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Buying A House With Tree 9M From House
7 Answers
Hi. I am looking to buy a house that is 16 years old. It has a mature Horse Chestnut in tree in the garden, which has a Tree Preservation Order on it. The tree was there long before the house was built. Can anyone give me any advice on whetehr this tree is likely to cause problems in the future and what to do to ensure that all is OK before I exchange
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
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If the tree was there when the house was built the foundations should have been dug to a suitable depth to take into account the height of the tree when mature, so subsidence shouldn't be an issue. Thats no guarantee though. i would suggest you getting a full structural survey and they should be able to put your mind at rest. As the house isn't very old the plans should still be available somewhere so the depth of the foundations can be checked. Someone in the building industry will be able to advise you better on this than me. And like Zacs said, the roots are usually as long as the tree is high so that should give you an indication if whether the roots are under your house.
Whilst I agree with most of soapnuptys analysis, I do not agree a full structural survey will help. Such a survey considers what is visible, so the structural bit comprises examining what is visible of the superstructure and the construction of loadbearing elements. You would have to extend the normal scope plus have a builder dig a hole against to the walls to allow the surveyor to assess the depth and construction of the foundations. The normal depth of concrete for a house this age using a strip foundation would be one metre depth of concrete. But you should be able to find the dame information by asking at the Building Control office of your local council. There may be a fee.
However if it there is no sign of movement via minor hairline cracking in the walls, a surveyor will conclude that the foundations are stable.
I would be more interested in finding out what the soil is, because clay may well cause a problem. It is not an issue now (if no cracks), but future drying out of the soil as the tree grows could be. But worse could happen if the tree dies, as the clay would expand suddenly causing ground heave.
Other things to consider are whether this tree is in land you would own. If it is, at least you can request future crowning of the overall size via a planning application. Planners are not generally so unreasonable as to make people suffer if a TPO tree gets so big in relation to a nearby dwelling. However it you do not own this tree you will have no control on whether such an application can be made.
Finally, have you considered the above ground impact - loss of light throughout the summer, plus the need to remove a huge volume of leaves from gutters every autumn. Can you easily gain access to do this.
Chestnuts are mighty fine trees, but they grow very tall. Horse Chestnuts grow as wide as they are tall. Nine metres away doesn't sound far enough if I was buying it.
However if it there is no sign of movement via minor hairline cracking in the walls, a surveyor will conclude that the foundations are stable.
I would be more interested in finding out what the soil is, because clay may well cause a problem. It is not an issue now (if no cracks), but future drying out of the soil as the tree grows could be. But worse could happen if the tree dies, as the clay would expand suddenly causing ground heave.
Other things to consider are whether this tree is in land you would own. If it is, at least you can request future crowning of the overall size via a planning application. Planners are not generally so unreasonable as to make people suffer if a TPO tree gets so big in relation to a nearby dwelling. However it you do not own this tree you will have no control on whether such an application can be made.
Finally, have you considered the above ground impact - loss of light throughout the summer, plus the need to remove a huge volume of leaves from gutters every autumn. Can you easily gain access to do this.
Chestnuts are mighty fine trees, but they grow very tall. Horse Chestnuts grow as wide as they are tall. Nine metres away doesn't sound far enough if I was buying it.
Should be easy enough to check local Building Control notes to see what measures were taken at the time.
Building Regs change, but 16 years ago modern rules dealing with this would most likely have been in place.
Where tree roots are likely, precautions mostly involve taking foundations to a depth of around 1.5m. This is done even if the bearing is good at a lesser depth. The idea is to get the footings below the root level if possible.
The other measure is a "root barrier". This can be a reinforced concrete barrier positioned right next to the footings. This is to prevent roots from interfering with the foundations laterally.
In less extreme cases, the barrier may need to be no more than "Clayboard" (specially treated 50mm thick polystyrene.) I've used this myself when excavations are near hedges /Leylandii etc
I'd be surprised if none of these measures, or something similar, have been taken.
If in doubt .... pick a line somewhere between the tree and the house, as far from the tree as possible. Dig a trench around 2 metres deep with a JCB with a 300mm bucket. Fill with concrete. That'll persuade the roots to go elsewhere.
In my experience, the tree with survive. Just don't tell the Preservation people. They'll only worry unnecessarily. (This piece of advice will self-destruct in 10 seconds) ;o)
Building Regs change, but 16 years ago modern rules dealing with this would most likely have been in place.
Where tree roots are likely, precautions mostly involve taking foundations to a depth of around 1.5m. This is done even if the bearing is good at a lesser depth. The idea is to get the footings below the root level if possible.
The other measure is a "root barrier". This can be a reinforced concrete barrier positioned right next to the footings. This is to prevent roots from interfering with the foundations laterally.
In less extreme cases, the barrier may need to be no more than "Clayboard" (specially treated 50mm thick polystyrene.) I've used this myself when excavations are near hedges /Leylandii etc
I'd be surprised if none of these measures, or something similar, have been taken.
If in doubt .... pick a line somewhere between the tree and the house, as far from the tree as possible. Dig a trench around 2 metres deep with a JCB with a 300mm bucket. Fill with concrete. That'll persuade the roots to go elsewhere.
In my experience, the tree with survive. Just don't tell the Preservation people. They'll only worry unnecessarily. (This piece of advice will self-destruct in 10 seconds) ;o)
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