In article ,
says...

john royce;845678 Wrote:
Sixteen years ago I moved into this house and the small front garden was

covered over in red tiles. On learning that there was substantial
hardcore
under the tiles I decided not to dig them up, so I heaped about 18 to
20
inches of soil *on top* of the tiles.

I then planted this pine tree in the photo, (see tinypic link)
believing
that the roots would merely travel along *on top* of the tiles.

http://tinyurl.com/o6v6hk

Recently a tree man knocked at the door and said he thought that
almost
certainly the roots have found there way downwards through the tiles.
If
this is the case I'm worried about the house foundations since the tree
is
so very near the front wall.

Would anyone kindly explain to a complete novice what would be the
basic
steps I should now take in dealing with this tree which might be a
serious
threat to the house. Thanks.

That looks awfully like a Cedrus deodar, not a pine. The Deodar can
grow to some 70 feet or more and is not a good tree for a small garden.
I woulds plan to remove it and find something more suitable for the
space and conditions. Any tree will force its roots downwards to where
there is accessible water, and any tree which only has its roots along
the surface of tiles in the way you suggest is likely to be highly
unstable.

If it is a question of whether the roots are affecting your neighbour's
drains, you can find out by organising a survey of the drains by camera.





I agree its a cedar and its right in front of a window, now its got its
feet down it will start to "really" grow! up till now its just been
biding its time. Get it down now while you still can without a second
mortgage, if you want a replacement conifer there are lots of smaller
growing ones but try and chose one that can be pruned as even the dwarfs
can get big over time
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea