Green Thumb Tree Specialists’ Riley Sheldrick Explains How to Protect Mature Trees Near Fall Renovation Projects

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Ottawa and Russell homeowners wrap up fall renovation projects, Riley Sheldrick, founder of Green Thumb Tree Specialists and a tree removal and ISA Certified Arborist, is warning property owners that construction near mature trees causes damage that often goes undetected until the tree begins declining after work is complete.

Why Construction Damages Trees Without Homeowners Realizing It
The most common cause of construction-related tree death is root zone compaction. Heavy equipment and material storage within a tree’s critical root zone compress the soil, reducing oxygen and water availability. A tree that appears healthy after a home addition or pool installation may show significant decline, when root damage has progressed beyond the tree’s ability to compensate.

“The trees we are called to remove after construction projects are often ones that looked completely fine the year the work was done,” said Riley Sheldrick. “Homeowners are always surprised when we explain that the excavation for the driveway or the pool installation three years earlier is what killed the tree. Root damage is invisible until it is not.”

The Three Renovation Projects That Most Commonly Affect Mature Trees
Sheldrick identifies home additions, driveway expansions, and pool installations as the three renovation categories most frequently associated with mature tree loss. All three involve soil excavation or compaction within the critical root zone, which typically extends one to one and a half times the canopy radius from the trunk. Laying impermeable surfaces such as concrete or asphalt over the root zone eliminates the oxygen and water exchange the root system depends on.

What Homeowners Can Do
Sheldrick recommends consulting an ISA-certified arborist before any excavation near the drip line of a mature tree. A pre-construction assessment identifies root zone boundaries and determines whether protective fencing or alternative construction routes can reduce impact. Post-construction, tree pruning and soil decompaction treatments support recovery.

ABOUT GREEN THUMB TREE SPECIALISTS:
Green Thumb Tree Specialists is an Ottawa and Russell-based ISA Certified Arborist company founded by Riley Sheldrick in 2018. Free assessments are available with no obligation.