Concrete and tree stumps

[patrickoneal]

I'm looking for advice about what to do about a tree stump. I had an oak tree, about 24" in diameter. I paid a tree service to remove it and grind the stump. I'd like to install a concrete driveway over the area where the tree was, but I've since learned that it isn't good practice to pour concrete over ground stumps. What can I do about it now, other than waiting years for the remains to rot and sink before I pour concrete? I think it was ground pretty deep, but I don't know what difference that makes. Is digging it out with a backhoe and compacting fill the only solution now?

 

[larry_g]

Is digging it out with a backhoe and compacting fill the only solution now?

Perty much. The woody material will rot and condense leaving voids that lead to broken concrete.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Milton Shaw]

I had to replace a drive way that I had tried that on. Dig it out, fill with crusher run compact the whole driveway and then still wait a year or two for it to finish settling. Took about 10 years before it really looked bad and by the time it was 25 it had dropped almost a foot. Broke the old driveway with a bobcat and hydraulic hammer into very small pieces and used it for fill in another part of the yard. Didn't have to have any of it hauled off.

 

[creativecars]

I would light it on fire and see what is left after it burns out. If it burns out well like mine did you could then chip the left over edges away, remove them, and fill the hole with some compaction rock.

 

[Kevin54]

Consider what concrete cost, then consider what it will cost on down the road PLUS having the stump dug out.

If it were me, and I was going to pour concrete, I would spend the money upfront and either rent a backhoe, or hire one to have the stump dug out, gravel put in, everything compacted, and THEN enjoy your new driveway.

 

[pepi]

Got to get the stump out no way around that.

 

[Cato]

Got to get the stump out no way around that.

Yes, do it right the first time or that stump will be haunting you for the next couple decades. Get out ALL the roots, fill, and compact well.

 

[Guster]

Another option is to drill a few big holes and fill it with stump remover if you have time on your side.

 

[bad_idea]

I'm in for the fire option. Let us know if the house burns too.

 

[Hinez Wengler]

Call and ask tree companys for a Vermeer 206 or equal walk behine. One guy driving and two with shovels and rakes you can remove every bit of wood in several hours. I drove mine 5 feet into a giant hole to get out a big Banyon tree in Guam. 3 days cutting and shoveling.

 

[Bighead38]

Call and ask tree companys for a Vermeer 206 or equal walk behine. One guy driving and two with shovels and rakes you can remove every bit of wood in several hours. I drove mine 5 feet into a giant hole to get out a big Banyon tree in Guam. 3 days cutting and shoveling.

No thanks I'll spend 30 min to an hour in a mini excavator and not touch a shovel. Plus with the mini there you can dig and grade for the concrete, then spread and compact the stone.

 

[ambenz]

I used the fire method...laid a 5lb bag of charcoal briquets in the area and fired it up with the starter fluid.
The whole stump smoldered for about 3 days....took a pick axe to the area and couldn't find any remains of the stump.
It was the easiest way if you don't have power equipment!

 

[coljar]

I had 3 huge maple stumps in the spot I was going to build my garage. My buddy sent one of his men down with their hoe and spent a day and a half removing the concrete floor from the old garage and those 3 stumps. Get 'em out of there and you'll be glad you done it right.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Like everybody else said, the stump has to go. Whether it's dug or burned out, it needs to be gone or the remains will rot and cause future problems.

I burned out a willow stump partially and then had it ground down. While he was grinding, the embers started to burn again. I did have some remains that have rotted away over the last couple of years and created some low spots. I think I interrupted the burning process with the grinding.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd burn it out and let it go for a week or so. Then make sure it was gone after that.

 

[patrickoneal]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I'm going to have to get it dug out, or I'll have trouble down the road.

The city I live in doesn't allow any form of open burning unfortunately, otherwise I'd already have a fire started.

 

[TommyK]

If complete removal (the best option) is not possible/practical you could bridge the area with a thickened area of concrete and some rebar.

