If a tree is being removed due to subsidence

[kitkatcoffee]

would it just be cut down leaving a stump, or should the whole thing be pulled out of the ground? It's a very mature tree with large root system which has caused significant visible subsidence.

Does anyone know? Thank you

I don't know what "should" happen, but in our case (trees not on our property) they were cut down. Too big to pull from the ground! My understanding is that the roots are expected to die away once the trunk is cut.

Sometimes they need to cut it down in stages, as if they kill it there'll be nothing left to take the moisture from the soil and this can result in heave... the opposite to subsidence.

Yes ideally cut down in stages. Branches off leave trunk. Then next year remove trunk and roots. That said, I had a huge lime planted literally next to my house removed due to subsidence and had the stump ground too - It was right by the steps to my front door and I was not going to have people falling over it in the dark.

No heave at all. I think I was lucky though.

Heave is more likely in clay. Water in gravel soil can wash away around the foundations. If you get away with it that’s a good result.

You need a qualified arboretist. We had a tree taken down in stages over 3 years. It was clay soil and so there is a risk of heave if not done incrementally. Basically, a massive tree drinks huge amounts of water and so its sudden removal would flood the soil from the water table causing heave and thus subsidence. This is controlled if brought down in stages. You can choose whether to have the stump removed. I've seen some examples of houses where they've had them carved or fashioned into a seat.

Thanks everyone for your replies it is really helpful! It is a tree that has been cut down by our local council, they have left the stump so I wasn't sure what the usual process was

You need to keep an eye on your house in that situation. Look for any movement of walls which would be evidenced by cracks.

Just to add to @WorriedMutha comment above. Heave is completely different to subsidence. Heave is where the ground swells due to excess water retention. The walls of the house are typically pushed outwards. So cracks can appear around ceiling/wall join. Subsidence is where the ground is too dry and shrinks. The house effectively sinks. So they are very different but hopefully there won’t be any change to the stability of your house.

I hadn't appreciated the difference between heave and subsidence though I can see how they behave differently. They nevertheless both seem to cause a movement menace even if this manifests in different ways.
OP I would definitely keep an eye out for cracks and get on to the Council if you spot any problems.

Would the cracks appear both downstairs and upstairs? We have noticed a few crack in our bathroom, it goes horizontal along where the wall meets the ceiling, but our bathroom is upstairs and the furthest room away from the tree so I'm assuming it's not related?

I've just looked and we do have a crack horizontal above our front door - but our house is quite old and hasn't had much TLC for a while, so I'm thinking these are likely just wear and tear?

Is it vertical cracks that are the ones to worry about?

Thank you again, I'm grateful for the help

We had this. Tree cut down by tree surgeon and something put on the trunk so it wouldn't grow anymore. All organised by our insurance company so I assumed that it was the correct process!

We've just had a tree felled and they inserted something into the stump which will mean it rots away eventually. You can't see that whatever it is has been inserted.

Probably not related. Look for windows not opening and doors sticking first. A tree has a very wide circle of roots though so keep checking for any damage to the house that’s new. Heave usually pushes a house outwards (if that makes sense). So windows and doors are affected by movement of the walls away from the ceilings. This is worst case though but keep checking.