redwood tree and building placement

Building proximity to redwood

Hi folks. I'm about to put up an 8X8 workshop in my back yard. The only decent place for it is quite near a redwood. The tree is about four and a half feet in diameter, and about forty-five feet tall. The shed, with its gravel foundation, would have one corner about four feet from the base of the tree. I'm not worried about what tree roots would do to the workshop, but am concerned about the tree; would the 8X8 building do any harm to it?

I hope I've posted this in an appropriate section...I'm new here.

Thanks,

Scot Steele, Petaluma, California

 

Yes, particularly if you're going to dig away any soil to put down the gravel foundations.

 

Also any concrete to keep posts steady won't do the tree much good. I have some dog loose boxes under a large wild cherry plum and it was built about 5 years ago. It is up off the ground on 4 posts so water is able to flow under the building. I have still had some branch loss but I think it may also be because of our drought.

Liz

 

Thanks, Liz and Michael.

 

Or put it on two timber "sleepers" which themselves could be set on gravel or pier blocks and would keep the bulk of the structure off the ground and preserve air flow and oxygen to most of the roots. You'd need a wooden floor, but that can make the rest of the structure easier to build and lifting it off the ground will definitely increase it's life span. You can put the framed floor directly on the pier blocks but the extra clearance with the sleepers will facilitate cleanup and air flow.

Ralph

 

Thanks, Ralph. This shed is going to be on a metal rail foundation, and very little will actually touch the ground...but it'll need a gravel area, about 3 or 4 inches deep.

Will the pressure of the building compress the roots under the shed?

-- Scot Steele

 

Re: Building proximity to redwood

If you have to excavate to lay a 8 inch gravel base, you will remove roots, and will likely get into some pretty large roots within 4 ft of the trunk of this tree. While Redwoods can be pretty decay resistant and tough, you want to avoid cutting large roots near the base of tree, as the wounds are not likely to heal, and will eventually decay, which may lead to decay in the lower trunk.

If you can lay the gravel down above existing roots, and don't have to dig much, a small shed like that shouldn't create significant soil compaction that would harm the roots of this tree.

 

Re: Building proximity to redwood

Thanks. It's just gravel on the ground with no root disturbance necesssary, so I guess we'll be OK. Thanks for your input.

--Scot