 

[lynnbilodeau]

We put in a circle drive 4 years ago. I had to remove several small trees and one big oak with double trunks. One ROOT was 14 inches in diameter. Our drive is gravel, so I couldn't bridge the area. The whole trunk had to go.
Took about 6 hours to get it out with a combination of shovels, axe, chain saw and a tractor and chain. The tractor didn't come into the picture for the first 5 hours. Even if you don't have a tractor, you can do the same thing with a pick up (chain around the trunk). I was 57 at the time. Very sore at the end of the day, but that area has never moved after installing the drive.

If you are like most Americans, you need some exercise anyway.

 

[sz0k30]

you can do the same thing with a pick up (chain around the trunk).

With a 2 foot diameter stump??? NO WAY, NO HOW

 

[Fixnfly]

With a 2 foot diameter stump??? NO WAY, NO HOW

I once tried to pull a 12'' diameter stump out with my Chevy (the one to the left). I figured since the stump was rotted, it would not be much of a problem... WRONG. After about 5 attempts and the smell of a burning clutch I gave up. It was embarrassing.

 

[creativecars]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I'm going to have to get it dug out, or I'll have trouble down the road.

The city I live in doesn't allow any form of open burning unfortunately, otherwise I'd already have a fire started.

My dad lived in a city like that, he set a bbq grate on some blocks placed around the stump and charcoal inside Tossed a hotdog on it every couple hours if someone were to stop.
Where there's a will there's a way.

 

[Vern122576]

Just jumping in on the band wagon. No way around removing the stump. there's a dozen ways to do it. stinks right now, but big regrets later if you don't.

 

[Shootingblanks]

I just hand dug out my tree stump this spring with a spud bar, shovel, mattock, ax, hatchet and shovel. Knocked it out in an afternoon but was a lot of work for one person.



Then once I got all the roots cut and removed around the stump, I loosened the dirt under and around the stump and pulled it out with a truck.



Growing up in the country we would just burn the stumps for days. But know that I live in the city burning was not an option for me.

 

[lynnbilodeau]

With a 2 foot diameter stump??? NO WAY, NO HOW

Did you read the part of the post that said the tractor wasn't in the mix until 5 hours in? That means that I spent five hours cutting roots with an axe, digging, cutting more roots with an axe or, if I could get it exposed enough, with a chain saw. I was just posting the short version. I did not just walk up to the stump with a chain and a tractor and pull it out. That too, would be no way no how. I only used the tractor and chain to pull the stump a little bit at a time and then cut more roots. Any yes, you could do the same with a truck. Didn't say the truck would be ideal.

 

[spotco2]

We used to burn stumps out until we set a hay field on fire that was about 150 yards away from a stump that had been smoldering for several days. The roots smoldered under ground and somehow managed to travel via other roots over to the field. That was a mess.

Get the stump out now. It's work, but it's not bad work if you do it by hand and have a helper or three. A back hoe or excavator is ideal.

Something else to think about is getting rid of it once you get it out of the ground. If you do it yourself, you have to have a way to move it and a place to put it. If you hire someone to come in, usually they will just take it with them.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You CAN do it with one of those 1 man Toro rentals from HD, but it might take a couple of days !

As you go deeper, the hole has to get wider. Wide enough to get the grinder down into the hole ! This mean stopping every 15 minutes or so and shoveling out the dirt and wood chips. Expect to have a hole 15-20' in diameter about 1-2' deep (to get all of the roots) and then an inner hole 10+' in diameter 3-4' deep to get the stump out.

 

[ph1gering]

Get it out.... I had 4 of them to do, dug around them and yanked with the truck.. When you have it cut leave a bunch of trunk the higher the better more leverage.

If i had to do over i would have dug around them first, then pushed them over with the tractor. Only if you have space to fall the tree..

Couple vids in my thread - http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=244032

 

[ffjosh]

if you have a old chain saw blade/chain or can rent one (haha) it can help make your life easier.

 

[zkdiesel]

i removed 20 stumps this month with my work truck, takes about 5 min per tree and 3/4 of roots come with it.
the easy way! just did two today for a neighbor, I can usually yank trees up to 18" diameter as long as my outriggers can get proper anchoring and I have a stump 5'+ tall to leverage