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Design Guidelines
Beautiful
Homes, Beautiful Trees
Feb 10, 2006
By
Kathy Evans, VP Environment, environment
lakeclaire.org
At times hardly a street in Lake Claire is without a construction project. These are good times for our neighborhood -- people are investing in their homes, people aren't moving away when they have children, the neighborhood looks great! We are fortunate to enjoy an eclectic housing stock -- from old to new, conventional to innovative -- along with tree-lined streets and a beautiful tree canopy.
According to Trees Atlanta (www.treesatlant.org), tree-friendly home renovations are possible if builders and homeowners give thought to the needs of trees before construction. Homeowners and contractors alike will benefit from the following tips for protecting mature trees during construction (adapted from Trees Atlanta).
10 tree-friendly rules to remember during construction.
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Prevent compaction of tree roots. Fence off as much of the Critical Root Zone of the tree as possible (1 foot radius away from the tree per inch diameter of the trunk). Root compaction is known as the silent killer of trees since the tree's decline often is not apparent until several years after compaction, a problem for buyers of new construction who purchase healthy-looking trees only to find themselves with shadeless yards and responsibility for costly tree removal a few years later.
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Spread 6 inches of mulch over the Critical Root Zone and in areas that cannot be fenced and will receive heavy traffic. Do not use heavy equipment to do this and remove 1/2 of the mulch at the end of construction.
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Avoid ripping or breaking roots. Clean-cut roots that have been ripped or broken.
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Do not prune branches that are over six inches in diameter.
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Remove as few branches as possible. The older the tree the less that should be removed. Minimize amputation of limbs!
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Tunnel or hand dig under major roots. Do not trench in the Critical Root Zone.
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Disturb as little of the Critical Root Zone as possible when designing additions and creating new driveways.
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Do not over irrigate trees to make up for root loss.
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Consider which trees are most important to protect. Middle-aged trees and groupings of trees are often easier to protect than an older single tree that is in decline. (Sometimes making hard, thoughtful decision will save more and healthier trees.) Native trees and trees with longer natural lifespans may be more important to protect than invasive or trees with short lifespans. (For example, water oaks may live only 100 years, while white oaks can live for several hundred years if undisturbed).
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Hire a certified arborist to help create and implement your tree protection, as well as care for your trees after construction.
For questions or more information, contact Kathy Evans at environmentlakeclaire.org
We hope to have information on the Lake Claire Comprehensive Plan and the Lake Claire Watershed Guidelines available on-line in the not-too-distant future.
lakeclaire.org