Ivy Tunk near house

 The large ivy all over the wall of a friends house came down in a
recent storm. I have cut it back to about 6 ft from the ground and
noticed that the trunk is about 6 - 8 ins.diameter. My friend wants to
keep it and not let it grow so rampant in the future ......... however
is concerned that as the roots are so near and in fact must be going
under the house would they be likely to cause any structual damage
etc.
Not sure of  name but it is the large leafed green & white varigated
leaf type.

Thanks for any help

 
It doesn't have a reputation for doing that.  And, if it has got to
that size without doing so, it probably won't.  But, as always,
free advice is worth what you pay for it, and you should get in a
professional if seriously concerned.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

 Nick Maclaren wrote:

structual

varigated

I wouldn't recommend ivy on a house wall, even on a wall without
windows. If you don't cut it back religiously twice a year it gets
into cracks or joins between wall and woodwork, widens them, and also
prevents air circulation and so may encourage timber decay. Once it
gets to the eaves, it can play the Devil -- even breaking slates by
growing between them. Like Nick, I've never heard of its roots doing
any structural damage, though. I'd say kill it off and replace with
Virginia creeper, wistaria, hydrangea petiolaris, vitis Brandt, or
something.

Mike.

 "Will" wrote

The advice to take professional advice is a good one as the situation can
be complicated and it also depends on the type of soil:

IME, structural damage is just as likely to occur from the dewatering of
the ground by trees and shrubs located close to foundations, whatever the
nature of the root system:  Certain subsoils (particularly "shrinkable
clays") need a good supply of moisture if they are not to contract and
cause subsidence.  This contrasts with the  tree damage and accompanying
soil "heave" that most people are familiar with, caused by invasive roots
from larger trees etc. which can physically disrupt the foundations

In the mid-90s, prolonged drought was a problem in (for example) some
soils in London, where reduced moisture in shrinkable clay caused some
Victorian houses to move which had never moved before.  In these cases,
any plants that exacerbate the moisture loss can add to the problem and
some large flats have watering systems around their foundations which keep
the subsoil moist and stable when droughts occur.

However, I've also known of cases where movement of soil *after* a large
well-established tree/shrub has been removed (and the soil then suddenly
becomes more saturated where it has previously been largely dry) has
caused expansion and movement of the foundations, where none had occurred
when the tree was still there.


-  Tom.

 Tom Bennett wrote:
<<snip>>
:: However, I've also known of cases where movement of soil *after* a
:: large well-established tree/shrub has been removed (and the soil
:: then suddenly becomes more saturated where it has previously been
:: largely dry) has caused expansion and movement of the foundations,
:: where none had occurred when the tree was still there.

This is more likely to be the roots rotting away and leaving voids IME.