# How to Design a Patio Over Tree Roots
Roots grow a few inches beneath the surface of the ground to collect the oxygen and water that trees need to survive. The main roots are located within tree's drip line -- the outer boundary of the tree canopy. Damage to the roots is detrimental to the tree. Some trees can withstand site disturbance more easily than others, but as a rule, construction should be avoided within that drip line. The optimum material for a patio is wood decking; it can be placed just above the ground, with minimal excavation and compaction required for quality construction.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
Instructions
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Determine the drip line of the tree and plan construction outside of it. Plan the patio circulation around the tree by angling or curving it outside the drip line.
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Avoid elevation changes near the tree. Select the material that requires the least invasive construction near the tree and the least alteration of the grade.
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Choose interlocking brick for on-grade patios. Employ best practices for construction but maintain the no-construction zone around the drip line of the tree.
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Select pressure-treated decking for a patio that can be elevated even slightly above the grade. Plan the excavation for foundation work and structural members away from the drip line of the tree.
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Decks & Patios
- How to Build Over Existing Patio Footings
- How to Lay Sod Over Tree Roots
- How to Kill a Fruit Tree & Its Roots
- How to Make a Walkway Over Large Tree Roots
- Paving a Driveway Over Tree Roots
- How to Kill Tree Roots With Salt
- How to Kill Tree Roots in Greenhouses
- How to Kill a Tree Trunk
- How to Build a Fence Near Tree Roots
- How to Design an Entertainer's Backyard
- How to Design a Backyard Patio
- How to Remove Oak Tree Roots
