Trees tend to often be disregarded during the design process of a new building, but they may be more crucial in the future. And do not think you are off the hook in case you are do not intend to remove some trees to make way to your expansion, renovation or new build. Assembling anywhere close to a tree of importance (even if it is not in your property) can bring with it regulations which may make you modify your decoration and design style or restrict your ability to construct in any way. It is ideal to know where you stand with trees or near your premises early, prior to the design process will get underway – you will be saved from future headaches.
Do some early research
Before you begin on preparing your new or remodelled house or purchasing new outdoor furniture, call up the regional council and inquire about their tree security coverages or ‘Tree Protection Local Laws‘. This will notify you of all the various elements of handling trees inside or close to your chosen location. Occasionally these records can be somewhat user unfriendly, so let us take a peek into a few of the crucial elements you need to know.
Find out the name of the tree
The very first step would be to identify what sort of trees that you have, particularly those standing in the way of your planned extension or home. This is ordinarily regarded as the tree’s botanical name, composed in italics (for example, Arbutus unedo). There are a number of fantastic books, tree and apps databases available which could help you to identify trees. Hiring arborists from tree cutting companies is a certain way to ensure you have identified one of the trees by its appropriate name.
Evaluate its significance
Once you’ve identified the species of this shrub or tree, you then have to establish whether the tree is an ‘important,’ ‘canopy’ or a ‘significant’ tree.Various councils will have different prerequisites and definitions of these demands, therefore it’s ideal to check prior to making any sort of evaluation.
Substantial trees may frequently be recorded on a register available through the council. These trees have a high priority to be kept and having them in your premises or in your neighbours can affect your design radically if you’re planning to build too near them.
Canopy trees can often be determined through dimensions outlined from the council. The dimension of this trunk is typically measured in the DBH (diameter at breast height), which is anywhere between 1.3 and 1.5 metres in height, based on which council area you reside in. Then you will have to use the trunk circumference you have gotten together with the tape measure and then convert the length into a diameter. With this dimension you need to have the ability to ascertain whether your tree is a canopy tree or not.
The issue moving forward
If a tree is decided to be an ‘important’ or ‘canopy’ tree and you’re thinking about constructing or renovating anywhere near it, then you would be much better off to consult with local tree arborists about your choices for moving ahead.
The arborist will determine the structural origin zone, tree protection zone and crown drip line. They will then have to ascertain if these will be relevant to your particular case. This is only because these zones are decided through industry-standard formulations and cannot take into consideration terms specific to your own property.
A number of the most significant factors determining the evaluation is:
- What type of species is your tree?
- How does it respond to several environmental conditions?
- How far-spreading are the tree’s roots?
- Can it be tolerant of heavy pruning?
- Does it respond well to compaction or water logging?
Then you will find the site-specific conditions and regulations:
- Are certain regions round the tree compressed, concreted or solid?
- Are there any water resources nearby which could have attracted the origin system to a place not near your planned construction?
These are conditions which may affect what your tree protection zone and structural origin zone really are.
Inspect and quantify
Once more, an arborist will have to ascertain the relevant requirements and tree species characteristics and prove them for the council, ensuring that the tree won’t be ruined or bothered by your proposition. A method to ascertain exactly where the origins are from is via ‘air spading’. This entails excavation of the soil via a specially made air-pressured hose, helping prevent harm to existing roots.
Your arborist will then record the extent and health of their roots and could even encourage an arborist from the council to come and inspect the tree themselves. More conventional procedures of excavation, like having a spade, crowbar or trenching, can seriously damage roots and cause harm to the tree.
Infrared or thermal imaging technologies may also be utilised without harm to existing origins, although the precision of them can be questionable and also the price quite costly. That is dependent on which owner and equipment is utilised.
Be environmentally conscious
If in the end, it’s decided that your proposal does fall within the tree protection zone, then a tree protection program will have to be established outlining the way your layout will minimise any disturbance to the topic tree. This might be though specific construction methods, management of the location throughout construction, cantilevering constructions, permeable surfaces and so forth. A joint conversation with your arborist, builder and architect and interior stylist will establish the best result for your own design.
If you absolutely want to make certain that your tree isn’t damaged during the building process, bonds could in reality be set on trees and are sometimes required by councils. This is a means to make sure no damage occurs to a tree. In most cases it’s ideal to consult specialists in the area when dealing with trees around your house to guarantee you, your architect, arborist and builder all possess the same aims of keeping your trees, and possibly incorporating them into the end house design.
