Houses and the 1950's
By webeishere
@webeishere (36313)
United States
May 15, 2007 12:42pm CST
Attatched is a picture of one of the stump of one of many lost trees in my back yard. Notice the closeness to my garage that the stump is. My home was built in 1952. At that era trees were a mainstay and many builders, contractors, and landscapers felt that MANY trees sells a house faster and for more money in that time. Now the problem is as I've experienced that these trees were planted on the spur without thought as to the placement of them in refrence to the future effects on the property and it's structures. I've had to cut down 3 trees myself due to them growing all too close to my garage. This photo here is the one that was the worst case of them all. It was right against the garage eave. It even had a wedge cut in it to grow even more so it wouldn't hit the garage damaging it. Well after 3 years here it grew to where I couldn't even fit a finger between the tree and the garage. So it had to go to preserve the garage. The front yard also had 5 trees cut down before we bought the house. All these were very close to the house and nearly against the street. One was evidently just as close as the one I cut down. The roots ruined the front steps forcing me to get new ones or put a deck on the front which is what I did. Now as I love gardening etc I have the roots to deal with. Anyone know of a cheap and effective way other than physically digging the roots up to get rids of them? Has anyone had the trees grow right against a structure? Thanks also in advance for any helpful hints etc.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
5 people like this
8 responses
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
15 May 07
Hi grandpa, I honestly do not know why I'm here, LOL! I don't know what to say. I remember a friend telling me that we can't uproot a tree because it is a living thing. Why not try to use it as a chair. Oh my goodness, am I making sense grandpa. I'm outta here and will hop in to your next thread. Happy posting, grandpa.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
15 May 07
I have little ceramic gnomes in my garden and I've thought about making an area to set them on. Maybe add a little umbrella also. I've got plans it's all a matter of time and money. The money I get from here the time is spent getting the money here also. Hahahaha. Talk about between a rock and a hard place. LOL
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
16 May 07
They have something along the lines of StumpRot in the stores. You drill 1" holes in the stump and pour the stuff in. It speeds the decompostion of the stump and roots. The stuff I use is similar but then after it sits for a period of time, you pour kerosene in the holes then light it on fire. It burns stump and most of the roots.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
16 May 07
CAN'T REALLY BVURN THE STUMP AS IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE GARAGE. i'VE HEARD ALSO THAT THE STUMP JUICE STUFF NEEDS TO BE APPLIED SHORTLY AFTER CUTTINT THE TREE. mINE WAS CUT 2 YEARS AGO AND SPROUTS NEW SHOOTS FROM THE STUMP EVERY YEAR. i'M GOING TO ASK hOME dePOT AND A gARDEN CENTER i VISIT MORE ABOUT THIS ON THE WEEKEND ALSO.
happy postimngs from grandpa bob !!~
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
16 May 07
Sorry I don't have any other solutions for removing the roots/stump. A friend of mine has a tree cutting/removal service and all he does is dig them out, by hand, using a backhoe, or by hooking on with a chain and pulling it out with his truck. But usually that only gets the main stump not the smaller root system spread all over the yard.
If is wasn't dark already I'd go take a picture of the front of my house. It's a rental and the owner inherited it but doesn't really know anything about upkeep. A stray tree had been growing out front for years and even though everyone kept telling her it needed to be cut down she kept putting off making the decision. Finally it had grown big enough to completely rip through the rain gutter. My dad cut it down (without her specific permission) last summer. All that happened was that she wondered what happened to the gutter. I guess she thought the tree would just grow around it or something! The stump is still there though and I've noticed a couple little sprouts already. Burning, I'm told, helps keep a stump from sprouting but this one is way too close to the house for that. I don't care, I'm moving anyway so it'll be her problem again!
--oh not really "on topic" but this was the ONLY tree growing on the property because she thinks trees are bad and won't let any be planted anywhere...but then refused to cut the one that was actually causing damage!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
16 May 07
She thinks trees are bad? They actually add oxegyn to our
air. Thanks for the response as well. Don;t know what I'm
doing with the root system as of yet. Hahahaha!
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
16 May 07
Yeah, something about the roots following the water pipes. It very well may have some truth to it for all I know but it's just odd considering the only tree that was here was growing 3 inces from the foundation and she let it go for years. But now I have no trees, no shrubbery, nothing at all...
Trees also help with the electric bill in the summer. Since the majority of windows are on the west side of the house you can imagine how much I have to run the A/C since there is no shade to help keep things cool....just another reason why I have no intention of spending another summer here!
@sjohnson628 (3197)
• United States
15 May 07
Interesting that you posted this discussion as my BF has been going out into the woods and digging up spruce an balsam and replanting them in our yard along the borderline. It was then that I noticed that two pine trees he planted years ago are too close to the home. I mentioned this to him and they are nearly 7 feet tall now. But they will get bigger. Perhaps we should try digging those up and moving them somewhere else before they get as close as yours did.
My BF thinks that there is a chemical you can get to pour on the stump that will kill the stump and roots. Maybe at hardware store. I am not sure maybe look online for the root killing chemical.
1 person likes this
@sjohnson628 (3197)
• United States
15 May 07
http://cahe.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2006/111106.html
this may help you
1 person likes this
@spasm061568 (285)
• Philippines
16 May 07
Hi grandpa Bob!
Just a question. In your place, town or whatever, do you need to get any special permit to cut down trees even if it is in your property? I'm asking because in our place, the government is strict to the point of stupidity. I you want to cut trees even if in your property, you need to get a special permit with the condition of planting 10 or so trees as replacement. But the permit is so difficult and expensive to get, and sometimes this policy is upheld even if the trees are posing a clear danger, for ex. the road leading to our place has been widened, but the trees on the edge of the road have not been cut down and they even have the roots exposed. Its an accident waiting to happen, and we live in a mountainous area by the way.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
16 May 07
If the trees are within 15 feet of public property we need a permit. Otherwise none needed. For planting trees they also can not be planted in the same range. I can't put shrubs along my curb in my yard as it's too close to the street. That sucks as I'd love to have a hedge barrier for privacy. Government p[olicies can be a killer to home owners all over the globe too I've learned. Thanks for the response also.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@mivarg (277)
• India
15 May 07
I understand your problem very well. It is really hard to cut off trees that have taken a long time to take root and grow, but when it affects a construction, we have no other way. I don't know how to deal with the roots either. I have a few stumps near my house, which I slowly try to remove physically, and sometimes I burn the waste materials on it, which helps a bit.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
16 May 07
We had some stumps...We drilled holes with a big drill down into it and took and axe and smashed it up some more. Everytime we walked by, we kicked on the loose pieces, it took about a year or 2, but we did get rid of the stumps.
I was told that there was stuff to put on there to help speed the rotting process, but we decided to help nature in our own way.
