Live Oak roots above ground, slab threat?

I have an 180 year old monster live oak and roots everywhere

We are getting ready to level out the yard and fill over some of the roots and lay some sod

We will have to do do this every so often. Hard to grow good grass under tree

If I remove them, he said the soil left will have the ground up root/stump material and it will take "years" for that material to decay. I wonder if it would be wise to rake out as much material and top off with soil before seeding/sodding. Someone told me that sodding is a crapshoot in the summer with direct sunlight. He said might actually have better results with coated seed or that green spray seeding. Any thoughts?

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I've given up growing grass under mine at all. The oaks are the main reason we bought the house so removing them isn't an option. This fall I intend to build out beds around them and fill it all in with hardwood mulch. It finishes the look and the trees like the lack of competition with grass other plants.

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Yeah I wouldn't do that. I've always taken the hint from nature as to why nothing grows under big oaks like that.

It may not kill it right away, but you will see a slow decline in the health of the tree and eventually will have to remove it.

I see it all the time around businesses and schools. People try to make it something other than a dirty muddy mess under the tree and eventually you end up with oaks with branches falling off and leaves never covering the limbs.

"As much as I hate the idea of taking these trees out,"

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How big are they, how close to the house?

Possible to post a picture?

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fill over some of the roots

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This isn't good for the tree.

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We are getting ready to level out the yard and fill over some of the roots and lay some sod

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Anybody can have a nice sod yard in an afternoon. It takes 180 years to grow your tree. Don’t risk killing an irreplaceable tree for some grass

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I have 2 Live Oak trees that are both becoming an issue. The roots are growing above the surface of the ground and probably a threat to my foundation if left unchecked. Can anyone say if it's worth trying to have just the protruding roots ground down? Or should I just go ahead and have the trees removed and stumps/roots ground?

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Roots extend about as far as your trees drip line. If you foresee that happening, you can put down a root barrier to somewhat protect your foundation depending on how close it is to your house.

I've had to use this on several commercial projects. But it also depends on the distance from house to tree and how deep the panel you need.
Deep Root Barriers


As far as roots above ground under a large tree, the best option I have found is to fill in a little bit of planting mix and plant Mondo Grass, Liriope, Cast iron, some type of shade loving ground cover.

Can this be retrofitted to protect driveways and sidewalks? Just requires trenching where you want to install it?