As we approach Spring, we are seeing a huge increase in enquiries about Japanese knotweed! Make sure that you know all the signs you need to look out for that may indicate that you have Japanese knotweed on your property. Here is what you should be looking for:
Nobody wants to find Japanese knotweed on their property, due to the many complications and costs it can cause. However, it is much better to be aware that you have it than to be surprised by it at an inconvenient, later date (e.g., when you are trying to sell your home).
Many become concerned when they learn there is Japanese knotweed present on their property as they wonder whether it will affect their mortgage. But will it?
At Japanese Knotweed Expert, we are pleased to say that we have treated many cases of Japanese knotweed and have had great success in ensuring long-lasting removal.
You may be tempted to try and clear Japanese knotweed yourself and hope that the problem will go away, or that other plants will stop the knotweed from growing back. This is not the case.
While each insurance policy is different, most buildings insurance policies exclude damage caused by Japanese knotweed.
As part of our Japanese knotweed treatment, we use a glyphosate-based spray. While this is used in a stronger concentration than it might be for common gardening, there are highly unlikely to be any side effects to your pets.
Japanese knotweed can grow wherever there is a crack or a weak spot in your building. This voracious plant is able to grow up to 10cm a day. This means that the damage caused can be sudden and severe, as well as taking a lot of time and money to repair.
There are several different methods of treating Japanese knotweed. For most residential properties, we would recommend a herbicidal treatment over the growing season, followed by a period of inspection visits.
Japanese knotweed is quite a distinctive plant; but it does share many features with other similar weeds. For this reason, we would always recommend that a PCA certified surveyor visits your property to confirm whether or not the suspected plant is Japanese knotweed.