|
Posted by vernal888 on June 7, 2006, 11:06 pm
Hello Greg:
Your patio and your oak tree will not be happy neighbors. The general
guideline is that any trenching, which is what you will be doing to prepare
the sub-base for the patio, should be no closer to the trunk of the tree
than 1.5 feet for every 1 inch of tree diameter measured 5 feet above the
ground (dbh). In other words, a 10-inch diameter tree would require a 15
foot setback. This is a general guideline, and is not a substitute for an
on site evaluation of the tree by a qualified expert.
The root system of the tree is within the top 18 inches of soil. There will
be no way to avoid the roots with the patio. And, the roots increase in
diameter as the tree gets older. At some point in the future, they will
push the pavers up. So a little design creativity is in order.
However, it may be useful to have a licensed arborist asses the condition of
the tree. My suggestion is for you to first find out if the tree is worth
preserving before you spend time and energy on design alternatives. If you
decide to keep the tree, you might try to keep the top of the patio as high
as feasible, and just set the pavers closest to the tree in a sand bedding
over filter fabric with no sub base. As the tree grows, you would remove
the lifted pavers back as necessary. The oak tree (as compared with a
Norway maple for example) will not lift the patio randomly. The pavers
closest to the trunk will lift first because the roots are larger and grow
in girth more quickly closest to the trunk.
Other responders have suggested design elements such as benches, and
suggestions include planters, a water feature, or whatever that may work.
Personally, I would want to keep a healthy significant tree for all of its
benefits and forgo the full size of the patio as required by the
circumstances.
Good luck with your project.
> I've got a personal bias against damaging tree roots, particularly for
> something as large and valuable as an oak. In your situation I would
> explore the idea of leaving the ground rough and erecting a bench or table
> around that side of the tree. Regards -- JimR
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I am preparing to install a paver stone patio in our backyard but while
>> I was excavating I started hitting some decent sized roots only 6 or so
>> inches below ground level from an oak tree. The oak tree is only about
>> 3 feet from the proposed patio. My concern is that after a couple of
>> years this will make my patio uneven over time. I was wondering if
>> anyone out there has any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>
>
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap