Cob: foundations, tree roots

[Rick Fisk]

I wonder if the "conventional wisdom" is in error or is recommended due
to the habit of builders to use a bulldozer in order to over-excavate
the building site.

I live in a house built from rock, quarried from this location,
constructed in 1890. The two live oaks which surround the house are less
than 15 feet away from the foundation and are 500 and 300 years old
respectively according to arborists who have examined them. The
circumference of the trees are at least 10-12 feet each which, if I am
reading correctly (1 foot away for every 1" in diameter) would mean that
the foundation would have to be almost 100 to 120 feet from the base of
the tree.

There isn't a lot of topsoil here and there is a great deal of limestone
on this site barely 3 feet under the surface.

If constructing a foundation so close to the trees cause irreparable
damage to them, you would think these two enormous oaks would have died
100 years ago. I'm sure that one has to be careful but perhaps not as
extremely so as is suggested. And perhaps the type of foundations and
excavation required to build a cob house (rubble and stone trenches
seems to be the favored) is not nearly as intrusive as the huge
excavations required for the traditional house.

Rick




> 
> I wonder if the trees being in rock, as you say you cannot excavate
> because you are
> on rock, if the tree's roots are in rock crevices, that this might
allow
> you to
> build amongst them?
> 
> H
>