Neighbour's conifer - proximity to our house

redlady_1

I am not really sure about the soil to be honest. How I would find out? Also would clay mean I cant kill it? I am not really sure whether it has caused damage but need to prevent it rather than let it run. I have had roots growing in the cellar before and my drain was damaged by the bush but next door are not interested.

Next door is rented out and I phoned the letting agent who sent people out to photograph the trees and send it to the landlord - who refused to remove the bush or the trees. However, nothing was done in writing.

Sorry to hijack your thread by the way!

Davesnave

redlady_1 wrote: »

I am not really sure about the soil to be honest. How I would find out? Also would clay mean I cant kill it? QUOTE]

I don't know. I'm always digging holes and building things, so I know what my ground is like. Ask neighbours who've done extensions, perhaps?

Clay expands and shrinks more than other sub-surface materials, so a long drought or the removal of a large tree can cause subsidence in the first instance, or heave in the second. Either way, it can cause cracks in walls.

No, clay won't affect the copper nail solution at all.

veryintrigued

Cheers again for the responses.

Plan of action as follows:

Take up some slabs to see just how bad root ingress is or isnt.
Take pictures of tree, proximity to house and roots etc
Chat to neighbour and show him any root ingress evidence.
Follow up 'chat' with formal recorded letter to advise of our concerns of ingress and that any removal needs to be done properly.

In parallel with above actions - will await response from local council.

Thanks so far - will try to keep thread up to date with progress.

powershopper

I don't have any probs like this, but am intrigued to know about the 'copper nail' solution.

isthatreduced

Copper Nails solution.
http://naturenet.net/blogs/index.php/2006/06/25/nails

veryintrigued

isthatreduced wrote: »

Copper Nails solution.
http://naturenet.net/blogs/index.php/2006/06/25/nails

Cheers for this but a few google searches seem to indicate this is a myth.

veryintrigued

Went around this evening and described the problem and the asked the neighbour to come around to take a look.

The conifer is 10ft, has a 10cm trunk and is 40 cm away from my house. There are two roots which are above ground level and they reach 20cm into my land before going under slabs running parrallel with the house. These are just the roots which can be seen without any slab or earth removal. One of the roots has a 4cm diameter.

Worryingly the course (sp?) of bricks at ground level and the bricks closest to the tree are a lighter colour suggesting to me that they are being 'sucked dry'.

Neighbour suggested 'his mate' who accompanied him would do the work as he is 'a builder'.

Advised neighbours I will be sending them a letter outlining our discussions and advising that we not liable for any damage. I am writing this right now and am also suggesting that the work they do is done professionally (i.e. not by a builder that happened to be there at the time) so that it doesnt cause any further issues.

All that went down like a lead balloon but checking (and photographing) the tree and root has proved (to us) that its the right action.

Sorry for long post - does it sound ok?

tanith

But what are they going to do? you say the trunk is 10cm? So its not a very established tree if its only that small the best course of action would be to get it and its roots out before it gets any bigger.

J_J_Carter

I am writing this right now

Is that really needed, once it's writing you may have to disclose a 'dispute' with your neighbour if you want to sell.

TBH, a tree that size could be taken out by a labourer with a pick-axe, it hardly warrants a tree-surgeon.

veryintrigued

tanith wrote: »

But what are they going to do? you say the trunk is 10cm? So its not a very established tree if its only that small the best course of action would be to get it and its roots out before it gets any bigger.

Thats exactly what I expect (and they have said) they will do.

But I expect it done professionally such that they do not cause any damage.