Question
Hello,
I have tree roots just below the ground and at the surface of my grass. My neighbor told me that you can lay newspaper down and put new sod on top of it. I was wondering if this is true/possible. My soil is clay like and there is no way of using a sod cutter as there are too many tree roots. I have already cut up many roots on the opposing side. Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Answer
Hi John;
Te only thing I have ever heard of for using newspapers is to use them for mulch.
You can put down about 6 or so layers of newspaper, and put bark mulch over it, to kep out weeds, but you have to be careful what kind of newspaper you use. No sheets with colored inks, they are deadly poison to plants, and no glossy ad sheets.
I can't see anything it would do to those tree roots.
You can dig down and cut the roots off, and even pull them out, but some of the branches of the tree ( the ones fed by those branches) are going to die out.
Several trees that people plant because they grow fast for quick shade, have shallow roots, and they tend to come up to the surface to get water.
When we bought this house, facing the hot west sun ( I live in North Texas), I planted a fruitless mulberry for fast growth, but because of the tendency for shallow roots, I watered it with a Ross root feeder.
I put the water where it would have to reach down to get it, not up close to the surface.
That was 43 years ago, and that stupid tree is still alive and healthy. They are supposed to only last about 24 or so years.
What you could do that would save you work, would be to build up your entire lawn. Put a retaining wall of rocks, bricks, stones, or railroad ties, put a wall around the trees, with enough room rot the trunks to grow, and then you can put as much soil on top of those roots as you want.
You just have to not pile soil up on the trunks of the trees. That smothers out the tree, and causes fungus and rot, BIG problems. If you build something around the tree to keep the soil off the trunk, and make it large enough to allow for the trunk to grow bigger, you can put a foot or two of soil without harming the tree.
To water it, just water the lawn as you normally should to encourage a deep root system for your grass. I always water at least 6 inches deep. Watering moe tha that, out to the drip line of the trees will help keep the roots down under the soil, so you won't have the shallow roots again, or use a root feeder to water  when the roots are.
Without seeing your lawn, it is hard to suggest what to do.
If I could see the lawn, I could recommend the easiest remedy, but I will just list all I can thionk of, hoping one will suit your needs.
If you can see the roots, and can dig between them, adding bark mulch to that soil, about half existing soil and half bark mulch, and till or mix that to get at least 7 or 8 inches of looser soil, and any soil you add, mix it with the clay like that.
Where you dig up soil, save it to mix to add to another area.
Cedar bark mulch is vest for it's insect repelling properties, and it takes 2 years for it to compost, as opposed to 1 year for other hard wood bark mulches. That 2 years gives you more time for the microbes to work and even out the PH and break up that clay.
Organics will eventually turn that clay into good soil.
If you can rent a tiller, if you don't have one, and just till between those roots, and make looser soil there, the grass roots and the tree roots can grow through.
It is also probable that the clay is so tight it kept water from going into the soil to the tree roots, so even oaks and other threes that normally have a deeper root system, would come to the surface to get water.
After you get the soil improved some, then I would lay sod for a faster lawn.
If any of this helps, and if you have more questions write me. I will keep thinking, and looking for more answers.
Charlotte