Good tip about angling the trench away from the foundation—wish I'd thought of that sooner. When I put in plastic edging last summer, I didn't consider drainage at all, just went straight for aesthetics. Turned out decent enough, but a month later after some heavy rains, I noticed a mini pond forming near the corner of my house. Not exactly the water feature I was going for...
Ended up redoing part of it and adding some gravel underneath to help with drainage. It seems to have done the trick, but now you've got me wondering if angling would have been easier. Curious though, did you have to do anything special to deal with tree roots? I've got a maple tree nearby that seems determined to invade every part of my yard—I swear those roots have minds of their own.
I feel your pain with those maple roots...had the same issue last spring. I ended up carefully cutting back some of the smaller invading roots (nothing too thick or close to the trunk) and placed a root barrier along the edging trench. Worked surprisingly well so far.
Glad to hear the barrier worked out for you—I was considering something similar. I'm dealing with a massive oak that's decided my driveway is prime real estate for its roots. I spent a weekend last month carefully trimming back some of the smaller offenders. Didn't touch anything thicker than my thumb though, since I'm paranoid about stressing out the tree (and having it topple onto my roof during the next storm, lol).
I've read up on root barriers, but there seems to be mixed opinions online about how effective they are long-term. Some folks swear by them, others say it's just a temporary fix and the roots eventually find their way around or under. Did you use one of those heavy-duty plastic barriers or go for metal sheeting? I'm leaning toward plastic because it's easier to handle solo, but I'm worried it might not hold up over time.
Either way, sounds like you've won this round...hopefully my oak gets the hint too!
"I'm leaning toward plastic because it's easier to handle solo, but I'm worried it might not hold up over time."
Yeah, plastic barriers are definitely easier to manage alone, but they can warp or crack after a few years. I went with metal sheeting—tougher install, but zero regrets so far.
Metal sheeting's definitely solid, but honestly, it can be a real pain if you're working solo. I get the appeal of plastic—lightweight, easy to handle—but yeah, durability can be hit or miss. A few years back, I helped my neighbor install plastic barriers around his yard to block out some stubborn maple roots. Seemed great at first, but after a couple of harsh winters and hot summers, the plastic started cracking and shifting. Eventually, we ended up pulling it all out and replacing it with metal anyway... talk about double the work.
"I went with metal sheeting—tougher install, but zero regrets so far."
Can't argue with metal's longevity, though. My only gripe is that installing it alone can get tricky fast—especially if you're dealing with uneven ground or tight spaces. Did you have any issues getting yours lined up straight? I remember wrestling with mine for hours trying to get everything level and secure.
One thing I've wondered about is whether anyone's tried using composite materials—like those deck boards made from recycled plastics and wood fibers. Seems like they'd offer a decent middle ground between ease of handling and long-term durability. I've seen them hold up well for decks and fences, so maybe they'd work as root barriers too? Curious if anyone here's experimented with that yet...
