How to lay paving under a jacaranda tree?

[finchy]

Hi - building a 40 x 40 mm cement paver courtyard under the jacaranda, and some  roots appear to go right to my foundations.

Instead of cutting out this lovely tree, we have opted to 

- cut the offending roots back almost to the trunk

- cover the reduced  roots and the soil above, with waterproofing so the tree searches for water elsewhere

- water the tree heavily near the trunk on that side so it doesn't want to search for water.

I know I chose the dumbest place for paving (sand base) but it is the perfect spot  to relax. 

I would greatly appreciate all your ideas and suggestions on this, Ive ordered the gravel, sand and gaps filler, and have the timber ready for formwork. 

Thanks for reading this. Finchy. 11.10.25

[JacobZ]

Hi @finchy,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you join us.

To start with, did you have any photos of the area that you could share with us? This would help our members understand the situation, see the problems you are describing and make recommendations based on what they can see.

Let me know if you need some assistance uploading images. I am happy to help if required.

I have got a few questions about your plans, just so I can wrap my head around things.

How mature and how large is this jacaranda tree? Is it older than, let's say, 10 years old? Is it taller than about 4-5 metres?

How thick are these roots? How many are there?

It would all depend on the specific conditions of the tree, but it sounds like action that drastic would have a pretty high likelihood of killing or severely destabilising your jacaranda tree.

When we can see what you are working with, I'd be happy to comment further and provide assistance where I can.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob