Urgent tree advice please ?

The purchase of the bungalow we hoped to buy has fallen through and today we have been to see another one which has a fabulous garden !
But there is one heck of a tree in the garden which looks like its keeling over ! The main trunk is leaning over and the tree is simply huge !
Can anyone advise what it is ? Its a weeper of some sort but thats as far as I can say. I think it needs pretty urgent cutting on a big scale !
Also is the wood from whatever this tree is suitable for burning ?
I'm thinking to sort a tree this large is going to cost upwards of £800 so the wood if suitable would be a bonus .
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Because bungalows go so fast we may offer on it tomorrow after our second viewing this afternoon. Any advice much appreciated !

Thanks !

 

Hi @Charlie996, I'm not great on trees but it looks like a wheeping willow to me. You could have the top taken out. As for burning the wood, it would be fine in a log burner but not on an open fire, willow spits. I hope that helps.
Good luck with the purchase if you decide to press on with it.

 

I'm just thinking @shiney has just had the top taken out of a tree I believe from memory that was a wheeping willow, it might be worth you sending him a PM?

 

Thanks for the replies ! It is close to the bungalow and now I know what it is it raises the question of roots. It seems the roots of these trees can be destructive and cause problems . The drainage at the rear of the property is not working so I suspect it's root damage.
Like nearly all bungalows it's being vacated by a very old person and little or no maintenance has been done since God was a lad ..

Thanks again !!

 

Lovely trees. Id try and keep it myself. It consumes huge amounts of water which is great in a boggy garden but can cause trouble if its been forced to look in yours drains for its water.

If its draining your garden without doing any damage to your drains and you remove it you may find that your garden gets boggy if you remove it ?

Removal may cause your foundations to rise or fall also so Id check that first before you reach for the chainsaw.

 

Yep, they Whomphing willows will search out water, took one out myself last year bit by bit.

 

Yes, removing a Willow of that size can cause 'heave' (lifting of foundations that will cause as much damage as subsidence), especially if you have a clay subsoil that will rehydrate after felling.

Seek professional advice from an Arboriculturist + Structural Engineer.

 

Yes, yes and yes!!
(Can you tell I have a little experience of this?)

 

Mr Kandys sister has a willow tree that was put in the back garden in the sixties when the house was built and had been put in by the first people that lived in the house so it had grown very large and the roots have run under the extension and house foundations and they have been told that because it has sucked all the water from out of the surrounding clay soil they have been advised that if they try to have it removed it will do more harm to the house and extension than if they left it in place,so every year they have the top took out of it and then they leave it to grow again before having it topped out again.

I personally wouldn't buy a house that has one in the garden unless the house is over three hundred foot away from the tree.I think these trees look better at the side of a river where they can suck up water from the river and they are usually out of harms way and they look so much nicer than stuck in someone's postage stamp sized garden.

Good Luck though if you go for this bungalow and every success with the sale

 

Thanks for the replies ! The tree is approx 7 to 8 metres from the bungalow and stands about 50 feet high. It really is one huge tree and reading on the net suggests a whole raft of problems are likely !

The bungalow requires complete and total renovation and after giving it consideration and given its very hefty price tag we have decided we won't offer on it.

The information is not wasted though as I now know much more and it will retained for later on .

 

I think you have made a wise decision there @Charlie996

 

Give em a price for taking the tree down

 

Personally I wouldn't touch it either Charlie. I've had problems with a neighbours conifer hedge damaging my drains and foundations and that hedge was only 15ft high. Willows are notorious for damage and they are also protected so you might have had trouble getting permission to have it removed, even though it was leaning.

If in doubt, don't do it! It's not worth the risk when you're considering a future home.

 

I had to dig up the drive at this house due to damage to the drains from the neighbours conifers which fortunately have now been completely removed ! The roots had destroyed everything in their path meaning total replacement. It cost a few quid to hire a big shovel and a few more to replace the drains and concrete them in to be sure further damage would not ensue as at that time the conifers were still there.
My wife said that tree was a weeping willow but its always better to ask ! I thought it was far to big to be a willow but I know nowt about trees !

Thanks you all for the advice !
Work in progress


Finished article.