This tree had to be removed. I would love to preserve as much of the porch as possible. But the stump has started to grow mold/decompose due to collecting water. Are there any options to remove this stump without having to tear out too much of the porch?
Edit: stump is approximately 3ft by 4ft
by stwadzle
11 Comments
Take out the boards and dig it up
With proper shielding and removal of the few shorts boards/or plywood decking you could reduce this with a walk behind grinder. That would at least allow you the ability to deck over the old stump.
To do it well and preserve the deck probably looking at 2 guys for a day. Not sure about rates in your area but where I’ve worked probably $1200-2000 depending on how much you can prep on your own.
Step one. Never build a deck around a tree. Never.
build a raised garden bed over top of it
How much time do you have? If it is rotting and moldy, accelerating that process will make it fairly easy to remove over a couple years. If you’re comfortable with a sawzall or angle grinder, you could try to remove as much of that wood as possible too.
[https://practicalselfreliance.com/natural-tree-stump-removal/](https://practicalselfreliance.com/natural-tree-stump-removal/)
[https://bunyonbros.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-tree-stump-decay/](https://bunyonbros.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-tree-stump-decay/)
You must get the root ball out else it will continue to rot. A grinder is the only way to go given the size of the stump. Expect to lose several floorboard for access.
Flamethrower
Honestly? Its either going to be expensive or back breaking.
I would personally disassemble that section of the deck so that a grinder could get in.
Belt sander with coarse paper and sand it down low enough to cover it and place boards over the top. Eazy peazy and cheap.
Call a stump grinder person. They’ll be able to shave it down enough where you could lay down new boards. You’ll need to lay new boards anyway and repaint. You shouldn’t need to get the entire stump removed, just enough to cover the hole and be out of sight and mind. Removing the boards yourself should be fairly straightforward.
Looks like a great place for a table.