How to prevent roots of tree damagng foundations.
PhilE
Posts: 566 Forumite
So I have a tree that's about 12-15 feet away from the back of the house.
What would be the best way to prevent the roots from causing any damage? Is pruning enough? Digging a trench and installing some pvc liner between the roots and house?
Cheers...
What would be the best way to prevent the roots from causing any damage? Is pruning enough? Digging a trench and installing some pvc liner between the roots and house?
Cheers...
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Comments
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What sort of tree? How tall is it?
A PVC liner wouldn't help ... if you were building a new house close to a big tree then the foundations requirement would be much deeper than usual and a big fat chunk of hard/concrete foundations to stop it pushing through.0 -
Very much depends on the type of tree, some trees spread roots far, wide and vigorously, some don't have very deep or spreading roots at all. Another factor can also be how much water the tree takes from the ground - not just where it's actual roots are. Thirsty trees that take water from the ground can cause soil shrinkage and potentially subsidence / property movement, and once removed the converse happens as the ground 're inflates' like a sponge.Feb 2015 NSD Challenge 8/12JAN NSD 11/16
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So does pruning a tree keep its roots smaller?0
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Depends what type of tree, what type of foundation and what type of ground. There is no simple answer.
You ask about foundations but bear in mind the roots could be into drains, around water pipes, or electric cables, or gas pipes, or telecom or broadband ... all often get overlooked.
The default setting is a tree close to a houses is bad news. Yours is very close to your house!0 -
Its actually just under 20ft away from the actual home, but 10 ft away from a patio, that garden is on a slope. Its also 10 ft away from a garage. The tree itself is about 25 feet, so I could get it pruned to 20ft.
It was there when the house was bought, a really good privacy screen and looks lovely, but not the ideal place to plant a tree, whoever planted it wasn't thinking long term.0 -
You're asking all these questions but you haven't identified the tree yet, or you'd have said what it is.
Some trees will be undemanding and, all other things being equal, probably fine 20' from the house. Others, poplars for example, are not recommended even 100' away.
That said, I've a poplar about 20' from my barn, but it's not mine, so I can't do anything about it. Life is too short to worry about every little thing that might go wrong.0 -
You're asking all these questions but you haven't identified the tree yet, or you'd have said what it is.
Some trees will be undemanding and, all other things being equal, probably fine 20' from the house. Others, poplars for example, are not recommended even 100' away.
That said, I've a poplar about 20' from my barn, but it's not mine, so I can't do anything about it. Life is too short to worry about every little thing that might go wrong.
Not just the tree being demanding, because the same applies to the ground. If the ground is, say sand or gravel, then the roots are not much of an issue. All the concerns over cracking, heaving and swelling are usually where clay occurs. Down in your part of the world matters may be OK?0 -
Yes, we're rocky, sandy and drain fast here, but there are small pockets of clay. It's only a pole barn. Across the track there are other buildings much more vulnerable than our barn is; its walls were an afterthought!Not just the tree being demanding, because the same applies to the ground. If the ground is, say sand or gravel, then the roots are not much of an issue. All the concerns over cracking, heaving and swelling are usually where clay occurs. Down in your part of the world matters may be OK?0
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