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Answers (8)
- DanaEv
- Contributions:62
We have a Japanese maple about 8-10 feet from our foundation. The problem? It's so tall, higher than our house, that it is completely blocking all sunlight from coming into either the den on the first floor or our Master Bedroom on the second (which leds us to call the den "the hole"). It's a blood red/purplish color and it's gorgeous, so we are sad to get rid of it, but someone wasn't thinking when they planted it directly in front of a bunch of windows.
Our intention is to cut it down and let the workers cut it up and carry it off. I don't know that we want to go through the trouble of getting the root ball up and transplanting, as well have about a million other huge trees in our yard, side yard, back yard, the forest behind our house, etc. etc. It's a real shame since it adds a ton of color, but the top leaves and branches are now sitting on our new shaker roof and we don't want it damaged.
So...it's up to you. Take it up, cut it down, move it, prevent the roots from getting under the house, but do something with it. It will only get bigger. Ours is probably 35 feet tall and if we had moved here before it got so large it would have come out, root ball and all and gone to another spot but it's just too big to move around as far as we are concerned.
Our intention is to cut it down and let the workers cut it up and carry it off. I don't know that we want to go through the trouble of getting the root ball up and transplanting, as well have about a million other huge trees in our yard, side yard, back yard, the forest behind our house, etc. etc. It's a real shame since it adds a ton of color, but the top leaves and branches are now sitting on our new shaker roof and we don't want it damaged.
So...it's up to you. Take it up, cut it down, move it, prevent the roots from getting under the house, but do something with it. It will only get bigger. Ours is probably 35 feet tall and if we had moved here before it got so large it would have come out, root ball and all and gone to another spot but it's just too big to move around as far as we are concerned.
- real estate mike
- Contributions:2001
Oh yeah I love japanese maples, especially the bloodgood variety. Most home inspectors I've talked to say large trees next to houses are one of the worst offenders for cracking foundations. Luckily these are smaller trees.
- weebear
- Contributions:48
No, don't take the tree out and here's why. This tree is a low slow growing tree and grows away from the house and the roots will not be a problem for many many years. What I would do just to make you feel better is to dig down between the tree and house about a foot below the foundation level and about 4 to 5 feet length wise and add a liner such as polyprolene to block the roots from growing into foundation. Many cities now require liner boxes to be placed around the rootball of trees planted on sidewalks to keep the roots from uplifting the cement walk ways. You can also try pouring cement into what you dug out and cover with dirt to hide. If this was a fast growing tall tree I would take it out, but this tree, no. I've been a professional gardener for 18 years and seen many trees planted too close to home and have uplifted the foundation. It's the biggest and most common mistake a home owner makes, planting trees in the wrong place and not moving them soon enough. The bigger the tree becomes, the more it will cost to remove.
- BungalowMo
- Contributions:232
Yes, I'd move it too. I had a large pine tree right off the corner of my porch. Within just a few months I had that cut down. It was an okay tree, just way too close to my foundation for my liking!
- sunnyview
- Contributions:25139
I would try to move it. Japanese maples grow slow and are very pretty. A 15 year old tree like that in good health is worth money either on craigslist or somewhere else in your landscape. I think that the idea of trying to contain the rootball one side at a time is a good one. It would allow you to move or sell the tree and the tree is unlikely to damage your foundation in that amount of time. you can get advice from an arborist about when to do this in the growing season for the least chance of harming the tree or your foundation.
- Michael Emery, "MikeEmery"
- Contributions:7298
Ask around for bids to move the tree. There's definite value in a tree that size. Unfortunately Maple trees like to throw out a ton of roots which can cause damage to foundations. And their branches and foliage can wreak havoc on a roof.
- Brian Gwaltney, "Metro Maintenance"
- Contributions:315
that's a pretty tiny tree. if you're going to move it now would be the time. You need to cut the rootball out. Usually you cut one side one season and the other side the following season to minimize the shock to the tree. Not a job for the faint of heart or weak of back. Probably much cheaper to cut it down and plant a new one. Those trees do have value though, i've seen thirty foot crown diameter trees go for $2k. Something to consider.
- Sam DeBord, "SeattleHome.com"
- Contributions:3472
You might want to look into transplating it elsewhere. This issue will only get bigger every year.
My japanese maple is only 1 foot away from my house foundation. The tree is only 15 years old and
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