Neighbor trees again :)

drogon.

I was looking at something similar and came across this link - https://www.treecouncil.ie/trees-and-the-law

My neighbour’s tree/hedge is far too high – what can I do?

 

There are no height limits for either hedges or trees and there is no legislation currently available in the Republic of Ireland to enforce a height restriction.

There is the opinion to seek a works order under Section 45, Land Conveyancing, Law Reform Act 2009, to reduce the height of the trees.

​

​

A tree outside my house blocks the light in my garden,

do I have a right to light?

 

Right to light is a specific and complex legal matter and you should seek independent advice on this.

 

A right to light exists only if the owner of a house can satisfy a court that he or she has enjoyed the uninterrupted use of that light for a period of greater than 20 years, before any legal action is brought about the light. This, however, only applies to the windows of a property and not to a garden.

Peregrinus

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117632819#Comment_117632819

But there won't be no sun hitting the house because of the trees; the trees are only 40 feet high, and they are 50 feet away. And presumably they don't fill the entire southern horizon from east to west. So they'll only cast a shadow on the house when the sun is (a) low in the sky, and (b) in a certain quarter. And even then they'll only block direct sunlight; there'll still be diffuse sunlight reaching the house.

So, they could block out some of the solar gain that the house might otherwise experience, but probably not very much. Without knowing the orientation of the house, the size and density of the stand of trees, the quality of the insulation, etc, it's really not possible to quantify this, but it's very unlikely that the trees are responsible for more than a tiny fraction of his huge heating bills. It could be nil; if the stand of trees is big enough their positive effect in sheltering the house from wind may exceed their negative effect in blocking direct sunlight.

GreeBo

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117635936#Comment_117635936

Yeah, so they block out the sun i.e. cast the house in shadow, during winter, which is when you most want solar gain due to it being cold?

If you think there isnt "very much" difference between being in the direct sun and being in the shade then this has been a wasted conversation on my part!

The trees may block some southerly winds from hitting the house, but a) these wont be that cold and b) unless the OP is in the habit of keeping his windows open while at the same time complaining about a cold house, I dont think the wind on the exterior is an issue.

Peregrinus

We're not told how much shadow the trees cast on the house, or for how long, or at what time of they day. We don't even know whether the trees are north, south, east or west of the house. And of course solar gain is at it's lowest in the winter; whatever adverse impact the trees are having will also be lowest then.

But I do note that the OP tells us that on a frosty day ice in his garden lingers in the shadow of the tree; he makes no similar claim about ice or frost on the walls, windows or roof of his house, which makes me think that either (a) the shadows don't reach his house, or (b) ice/frost doesn't form on it. And (b) would suggest that he needs to look at his insulation.

Discodog

Hypothetical thought but what if someone had solar panels & they became blocked by a neighbour's tree ?

IrishHomer

The hous is in total shadow in winter.

In summer it gets sun for a couple of hours in the morning and that's it.

We have no boundary walls just wooden stakes and wire fencing.

I had a sewerage system upgrade 6 years ago it cost me €8k And the installation companies warned me that the roots of the lilandai are in danger of choking my newly installed percolation pipes.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117635936#Comment_117635936

in the winter, the sun is always low in the sky.

" This angle, called the altitude or sun angle, varies throughout the year. Ireland’s position in the northern hemisphere means that the maximum sun angle ranges from approximately 11° to 15° in winter and from 58° to 62° in summer (depending on location)"

http://www.gillmacmillan.ie/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/058/Construction_Technology_Sample_Chapter.pdf

also, regarding them casting dappled shade; if they're leylandii they are quite capable of casting deep shade. i have a ~15m birch at the end of my garden, and the person behind has a large leylandii about the same height. the difference in shade they cast in winter is striking.

lastly, you asked the OP does he get much frost on his walls. i don't get frost on my walls; i don't think frost on walls is really that common at all.

Panrich

What about overhanging branches? Can branches that encroach on your property be removed?

I’m wondering if you could ‘thin’ the trees in that way.

magicbastarder

FWIW, we moved into this house in november 2012 and that winter/spring i removed a 35 foot long and probably 10-12 foot tall leylandii hedge which was in our garden, but running along the boundary between us and our neighbour (whose house is to the north of ours). she said it made a massive difference to her garden, which after that would thaw out much faster in winter and dry out faster after rain.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117631990#Comment_117631990

Most fair skin people actualy do need sun cream on a sunny Dec day, actually.