I used to think those cheap plastic root barriers were junk, but one saved a client's driveway.

A homeowner in Tacoma had a big maple pushing up their concrete, and they'd already put in a cheap 18-inch barrier from a box store a few years back. I was ready to dig it all out, but when we cut the concrete, the roots were all turned sideways right at the barrier line, so we just pruned them back and repoured. Has anyone else had a surprisingly good result with a simple product they didn't trust at first?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren9785d ago

My buddy in Spokane had a similar thing with a blackberry bush. He put in a basic 24-inch deep barrier from the hardware store, the kind that comes in a roll. Five years later, that aggressive runner was still completely contained on one side of his property line. He was sure it would have failed by now.

the_faith4d ago

We had a client in Bellingham with a willow tree about ten feet from a sewer line. They installed a 30-inch deep barrier from a garden center, the kind you just pound into the ground. Seven years later, we had to inspect that line for another issue, and the roots had hit that barrier and grown straight down instead of sideways toward the pipe. It was a total win for a fifty dollar product.