How to Destroy a Root Under a Shed?

10 days ago

I have a tree root growing under the corner of a shed. The tree is a Chinese Willow, and I plan to remove it in the next few years. I had the root ground by an arborist from the point where it leaves the shed corner and enters into an open lawn area. What is the right tool to grind up the root going under the shed corner? The root is about 10 inches diameter.

I can get some automobile jacks to lift the corner of the shed. After I remove the root I will probably need to refill the void space with landscape cloth and 3/4 gravel so that the shed still has a solid foundation on its corner. But it is not clear what is the best tool for eating away at the entire root, especially drilling into its core rather than slicing it.

Featured Answer

KR KNuttle

10 days ago

That would be the simplest solution. The root will be dead and no longer grow.

However it may still be a problem in the future as it decays. This could be remediated by reinforcing the block supports. With a root this size it may also kill the tree depending how close it is to the shed.

As I see it you have three options: Live with it; kill the root and resolve the issue as it occurs in the future; or move the shed. You could move it yourself and deal with the root, or hire some one to bring in a large piece of equipment that could move the shed for you

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Comments (8)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
10 days ago
Seems like a lot of trouble to go through.

Moving the shed and digging it out is the only surefire way I can think of that doesn't involve boring equipment.
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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
Original Author
10 days ago
@Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis So your solution would be to raise the shed and then saw off the root however far back you can get?
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There are people here who qualify as professionals, who may not be on-line tonight, so wait a bit before giving up on advice from GW members. As a non-professional, I would think that gravel would work, but NOT with plastic laid under it. If your client wanted to lay something under the gravel, in this case , I think I would recommend laying landscape fabric (I normally heartily DIS-recommend landscape fabric), just so the roots are less likely to grow up into the gravel. I don't know if the gravel is even necessary, unless you do put down the soaker hose, in which case I would use the gravel to keep the place from becoming muddy. Another benefit of gravel is that it would level out any unevenness of the surface, and it would keep any rainwater that drained under the deck - hopefully the drainage is set up to NOT run under there - from creating mud as well. The soaker hose might or might not be a good option, I don't know enough to say. My inclination is to say use it..., to compensate for the loss of rainfall.
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KR KNuttle
10 days ago
What is the relationship between the tree, the root, and the shed. Does the root pass under the shed and come out on the other side? Or is the root coming from the tree and going under the shed.

If the root is coming from the tree and going under the shed, it seems to me the solution would be to dig down and completely cut the root, separating it from the tree. Over time the dead root may decay and cause a hole under the shed but that can be handled by fill.
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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked KR KNuttle
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
Original Author
10 days ago
@KR KNuttle The tree is behind the shed. The root goes from the tree, under the shed, and out to the lawn at the point I photograph.

So you are suggesting to find the root before it goes under the shed, severing it, and then just leaving the root in place to rot?
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KR KNuttle
10 days ago
I have seen videos where they move sheds with little dollies that attach to the ends of shed. Empty and with these dollies it could be a do it yourself project, if you could rent the dollies.
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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked KR KNuttle
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
Original Author
9 days ago
@KR KNuttle There is a lot of landscaping based on the location of the shed, so likely that is not moving. It seems to me that you could use automobile jacks to lift up the corner of the shed, maybe six inches, Prior to that, you would have to excavate around the root upstream of where it meets the shed corner. To avoid serious injury, you would have to cut the root under the shed with a long arborist tree saw, and probably you are going to ruin a blade since it will be cutting into dirt in places.
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KR KNuttle
9 days ago
With a jack and blocks you can move anything. I have frequently lifted my sailboat of the trailer to work on the trailer.

A couple of comments.

First, empty the shed so it is lightest.

Obviously you will need to get it high enough to work under it. SO use adequate blocks so that if one is bumped the whole thing does not come down trapping you under it.

Finally and not as obvious, as you are seesawing the shed up (ie lifting one end then the other. ) make sure that the lateral movement of the shed does not push it off of the blocks. So make sure the blocks are wide enough that this lateral movement does not push the block over. I nearly dropped the boat, when the blocks at the back started to tip over as I was lifting the front.
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How to Destroy a Root Under a Shed?

KR KNuttle

Comments (8)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
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How to Destroy a Root Under a Shed?

KR KNuttle

Comments (8)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

westes Zone 9b California SF BayOriginal Author

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KR KNuttle

westes Zone 9b California SF BayOriginal Author

KR KNuttle

westes Zone 9b California SF BayOriginal Author

KR KNuttle

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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
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westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
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