alexsmith

I just wanted to thank everyone for all you advice, you have put my mind at ease. I hadn't even considered the keeping the tree . We really like it, however it does create a lot of shade so we may look at just reducing the size a bit. Thanks Tom - I will get in touch if we decide to do anything. Sorry daltontree - I didn't realise that so many people had responded! Happy to send over any further details if you think this will allow a more objective opinion. Many thanks again for all your help everyone, it is very much appreciated

Hi I would like some advice for the best approach to remove a tree from my garden. We have recently moved into the house and during the sale we had a survey conducted. The survey recommended that we remove a silver birch tree from the garden and that we should do this gradually to reduce the chances of heave. Following this I spoke to a number of tree surgeons who all assured me that this practice is no longer used and that we should remove the tree in one go. The house is a Victorian terrace and was built around 1900 in Bristol BS3. I believe parts of Bristol have clay soil and are therefore susceptible to subsidence. The area is known to have previously been used for mining and I am therefore slightly worried that removing the tree may cause heave. The tree is a silver birch (I have attached some photos below). It is approximately the size of the two story house, with a trunk diameter of 90cm and is around 5m from the nearest property. I am considering the following options: 1) Consulting a structural surveyor for an opinion in the likelihood of heave 2) Removing the tree gradually 3) Removing the tree in one go I would be very grateful if anyone has any experience in this they could pass on. Many thanks in advance. Kind regards Alex