Question
I hope you can help me with my pine tree problem. We have a pine tree which is about 8/10 feet from the house at one corner. Its probably 25/30 feet tall although I'm unsure of its age. I've lived here for 20 years and it was here when I arrived. It's already created problems with roots damaging the driveway and the road which is even closer to the tree than the house. I'm concerned that it may affect the house foundations. I've received a number of quotations to 'deal' with the problem which seems to involve chopping it down. This would not necessarily resolve the problem. The tree is stable. Not knowing what step to take next I was planning to dig down below a path between the tree and the house to find out the state of the roots and whether they are interfering with the foundations. I'd very much appreciate your advice, Jim.

Answer
Normally pine roots tend to go down into the soil instead of spreading out.With pines there is little risk of the tree roots causing foundation problems. The only risk is possible wind damage from a severe storm. Not enough to think about taking the tree down. Pines live 60-80 years so if the tree is about 20+ it is "young". As long as the foliage is fairly dense and green and Healthy looking you should have nothing to worry about.  
 
CONFIRM THE INVOLVEMENT OF TREE ROOTS FIRST Before any tree is cut down, the presence of tree roots at the base of the foundation should be confirmed. Many trees have been cut down needlessly just because they were nearby. Roots normally grow horizontally and not very far beneath the soil surface. Sometimes when roots encounter the looser backfill soil near the foundation, they can abruptly start growing down. You may be able to locate these roots, if they exist, by digging a foot or two deep within a few feet of the foundation. If you find a suspect root, cut it off. Unfortunately, in some cases excavation down to the base of the foundation may be necessary. This may have to be done anyway to repair and stabilize it. Cutting the roots should prevent future problems, especially if a root barrier is installed to prevent re-growth.