Subsidence Problem

[searcher30]

If a tree is near a stone french house touching the walls are the roots likely to cause subsidence or cause damage to the house?

thanks in advance

[Just Katie]

Hi Searcher,

Trees can live quite happily near buildings, even touching them.  If your house and tree have lived side by side since the beginning of time it is quite likely you have nothing to worry about.  However it would be advisable to call in a specialist just in case.  If you live in a climate giving you dry summers and wet winters this may indirectly affect your property as the tree dries up the land further causing cracking. Also it would be wise to look at the roots as they touch your house.  If the tree is well established and there is no apparent damage to the building, the roots are likely to be happily growing around it.  If you call your specialist in, I would get a second opinion should he suggest removal as this can create a further problems.  As the old saying goes, 'If it aint broke' ..................

[TWINKLE]

Hi,

I'm having problems with my Jack and Jill Staircase, please help!!

[Deimos]

What sort of problems. You probably need to give a bit more information about what you want help on if you want people to help.

Ian

[Just Katie]

Dont worry about it Ian,  Just another infantile attempt of humour..... tiresome[|-)]

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Deimos"]What sort of problems. You probably need to give a bit more information about what you want help on if you want people to help. Ian[/quote]

I'm sorry but you leave me no choice!  The problem is that I keep falling down them and breaking my crown!  Sorry, sorry, sorry[A]

[Deimos]

Sorry, being a serious forum area I had missed that this was a suitable area for jokes.

There are areas of the forum where there are threads for jokes and the like and there are areas where people post seeking helpful comments.

I’m going to give up and helpful postings on Living France from now on as I have better things to do than waste my time with people who have nothing better to do than piss-about. Seems the entire forum has just become one giant playground to some.

Ian

[Tresco]

Firstly sincere apologies to the OP (Searcher) for the distraction from your problem.

Ian, as one of the people who has been a bit giddy recently, I have gathered that you and some other members are getting a bit irked.

Sorry to irk people but sometimes a giddy mood comes over me. Often I am alone with this mood, but it seems to me like several 'older' posters, and some 'newer' posters are all feeling pretty much the same way. (perhaps for different reasons). Bear with me.

Please don't bring up anyone elses names, I'm sure we all know who we are, but I have to say that while I didn't make the joke, I did laugh at it.

Now, time is no problem for me. I admit that, but it took what, 30 seconds from start to finish to read the two jokey posts?.

I exclude the time that you took thinking about and then composing your last post.

For me, there are very few threads that the odd joke doesn't go down well in, and that's all it was here. Ms K Kat had already given a sensible answer, one that was pretty much confirmed by someone else I showed it to.  She also gave warning to expect a 'joke' answer.

I think it would be a real shame if you stopped posting helpful advice, I really do. You've been here on the forum a bit longer than Twinkle, who made the joke, but she has lived in France for 17 years as far as I know. Does it not occur to you that some of her posts have been and  will continue to be helpful too?

Ian, I hardly ever give adivice here. It's not what I come here for. Very rarely have I asked for advice, but I accept that those reasons are why many people do come here, and they do get what they came for (or are able to give/share what they want to).

However, I also believe there is room for all of us. There always has been in the 2 and a half years that I've been here. Things will shake out right.

If you withdraw your 'advice', that will be a loss to the forum, just as it would be if people like Twinkle withdraw their 'fun' and humour  (and her advice/knowledge/intelligence ).

Anyway, I'll try and stop making jokey posts in serious threads. Can't say how long for though.

 

 

 

[Just Katie]

On this thread a seious question was asked and a serious answer was given.  The thread then remained stagnant.  Twinkle posted a little joke to raise a smile amongst anyone who cared to read.  Now I dont know if I'm a bit on the slow side but I really cant see a problem.

[Just Katie]

In fact Ian if you can air your views and use language so can I.  Petty moaners really piss me off.

[Deimos]

The problem relates to people who spend their time looking through the threads where people ask for help and then take their time responding. Time given freely. However, if one can no longer tell if a question is somebody “having a jolly little laugh” or a real question then why bother to waste one’s time answering any of them.

Some time ago there was another poster who spent an age making serious question posts that all turned-out to be a big joke – loads of people wasting loads of time responding all to no effect, none of it helping anybody.

Truth is I feel sorry for people who have nothing better to do with their time than visit forums to make frivolous comments in inappropriate places. Life is short and it is sad when people have nothing better to do with their time. I certainly do have something better to do with my time than “piss-off other” people.

Anyway KKK, thank you for you kind and helpful advice. I just wish everybody was as helpful as you are.

Ian

[Just Katie]

Ian,  I am sorry when you explain your reasons I can understand.  It is very difficult to get a message across from a keyboard and I thought you was being a petty moaner.  Sorry again. [{]  I hate being a loose cannon. 

Now I'm hijacking.  Tresco may I ask you why you are showing my answer to people for confirmation? Pardon?

[Dick Smith]

To get back to the point (although Searcher never seems to return to these threads he starts) I think KKK is partly correct but could be wrong. Sort of.

Established trees can cause a problem in dry weather, apparently. One has caused subsidence in our house in the UK, and it has been there for at least 40 years before the problem showed itself after a couple of dry summers. Also, the tree is still growing and roots can break underground pipes (which they did) which can then cause problems themselves.

Is there evidence of subsidence or is this a what-if question?

[Just Katie]

Which is why I used the phrase ' likely to have nothing to worry about' but advised on calling in a specialist.

[Debra]

[quote user="Dicksmith"]Established trees can cause a problem in dry weather, apparently. One has caused subsidence in our house in the UK, and it has been there for at least 40 years before the problem showed itself after a couple of dry summers. Also, the tree is still growing and roots can break underground pipes (which they did) which can then cause problems themselves.
Is there evidence of subsidence or is this a what-if question?
[/quote]We have a huge tree outside our house Dick, and we're going to find someone who is in the know because we've had various advice like:

to remove it might cause a subsidence problem if the roots are entwined with the supports of the house and then die off and rot when you kill the tree

the area is known to be boggy so if you remove it you may find the house sucks the water up that the tree used to and you end up with rising damp

on the other hand its huge and if it continues growing, could start to knock the walls out of shape

Oh - the previous owners had another one like that on the other side of the house and they took it out: not sure if its because it was a problem or not - do the walls look cracked inside???

Like I said - we'll try and find out who is the person to ask and then - ask!

[searcher30]

Thanks to KatieKopyKat and everyone else for their helpful answers.
Sorry that I haven't replied sooner as I have not been well.