Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these
words:


I assume you mean the concrete is the yard or driveway, not the
foundations of the house. If it is, I'd just leave it to settle
back
as the years go by: no serious harm will have been done (unless
drains are involved), and the concrete can be patched once it's
levelled out.

I think that depends on the species of tree and the soil
structure
and local climate.

Trees with a full head of foliage suck up a huge amount of
ground
water, which can shrink the soil structure beneath building
foundations and causing them to settle unevenly and often crack.
Then
if the tree is felled, the ground holds more water and expands
again, pushing up/apart the cracked foundation (with even more
stress
on the building). So in
some circumstances it can be better to dismantle a tree close to a
building, gradually over a period of time, so that there isn't a
sudden change in the soil-structure.

You really need some specialist advice on the kind of soil, kind
of
tree and local conditions, before rushing into a course of action
that might worsen any damage already done.

Janet

I did say (see above) "I assume you mean the concrete is the yard or
driveway, not the foundations of the house", dash it! We were told of
some visible damage to concrete, not damage to the house. I hope the
OP would go straight to a structural surveyor, not liddle ole us, if
the house was showing signs of distress.

That said, if it's one of those Australian or American wooden houses
on concrete footings, I still wouldn't worry too much unless I were
planning to sell it. In the US, a lot of the time you may not get
much more than the site value anyway -- though even there that can be
substantial if you're in the right place.

--
Mike.