Felling Of Large Monterey Cypress: Effects On House

[Zeuhl]

There is an old Monterey Cypress immediately outside our house.

It's approximately 50 feet high with a spread of about the same and a trunk girth of 10 feet. It's one of a number of large trees that line the road but the one closest to us.

We had notified the Residents Association (who own the roads, verges and trees) that there were large branches breaking off and now they and their tree surgeon contractors have decided it's past it, dangerous and needs to come down.

The front of our house is about 30 feet from the tree so we presume its root system extends under the property.

The tree will be replaced but only by an 8 foot sapling.

We are sad to see the old tree go, but are also concerned whether we might experience any 'heave' or whatever as the roots die off and when its consumption of ground water stops.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge they'd care to share?

[The Builder]

It's certainly well known that trees consume a vast amount of water. When this "abstraction" of water ceases, it will of course mean there will be more water in the area. The consequences will depend greatly on the type of ground you have. Naturally, if it's well-drained, then most likely there will be little effect.

"Clay heave" is possibly the most common problem. If saturated clay freezes, then it can push upwards on foundations. Even without freezing, swollen clay can produce something similar. This is a possibility.

Weighing up the pros and cons, I think I would prefer to not have the possibility of interference with the footings by something as powerful as a large tree root. I doubt if you want to do this, but a small excavation trench at the edge of the building would tell you how far, if any, that the root has got into the foundations.

As Sqad would say.......... monitor the situation. I've seen plenty of large trees removed with no adverse effects.
Any idea what your local ground type is?

[craft1948]

I wish I was married to The Builder................

[The Builder]

Crafty......... you old smoothie XX

[tonyav]

Why whats he ever done to you lol.

[craft1948]

I'd 'appreciate' him.............

[tonyav]

Well you can't pass up on that offer Builder, she'd appreciate you !

[The Builder]

It's nice to be ......... "appreciated" :o)

[atalanta]

Ask the tree surgeons when they arrive to take it down.
I always understood that the width of the branches above the ground was more or less the same as the spread of the roots under the ground, so unless the branches reach your house, it is unlikely that the roots reach it.

[Zeuhl]

Thanks for all that

atalanta: I thought it might be height of tree equalled length of roots? In which case, house could well be affected.

The Builder: we're in Sussex about 1 km from the beach though ground is heavy rather than sandy. About a metre down we hit heavy, solid clay.

[The Builder]

Sorry to be so late in replying Zeuhl.
That's interesting. I though there would be mostly flint there. I guess only to a certain depth?
Heavy clay? So plenty of water in it. For a 50' tree 30' feet away, I would have to disagree with atalanta. I would guess it's most likely that the roots have reached the house.

The good news is that Monterey Cypress has a relatively shallow root bowl..... within 2' of the surface. It may well have entered the foundation walling, but not the footings which are most likely deeper than that.

If the Residents Assoc. are employing labour, I wonder if they could extend to the hire of a small (the smallest) tracked digger to do a little excavating for you. Unless that's going to be too disruptive.

In the main, I would guess that a Cypress is too shallow to affect your ground-bearing.

[Zeuhl]

Thanks The Builder
that's really useful to know in advance.

And makes perfect sense now you say that; disturbance to the road tarmac on the other side of the tree is pretty obvious at the surface, we can see them in lawn and we recall the driveway pavers aborting an attempt at sinking a soak away in the front lawn because there were so many roots.
So all that ties in with your view that MC has a shallow root bowl.

Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge.