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Is it safe to remove a stump close to the house?

farhanr
Community Newcomer

Is it safe to remove a stump close to the house?

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Hi all, i have a stump approx. 500mm away from the house in an area that I would like to add a paved pathway to. Any words of wisdom on whether or not removing a stump close to the house would have adverse effects on the building if done properly? (i.e. using a stump killer to weaken the stump and roots over a few weeks/months and then removing with hand tools) FYI building is brick veneer on concrete stumps.

EricL
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Is it safe to remove a stump close to the house?

Hello @farhanr 

 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about the stump in your garden.

 

It does not appear to be a very large stump and it's possible that its roots are not that big and far reaching. However, I would still recommend engaging the services of a stump removal specialist. They will be able to determine if the stumps roots travel far beneath your wall. If the stump is dead one option is to cut the top as low as possible down into the ground. 

 

Having the stump out of the way will allow you to build your paved pathway without any worries.

 

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

 

Eric

 

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Nailbag
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: Is it safe to remove a stump close to the house?

Hi @farhanr 

 

I would have no issue removing that stump either professionally or doing the work yourself.  As with @EricL suggestion, it free to get a quote on having the stump ground down to essentially saw-dust and leaving the deep roots in place as they will die. 

 

Otherwise, I have removed several stumps that size myself, but never bothered with any form of poison. By simply digging deep all the way around and using a combination of an axe and a long pruning blade on my reciprocating saw to cut the roots. I just dig the blade in deep and cut away, then using a fencing crowbar to pry the stump out.

 

It's how I got this tree and subsequent stump out in the photos below.

 

Nailbag

 

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