Q : We recently bought a big Victorian household with a vast true cedar tree grow next to a two - room addition at the back . The foundation is poor ( sitting on the dirt ) , and the roots of the tree are lifting it so that the room ( an business office and a wash ) are tilted and have start to smell out of mold . We ’ve been send word to either remove the cedar or deplume down the elbow room . What a choice!—Linda Altaman , Tuolumne , Calif.

A : A mature true cedar like yours is invaluable . That imposing tree and your fine old home have aged graciously together . Although an authenticator might say the cedar is worth only $ 10,000 , you wo n’t be able to get another one like it in your lifetime for any amount of money . The newer increase , from your description , has already brook some damage , and that ’s where I think you should focalise your effort .   Certainly , cutting down the tree wo n’t fix the addition . After expend $ 1,500 to have the tree removed , you ’ll still have a badly list construction . The roots underneath will have to be extracted , or they ’ll invite white ant . The disturbance cause by removing the stem may also stimulate the foundation to check , if it has n’t already . Since a foundation stamping ground seems unavoidable , I suggest you work around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .

Your first step should be to hire someone who can valuate the tree diagram ’s wellness and advise you on how much of the etymon system can be safely cut away . In the phone record , look for a “ consulting arborist . ” You do n’t want a “ certify tree surgeon ” — they tend to be tree carver and their solution will lean toward monolithic pruning and remotion . A consulting tree surgeon will be happy to just give advice , in soul and in piece of writing . fee run $ 75 to $ 100 per time of day for interview , and $ 50 to $ 60 per hour for excavating and stem cutting or for remove a tree .   Once you have the arborist ’s theme , you’re able to start talking to a builder or an designer about how to apportion with the construction . If the instauration needs an overhaul , you might find it ’s possible just to move the addition a fleck so that it ’s farther from the tree diagram . Or the building might be set on pier , to leaven the storey slightly so that the roots can continue to grow freely underneath . But if the slab has not been ruin and can safely be restore to a degree spatial relation , the offending roots can likely be slue aside , with the tree surgeon ’s assistance .   In many cases , crop off a major antecedent should n’t do permanent damage . Trees fall back more than 90 percent of their roots when they ’re transplanted and eventually recover . The roots lost on a transplanted tree , however , are those farthest from the luggage compartment , and they ’re relatively small . For a large tree diagram , do n’t make any cut faithful than 5 to 8 feet from the trunk .

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The tree surgeon should be able-bodied to prune the root for you , or at least oversee the workplace . The root must be exposed without damage it , which is done by spraying water system or line around the root apprehension ; a slice is then made at a point where the root branches . To prevent root from growing back under the slab , the arborist can install a overweight plastic root roadblock about 3 understructure deep in a oceanic abyss along the construction wall .   Of course , the arborist may discover that your fine - depend tree actually has serious internal decay . If it ’s in danger of breaking apart in the wind or fuck up over , that poses a serious risk to you and your neighbors ’ home . If the tree surgeon recommend remove the tree diagram , postulate him to suggest a alternate species and facilitate you find a serious specimen . bargain as mature a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree as you’re able to yield , and locate it the proper distance from the edifice — half the reckon mature height of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is a skillful rule of thumb . For a large tree such as a cedar , about 40 foot from the building is good . For Japanese maples , ‘ Bradford ’ pear tree , and other medium - size trees , about 20 feet forth is safe . Trees often depend best   placed to the side of a construction rather than straight in front . They provide better wraith in summer when placed on the west or east side of the house , rather than on the south . Whatever you do , refuse the enticement to repair for the new tree diagram ’s much smaller size by planting it closer to the sign .