Paver Patio and Tree Roots

cibula11

I was digging to install a paver patio and encountered one root about a 2 feet from the outside edge of the proposed patio. The root is about 1.5" in diameter and approximately 10 ft. from the base of the tree.

Can I cut it? Or would it be best to build a raised patio?

concretemasonry

Do you think the roots from the tree would affect the footings you would need to support a raised deck/patio?

If you ahve a problem with the tree roots, a paver patio can be partially taken out and reset. - A lot less painful than losing a substantial tree.

Dick

cibula11

The tree roots are only about 2-3 inches below the surface and I need to excavate at least 4 inches, so yes, the roots would interfere. I basically have 3 options:

1. cut the root and hope for the best in terms of the tree
2. raise the patio, giving me a step down into my yard
3. change the patio from a 12 ft. diameter to 10 ft. diameter.

mike-g

I would suggest 2 or 3. Anytime your cutting into a root system your risking losing your tree. If you do decide to cut into it have a arborist come out and look at it beforehand. No sense in losing a tree for an extra two feet in patio space.

kimberland30

What kind of tree is it? How tall is the tree?

We have a huge oak tree in our front yard, and last year I built a circular retaining wall around it for a raised flower bed. We had to cut a couple of surface roots, similar in size and length as what you posted.

We did have an arborist (PhD) come out and look at the tree before we cut back the roots, just to make sure we wouldn't damage the tree or make it unstable. Since we were only cutting two roots that were shallow, we were given the green light. I should also mention that the roots we cut were approximately 5' from the base of the tree.

Something to think about...as the tree grows, more surface roots may develop and grow under your paver patio, causing the pavers to buckle. This happened with my retaining wall...as the tree grew last year, the retaining wall became uneven in a few places.

So if I were in your shoes, I'd raise probably raise the patio.

cibula11

Thanks for the info. I believe the tree is a linden. It's pretty mature, I'm guessing 25-30 years. I think I am going to raise it up. It's not that big of a deal and like you said, most likely the roots will cause the pavers to become unsettled over time. I figure instead of digging down to lay the base for the patio, I'd just add the base to the existing soil, add one layer of retaining wall block and pour the paver base into the area. Essentially creating a step down onto my lawn.