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Managing and training a house covered in vines

Love the look but don’t want to ruin it? Learn how to create a vine-covered wall without it cracking or breaking.

The vine-covered house is so charming it feels like something out of a fairytale. However, these clinging vines can damage surfaces, collapse brickwork and provide cover for pests such as spiders and rats. Let’s take a look at how you can achieve the curb appeal of your vine-covered home while minimizing damage.

How vines climb. Most vines use sticky roots, sticky pads, or coiled tendrils to cling to surfaces. The clinging roots and sticky pad types are the most likely to damage the exterior of your home. Twisted tendrils should grow around supports, but they can also cause serious damage to your home if they start to twist around gutters, windows or the roofline.

Choose the right vine. One way to minimize damage is to choose vine types that are less likely to cause damage to your home. Avoid English Ivy, which has very hard roots and is known to be invasive. Boston Ivy or Virginia Creeper would be better choices for a classic vine-covered look. Or if you prefer flowering, try a variety of clematis. Check with your local nursery to find the best option for your climate.

 

 Can vines safely enter your home? The short answer is yes. If you have a home built of brick or stone, it may be possible to have your dream home covered in vines without damaging it. That is, if your stone house is in perfect condition. Vines generally do not damage solid brick and mortar or masonry structures, but they can cause small cracks or chips to develop and roots can penetrate,
causing larger cracks and delamination.

Homes with shingles or vinyl siding must have a grid. This is because vines growing directly on these surfaces can loosen and break shingles and peel off siding. Vines are also not a good choice for wood siding because they can trap moisture in your home. Stucco is a mixed case. Although fairly sturdy when in good condition, removing vines can cause the surface to break and become damaged.

Grow vines on trellises or supports. The best way to prevent damage to your home is to train your vines to grow on a trellis at least 6 inches from the side of your home. Most are placed so close together that the vines can cling to exterior walls and trellises. Any type of vine that can climb exterior walls should be able to climb a sturdy trellis without problems.

 The trellis can also be constructed with hinges at the bottom, allowing the entire structure to be tilted forward when access to the exterior is required, such as for repainting work.

Want the look completely covered in vines? You can also achieve this using a grid. Get inspired by these garden sheds. Cleverly placed supports allow the vines to cover the structure without actually growing, protecting the structure from damage.

Modern spaces require variations on the traditional grid. Try using a soft metal grid, such as the steel supports. When completely covered with vines, the supports themselves become almost invisible.

If you can invest the time or hire a gardener, you can train your vines to grow on patterned supports.

Pay attention to maintenance. Whether you grow your own vines at home or on supports, regular maintenance is essential. Remove vines from windows, doors, shutters, gutters, drainpipes and rooflines. Vines of any type that become entangled in the architectural features of your home can cause serious damage, including water leaks and rot.

Have fun with your garden walls. If keeping a vine-covered exterior straight is too difficult, why not try a vine-covered garden wall instead? It has both charm and romance, but since it is not attached to the house, there are not many worries.

Get In Touch:

Contact us about your project ideas and our team will be in touch with you within 24 hours! We are in the business for over 5+ years and Buffalo’s Top Rated.

RDK Landscaping – For more inspiration, visit our site. 

Experts in tree removal, stump  demolition, stump removal, tree trimming, tree mulching, tree pruning and emergency tree removal  in Buffalo, NY

Read our Reviews!!

Todd Wilhelm
Todd Wilhelm
2024-10-01
Had sod installed at my house in Amherst. Job done very quickly and well. Highly recommended. Will be using them again for spring 2025 project.
Md Mia
Md Mia
2024-09-27
RDK Tree Service removed a large maple by the power lines. It was definitely not a easy job. They did the job safely and did it rather quickly. I will definitely recommend them for your tree services.
Bike Lover
Bike Lover
2024-09-27
Residing in Buffalo NY, and needed to remove a large tree in the backyard and front yard. The crew did a fantastic job with removing it along with the stump. We are so impressed. Thank you RDK!
selvachandran saravanan
selvachandran saravanan
2024-09-25
Did a job here in my rental property in Amherst of removing two 60-70ft pine trees with stump removal and prepped an area for parking. RDK Landscaping is the one you should go to with your tree and landscaping/hardscaping needs. They are just the best overall!!
jackary Rootis
jackary Rootis
2024-09-24
I highly recommend them. Great crew, Super easy to work with. They’re doing a great job out here in East Amherst. Not only did I use them, but my neighbor and their son did as well and we couldn’t be happier.
DIANE Abram: Toot-Toot Daycare
DIANE Abram: Toot-Toot Daycare
2024-09-21
I hope these pictures speak for itself. I had called couple of companies to my property in Northampton, Buffalo, but only RDK Landscaping had come out so quick to give a quote for a project we started and couldn’t finish. They were so quick, efficient and had completed the project in about 2 days. They did a beautiful job, and answered all my questions throughout the entire process. I am so very thrilled about the results and could not recommend more! They are doing wonderful projects.
Dan Duggan
Dan Duggan
2024-09-19
RDK Landscaping did an amazing job! We had 8 dead ash trees at our property in Clarence that needed to be taken down given their proximity to the house and garage, in addition to two trees close to the power lines. I was very impressed with how quickly Roy and his team responded, came out to the property and got the job done. I would highly recommend them!
Andres Martinez
Andres Martinez
2024-09-14
Everybody at RDK Landscaping was a pleasure to deal with, we had a big project with them to clear up some really overgrown gardens beds around our garage, they went above and beyond making our space useable again. Once the project was complete they made sure to clean everything up and even cleared some weeds we had on our driveway that we hadn’t even mention to them. Can’t recommend them enough and will be calling them first for any future landscaping projects.
Esther Guess
Esther Guess
2024-09-12
The guys were quick and effective at getting all that ivy down. Great work!

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