possible root issue?

Hello,

Whilst lifting decking and paving slabs in my garden i found this:

[media]http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9661.jpg[/media]

[media]http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9662.jpg[/media]

It comes from a lilac tree next door which is about 3m away from my house wall:

http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9732&highlight=

The above is a link to another forum where i posted last summer about the same issue, it gives you an idea of the tree size.

There is no damage to the house but that root is very close to my walls and i have not yet lifted the rest of the slabs...

A surveyor carried out a survey of the property but did not flag this tree up as a danger.

What should i do?

a) leave it and don't fuss

b) get in touch with landlord next door, put him "on notice" and tell him to get an opinion from a tree surgeon.

c) Chop the roots that are under my slabs and block roots at the boundary.

Any advice would be appreciated

 

Id cut i offt. Overall though I wouldnt be unduely woried, The lilac will not grow a lot biggfer and is most unlikely to cause any subsistence although as youve seen it will and can cause problems to paving etc.

 

Hi gardenlearner,

Has the root in question actually lifted the slabs or caused any structural danage? I suspect no, or very little. Many peope needlessly worry about tree roots causing problems to their property. Let me put your mind at ease. Roots, although very strong in the soil, cannot push through solid concrete or building foundations. When a root comes to a solid structure it will move around it, not through it. However, they can cause damage to structures such as sheds and paths that do not have sufficiently strong foundations. Roots cause more problems by absorbing water from the soil, leaving it to collapse. I doubt this will cause you a problem at this current time as the root is really not that big.

Legally you are entitled to remove any encroaching growth from your next door neighbours trees back as far as the boundary fence. However, and this is a BIG however, you cannot do anything that will cause damage to the tree or cause it to die. Hacking off the roots that are on your side of the garden will probably cause serious injury to the tree, if not killing it. If you did end up killing the tree you'd be liable for prosecution.

If you really want the roots removed then obviously speak to the landowner first and take it from there.

 

Thanks for the advice.

I've since been out and lifted the nearby slabs. The roots terminates under one of these and is not near the house wall. They are only surface roots which have found a path through brittle soil just under the slabs.

I've decided to leave things as they are as no damage has resulted so far.