Tricky stump removal- any pointers ?

[argonsixar]

So, I had two trees taken out last week as they were in danger of knocking down a garden wall. I now have two stumps that are pretty embedded in the foundations.
Having dug away the earth, I reckon I can probably cut away most of the roots. However, should I risk taking out the stumps, or just let them lie?

I am thinking it over. Anyone else dealt with something like this?

 

[mdvineng]

removing the stumps will most likely mean building a new wall!

 

[mk one]

You can cut out what you can get to, parallel with the wall and just cover it back up. Shame the stumps were not a bit taller as you could have turned it into a bench or something.

 

[argonsixar]

I mentioned this to a few mates. Looks like I will have a committee round to inspect it this week.

 

[TreaderSteve]

A colleague at work had the brainwave of jet-washing his root/ stump problem - it exposed it all with little fuss (well, except splash-back), and could then lop and chop to his heart's content.
I have found that once the radiating roots are dealt with there's a right mo-fo or two growing downwards - these have given me the sweats when trying to contend with them - and the stumps I'm remembering weren't anywhere as meaty as yours.

 

[argonsixar]

One mate wants to bring his Mattock and another wants to bring his felling axe. I am going to set up a deck chair and see how they get on.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Make sure they bring a trowel, cement, sand, a mixer, straight edge and a spirit level too

 

[Gtpulse]

The stumps/trees they once were have already had their impact on that wall, it’s pushed it up and cracked through the middle part.

I’ve removed a lot of stumps and they always need a bit more digging around and general access than it first looks like.

I think any further work on them and you’ll be needing to rebuild the wall. You could just leave as they are and cover over if that doesn’t impact what you put there.

If they’ve got to come out you could replace the wall with a fence? Also what’s on the other side as I think they’ll being removed would undermine that too.

 

[2manyoranges]

Another important thing - what species were the trees?

This affects whether they have a deep tap root or not. Obviously much easier if they don't.

Looking to the right of your picture I see a Rhododendron - if so that's good:

',....Their roots are shallow, meaning they don't have a large tap root...'

I've extracted a fair few roots in England and the Alps. It requires patient hack hack hacking with an axe which is sharp but you don't mind wrecking on stones. So I have a medium handle axe with a file ready to restore the edge. People use chainsaws on roots but this is VERY dangerous. The roots can have massive tension - big kickback on saw - and they can have stones stuck to them or embedded in them. This is NOT a chainsaw job.

There is a 'law of stumps': '...for any given stump, it will be solid and unmoveable for hours and hours after you think you have got it ready to be pulled out...'

But actually it's a job I like. A puzzle....

 

[Tootyred]

Problems won't be today, but in 10 years when the roots left underground rot away. The soil above then compacts down and the wall will follow it.

But you may have moved by then!