“I have a tree root that is growing under my concrete sidewalk and raising it up. What do you recommend I do for this?” -Gloria

Unfortunately, this is not a problem with an easy solution. You could work around it by replacing your sidewalk with adjustable or movable pavers that can accommodate the growing roots. However, to solve the problem and keep your concrete sidewalk, you’ll need to cut the tree roots (called “root pruning”) and then repair the sidewalk.

Root pruning is highly stressful to trees and cannot be done indiscriminately. The success of root pruning depends on the species, size, and age of the tree, the location of the cuts, environmental conditions, and the overall health of the tree. Some trees—such as Bradford pear, birch, and conifers—respond very poorly to root pruning.

Others may recover but can be more likely to fall later due to a lack of support. I recommend that you contact an arborist for advice before doing this yourself, or consider hiring a tree surgeon who can make the proper cuts to save your tree.

If you choose to go ahead with root pruning, make sure you’ll only have to do it once, by installing root barriers to prevent further damage from growing roots. Root barriers are generally made of fabric or plastic and have to be installed up to 4 feet deep to protect nearby pavement or structures.

Julie

Editorial Contributors
Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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