near the front door. It is supported by a cable system and spreads along the walls at the front of the house.

We are concerned about the potential issues this could cause. Could the roots have affected the foundations or underground pipes? Might it also contribute to problems such as damp, subsidence, or insect infestations? Additionally, could the plant have caused damage to the brickwork, such as cracks or water ingress?

Is it easy to remove Wisteria entirely, or might it persist even after being cut down? Would this be a significant concern, or is it something that shouldn’t put us off the purchase?

Annemos

I did a Google search and this one says this...


https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/house-survey/can-wisteria-cause-subsidence

AdventureRocks

Annemos said:

I did a Google search and this one says this...


https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/house-survey/can-wisteria-cause-subsidence

I had a google but seeing posts like this also: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-places-that-wisteria-shouldnt-be-planted

Top answers makes it sound like it will destroy the house!

Annemos

I am not really a good person to ask, as mine had Subsidence from a Norway Maple and a Sweet Gum Tree on Council Land. 

So vegetation which is about 2 miles away from my home sounds good to me!

Albermarle

At least it will look nice when it flowers.
Maybe worth noting that any plant that is close to the house/wall, will only get limited benefit from rainfall, so will need watering quite often.

mark_cycling00

Most Cotswold cottages are covered in wisteria and don't have any foundations whatsoever.

The conveyancing page looks useful. Generally people train them to just have long horizontal  branches and not let them grow wild.

I guess if you cut anything big down then you'll suddenly have water not being absorbed by the plant anymore and that change can cause problems too.

I don't think they damage brickwork.

Only you can decide what you'll be happy with. My guess is that it's probably ok if it's not near drainage but that you might want to do some incremental pruning to make it smaller 

Annemos

The quora site comments do seem to be United States-related? I think one was in India, too. In those countries things can grow more rampant. 

Often it is said, that if a plant or tree was planted after the house was built, then one should not get heave when the thing is removed. 

Could you try to get a local Tree Expert/Surveyor to have a look at it, if the owner would not mind? A local expert will know the soil make-up in the area and will have more experience. 

fisher66

I have one growing against my garage. It's a lovely plant when it flowers. I haven't had any problems. 

FlorayG

At only 14 years old it should be easy to remove completely.
Wisteria on old buildings isn't such a concern because a lot of them are so old they don't have modern foundations and anyway the wisteria has already done all the damage possible. On a newer build ( less than 100 years old) it shouldn't be planted right up against the house anyway.
If you leave it yes you will get insects and bits of leaves stuck down behind it when it sheds that will hold water and cause damp on the brickwork
Another point to consider is that to keep a wisteria looking good and flowering well is a LOT of work - I'm a very keen gardener and I wouldn't have one. They have to be carefully pruned twice a year and done in the correct way, otherwise you get no flowers. Unless you absolutely love this plant I would take it out anyway, potential damage or no 

FreeBear

FlorayG said: If you leave it yes you will get insects and bits of leaves stuck down behind it when it sheds that will hold water and cause damp on the brickwork

The mass of leaves will also restrict air movement across the wall and prevent it from drying out fully.

In terms of damage, if the shoots get in behind things like fascia boards & tiles and left to grow, they can push them apart. But this can be said of any plant growing up a building.

fatbelly

Wisteria is slow growing and not aggressive. they take many years to start flowering.

If you have a mature one that flowers and is happy where it is - lucky you.