Root barriers aren't too bad if you're comfortable with a bit of digging. I installed one myself a couple years back—bought the barrier material online, rented a trench digger for half a day, and got it done in an afternoon. Saved a bunch compared to quotes from landscapers. As for gradual root pruning, I tried that after losing a birch to aggressive pruning...so far, my maple seems happier with slow trims. No flooding issues yet either, even with heavy rains lately.
Did something similar last year—rented a trencher and installed root barriers around a big oak. Honestly, hardest part was wrestling the trencher around tight corners. No flooding yet, but fingers crossed...heavy rains always make me a bit nervous.
Did the root barrier thing a couple years back myself—trencher rental definitely saved money, but man, my back still remembers those tight turns around the fence line. Honestly though, if you're in a flood-prone spot, it's worth the hassle. Haven't had serious flooding since, but every heavy storm still has me peeking out the window at 2 AM...just in case.
Definitely agree on the back pain—trencher was a lifesaver, but those tight corners are brutal. A few extra points to consider from my own recent experience:
- Did you install any drainage channels or French drains along with the barrier? I've heard mixed things about combining them but wondering if it makes a noticeable difference.
- Also curious about maintenance...do you find yourself needing to check or clear out roots regularly, or is it mostly set-and-forget?
- One thing I didn't anticipate was how quickly soil erosion can happen after heavy rains. Ended up having to reseed parts of my lawn way sooner than expected.
Still early days for me, so I'm also at the stage of anxiously checking windows at odd hours during storms...hoping that eases off eventually!
I went with French drains alongside my barrier, and honestly, I'd recommend it. I know some folks say it's overkill or unnecessary, but in my experience, it made a noticeable difference—especially during those heavy downpours. Before installing them, I'd get pooling water near the foundation even with the barrier alone. After adding the drains, that issue pretty much disappeared.
As for maintenance, it's been mostly hands-off for me. I do a quick check maybe once or twice a year just to make sure nothing's clogged or roots haven't invaded. So far, no major issues...knock on wood. But I guess it depends on your local vegetation and soil type too.
And yeah, erosion caught me off guard as well. I ended up planting some ground cover plants along slopes and edges to help stabilize things—worked better than reseeding alone. Might be worth considering if you keep having trouble spots.
The anxiety does ease up eventually, by the way. Took me a good year before I stopped jumping up at every thunderclap though...
