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Started By
Message
Water Oak: How close to a house?
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:08 am
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:08 am
I have a young 10-yr old water oak tree near where I need to construct a small building on the back of a lot in Houston (not just a storage building, but a "Tiny House").
How close can I have a water oak to a building?
What if I trench between the tree and proposed building site and install a root dam...beyond where the roots are today?
Would a concrete dam or plexiglass dam be better? How thick would the concrete need to be? How deep?
The tree:
-6 inches in diameter
-Perfectly straight trunck
-Lowest limb is 18 feet above the ground)
Proposed Building:
-240 sq ft
-Frame construction
-Concrete slab with beams.
How close can I have a water oak to a building?
What if I trench between the tree and proposed building site and install a root dam...beyond where the roots are today?
Would a concrete dam or plexiglass dam be better? How thick would the concrete need to be? How deep?
The tree:
-6 inches in diameter
-Perfectly straight trunck
-Lowest limb is 18 feet above the ground)
Proposed Building:
-240 sq ft
-Frame construction
-Concrete slab with beams.
This post was edited on 12/11/13 at 8:27 am
6
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:10 am to CoastieGM
You can root prune on one side with a ditch witch. One side only. Three sides of the tree and it most likely will die(I know from doing it 
)
Just reprune every 5 years or so and the roots won't get big enough to damage. Not sure about a dam. Roots may pass through it, never used one, but it may work.
) Just reprune every 5 years or so and the roots won't get big enough to damage. Not sure about a dam. Roots may pass through it, never used one, but it may work.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:14 am to Nodust
quote:
You can root prune on one side with a ditch witch. One side only. Three sides of the tree and it most likely will die(I know from doing it )
The voice of experience!
Actually, I'd put a root dam just beyond where the roots are now so I wouldn't be cutting any roots.
This post was edited on 12/11/13 at 8:15 am
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:18 am to CoastieGM
Killed a 100 or so tall long leaf pine. It was 3' diameter. I didn't want to do it but was instructed by the owner and my boss
Great "I told you so" moment.
Great "I told you so" moment.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:21 am to CoastieGM
You don't want a water oak near a structure. Next question.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:23 am to CoastieGM
I believe that tree would make some great firewood and since you live in Alaska that will always come in handy.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:28 am to TBoy
quote:
You don't want a water oak near a structure. Next question.
quote:
You don't want a water oak near a structure. Next question.
This.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:28 am to eng08
Take the tree out now, while its still young. They only last 30 years and cost a fortune to remove at that point.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:29 am to TBoy
quote:
You don't want a water oak near a structure.
Why are they bad? Not being a smartass...I just don't know a whole lot about water oaks.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:34 am to CoastieGM
quote:
Why are they bad?
they spend the first 20 years of their life growing and the next 20 years of their life either dying or taking out structures.
DON'T build next to them
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:38 am to Bassmaster
quote:Naw...I've got two that are 40 and 50 years respectively and in good shape.
They only last 30 years
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:39 am to TBoy
quote:
You don't want a water oak near a structure.
Gustav put one right through the middle of my mom's house.
As big as it was, the root ball was relatively small.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:43 am to CoastieGM
quote:
I've got two that are 40 and 50 years respectively and in good shape.
This, but if it is within 30' of a building and that building has a concrete foundation, I would cut that sucker down in a heart beat. A full size tree(20 years old) drinks more then 300 gallons of water a day. Close to a building, it will suck the water from under the foundation , cracking the slab in time.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:52 am to CoastieGM
I bet they are both hollow. Or at least starting to rot at the heart.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:53 am to CoastieGM
quote:
Naw...I've got two that are 40 and 50 years respectively and in good shape.
The insides rot and large branches or the entire tree falls on homes. They will frick up a house...
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:59 am to wickowick
quote:
The insides rot
Ok. This is new information to me.
Wick, do I recall correctly that you're an adjuster?
Posted on 12/11/13 at 8:59 am to CoastieGM
Yep
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:01 am to wickowick
water oaks grow for 30 years and die for 50 years. I have a huge one in the front yard and it scares me. I watched a very big one fall during Issac at my neighbors house, thank God it fell parallel to the houses in their back yards.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:03 am to fishfighter
quote:
drinks more then 300 gallons of water a day. Close to a building, it will suck the water from under the foundation , cracking the slab in time.
That's why I was pondering a root barrier.
I'll be dead in 25 years, so not really worried about any problem beyond that. The summertime shade in the interim would be great. It's someone else's problem after that.
Posted on 12/11/13 at 9:09 am to CoastieGM
Get rid of that water oak and do it now. It's a horrible tree around structures. Maybe only second to a pecan (which I think plots the eventual demise of your home by throwing it's limbs into your house)
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