Roots in my driveway

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DCGuy

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Oct 9, 2020
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washington, DC
I bought my house 3 years ago and am finally getting around to my miserable driveway. A Silver Maple next to it decided to that it wanted the space instead of letting the driveway be at peace. So, now the concrete is cracked all over the place and een a large slam is lifted up about 3 inches. Yesterday I started breaking up the concrete to see how close tto he surface the tree roots are and what I am in for. Sadly, the roots are at the surface and I am stuck without answers. The questions are, since I am in a row house and can not move my driveway, what are my options? Is there a permeable driveway product (not pavers) that I can use instead of concrete to set over the roots again that is less likely to crack (by the way, they raised my driveway consideably and it is now difficult to walk under the deck without hitting my head)? Can I cut the roots without damaging the tree (there are (2) 4+" diameter roots along the surface)? Other thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This tree has been nothing but a pain, but I respect that and want to learn to live with it... I like it's canopy and shade.
 
I bought my house 3 years ago and am finally getting around to my miserable driveway. A Silver Maple next to it decided to that it wanted the space instead of letting the driveway be at peace. So, now the concrete is cracked all over the place and een a large slam is lifted up about 3 inches. Yesterday I started breaking up the concrete to see how close tto he surface the tree roots are and what I am in for. Sadly, the roots are at the surface and I am stuck without answers. The questions are, since I am in a row house and can not move my driveway, what are my options? Is there a permeable driveway product (not pavers) that I can use instead of concrete to set over the roots again that is less likely to crack (by the way, they raised my driveway consideably and it is now difficult to walk under the deck without hitting my head)? Can I cut the roots without damaging the tree (there are (2) 4+" diameter roots along the surface)? Other thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. This tree has been nothing but a pain, but I respect that and want to learn to live with it... I like it's canopy and shade.


pictures & site map could help us provide answers as there are often remedies or work arounds for tree roots vs
 
Maples are the worst for this! Easiest and best solution, Get rid of the tree, roots and redo the driveway.
How big is the Silver Maple? As ElevatorGuy said, they can be a pain and are often planted in the wrong place - too close to a house, overhead wires, or driveway. You are probably raking up a ton of leaves each Autumn, right?
 

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