I third the motion to reroute the sewer line. Get some college kids, buy
them a case of beer (but they drink it "after" they dig the trench) and
have them dig the trench. The airspade might be feasible.

A 50 year old oak tree is probably worth $6-7000 (check the IRS) in
value to your property.

Driveway. Consider a low impact application that would cost less and be
less damaging for this valuable tree - premeable pavers.
http://www.pavestone.com/commercial/...grasstone.html
Concrete pavers with holes in the middle to let water permeate the water
table and supply the roots. Even after you disconnect the food supply of
the terracota line, the tree will do just fine. Grasstone won't slow
damage the tree. Assists in recapturing rainwater and recycling it and
keeping on your property. Grow grass in the center, fill with soil or
fill with pebbles.

The lumber is preying on you and your condition and they'll make all
kinds of money destroying a habitat structure in your front yard.

J. Kolenovsky

juggler wrote:
=

Hi. My first post here. I'm in the throes of a plumbing nightmare. We
have a lovely 50-year-old oak tree in our front yard that's wreaking
havoc on our 50-year-old terra cotta sewage pipes. The sewer line is
right under the tree. So with old pipes, we've had a recurrent problem
with roots clogging the line, and subsequently causing an overflow of
raw sewage into the basement. It hasn't been pretty. We've been
putting off the inevitable -- having the tree taken down, having the
old sewer dug up, and having a new sewer put in.
=

My concerns, and I have more than I can count, all keep coming down
to:
=

--Will roots continue to grow after the oak tree is taken down? Should
the stump be grinded to prevent this? Does anyone know the behavior of
oak trees in this regard? And how deep do oak-tree roots go? Is there
a concern for the landscape or foundation (the tree is terribly close
to the house) once the roots start to die?
=

--And would you trust a lumber company who might be willing to take
the tree down for free? I'm concerned that they don't have the
tree-sense of a licensed arborist. I've gotten estimates from $1200 to
$2100 from arborists to take the tree down. And the lumber company may
do it for free, so that's awfully tempting. Especially considering the
plumbing costs and cost to lay down a new driveway, partially.

-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal