Urgent Leylandii advice please

atprice

Hi

My neighbours have just called to say that they are having 3 leylandii (approx 30 ft tall) chopped down tomorrow. The trees are really close to their house - the first one is within 10ft - and they're approximately 20ft-30ft away from my house. Their house is attached to mine which is at the end of the terrace.

Should I worry about subsidence being caused by these being chopped down? I've heard that it really only happens on clay soil and ours is much more peaty, but I just need some assurance as I don't want to find cracks appearing over time.

Thanks!

I_have_spoken

Removing trees doesn't cause subsidence, it can cause heave as the ground re-hydrates.

When was your terrace build?

kaya

no, leylandi have useless shallow roots which is why they get blown over so often

atprice

It's 1936. Shallow foundations, I'm guessing.

I_have_spoken

Good, unlikely to have a monolithic concrete 'pad' foundation so any movement can be gradually taken up by the bricks and mortar. You should be OK.

glasgowdan

Leylandii are just hedges. I wouldn't worry.

moneyistooshorttomention

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Good, unlikely to have a monolithic concrete 'pad' foundation so any movement can be gradually taken up by the bricks and mortar. You should be OK.

How can one tell if a house has that sort of foundation?

I've got a "leylandii episode" on my plate and have similar concerns. My nfh has planted a leylandii and I've been told "It will get her house - way before it could get yours. What was she thinking of?"

Current area many of the houses (including mine) are built of concrete blocks with concrete floors (rather than proper walls and wood plank floors).

bouicca21

Money, as someone who once removed a garden full of the things, I can confirm that they are shallow rooted and therefore unlikely to be a problem, except for the shadow they might cast on your new raised beds.

moneyistooshorttomention

First in line of fire for the nfh's leylandii is my concrete block wall (badly-made) that is literally only inches from her tree. With the wall being so badly-built = I dont know if the foundations go down at least 1' (presume my wall is safe from those roots if the foundations are proper depth?).

bouicca21

Being an academic I have but a faint grasp of practicalities, but I believe that 1930s type buildings had 3 foot foundations and by the time solid floors came to be standard (early 1960s??) they were much deeper. I have a vague memory of my dad saying in amazement that the extension he built had to have 15 foot foundations.

Someone more knowledgeable will now come along and contradict this ...

But if the trunk of the tree is really only inches from your wall, you'll be trimming it regularly. Or is it the branches that are inches away?

moneyistooshorttomention

It's the trunk of the tree that is literally inches from my wall.

I must google to see how long the branches get - because they wouldnt have to get very long at all to start trying to get over the boundary. "Trying" is the operative word - as they will presumably get bent by hitting an obstacle in the way (ie my fence). Actually it will be physically impossible for me to trim those branches anyway - as my fence is between the tree and I.

EDIT; Have googled and the branches will probably be going for 7' odd wide each. Am now remembering a leylandii tree near my last house that got to around 15' tall and the branches had certainly got to around 5' wide before they were hacked off...