What kind of sidewalk will withstand tree damage better?
We’re in a landmarked neighborhood. A tree with a large and growing root has pushed up our bluestone sidewalk, creating a trip hazard. The Parks Department won’t let us touch the tree or the root. We can replace the sidewalk with cement or adjust and replace the bluestone. As we look into getting it fixed,…
We’re in a landmarked neighborhood. A tree with a large and growing root has pushed up our bluestone sidewalk, creating a trip hazard. The Parks Department won’t let us touch the tree or the root. We can replace the sidewalk with cement or adjust and replace the bluestone.
As we look into getting it fixed, I’ve spoken to one contractor who told me that, if we put down cement, the root will cause it to crack open and be much more expensive to fix. Another contractor tells me that we can put down the cement with some space for the root to grow, and we can recaulk it every couple years—whereas if we leave the bluestone it’ll keep getting dislodged and might crack.
I know bluestone is more attractive and more valuable and more expensive, and that Landmarks sometimes prefers bluestone, and that contractors sometimes want to replace the bluestone with cement so they can resell it. So all I’m asking here is which will better withstand the effects of this subterranian tree root. Thanks for any information.
I long for the days when people were able to walk over 1/2″, or even 2″ obstructions without the peurile excuse of ‘trip hazard’. I wish the city could pass legislation that said you couldn’t sue if you were incapable of walking like a normal human being. The amount of money we spend on ‘fixing’ things like this is absurd.
Putnamdenizen sounds correct. Only parks can touch the roots. It has been my recent experience that Parks is choosing to open the pits up much larger rather than shave the roots. Sometimes this leaves you with a tree pit as large as 10’x6’for a normal adult sized tree trunk. I would stick with the blue stone if it is in good shape.
BTW Have you ever walked down Third Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in PS? The blue stone is so out of level you need to actually step up to avoid tripping.
Try Kevin at 347 961 5544, he will give you a free estimate, he does really good work and is very reliable.
😛
Neither blue stone or the cement will be respected by the root, in my knowledge a slab of cement will be cracked and shifted up as the root takes shape and form growing bigger and stronger as well as the blue stone but the stone might have a better chance of just being shifted up due to its smaller size in square and may not be cracked but in some cases does occur also, both will do a good job of covering the root until they get shifted. The best would be to cut the root but we all know the answer to that. The only way i can imagine leaving space for the root to grow is to dig a trench under the root to lessen the movement of the cement or blue stone up top but what if it is a big root, i guess it all depends on how deep the root is also, maybe there is a possibility that it is deep enough that they will leave a space over it and between the cement or blue stone to grow but then wouldn’t that also leave a space under the cement too which would eventually crack under weather and foot pressure after a while. I would go with blue stone, i think it stands a better chance of just being uplifted rather than a big slab of cement being cracked and uplifted.
I am a bit confused. Are you sure that Parks wants the tree root to continue to thrust skyward causing a trip hazard?
Although the Parks Department won’t let you touch the root, normally they or a designated contractor will come and “shave the root” once you get the permit for the sidewalk repair and open up the sidewalk. Also, I would be surprised if Landmarks signed off on above mentioned sidewalk permit unless you promised to reset the blue stone. This is just a summary of what I have gleaned from previous threads on this issue.