pictures please.

I have been trying to add a photo to the main post but have been unsuccessful. I will try to load it to this comment.

intact water lines are not an issue... other than in digging the hole for planting ... and trust me.. you know when you have a water leak ....

tree roots are a potential issue.. with VERY OLD sewer lines that involved terra cotta pipes packed with oakum . ... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sewer+pipes+packed++tree+roots&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

if you have newer pvc sewer pipes.. it will never be an issue .... as tree roots do not carry drills to break into pipes .... lol ..

trees do not cause holes in pipes.. they can only take advantage of pre existing problems ... so if you have a newer house.. just forget about it ...

i would also like pix... and in the mean time.... is the deck elevated at all .. and how big is your yard ... why do you need to jam the tree real close to the house/deck ... its not really going to solve your issue faster ....

also.. with trees .. we talk about years.. and years.. and decades ... you are not going to solve this problem with trees with any level of instant gratification ... and perhaps.. we can offer suggestions otherwise ...

but for sure.. you ought to come up with a plan for trees to take over the issue.. when the quick fix starts rotting away ...

i moved in the house 20 years ago ... and i planted some trees... and just in the last few years.. are the trees solving the issue ...

and finally.. where are you ... tree suggestions might differ by location.. big city name is good enough ....

a pergola of some sort.. is probably your quick fix .... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pergola&t=ffcm&ia=images&iax=images

ken

Hey Ken thanks for the reply. I am new to the forum and am working on the photo issue. I am an hour west of Asheville NC in the mountains, and the deck is appt 8 feet from the ground. If waterlines won’t be an issue, I don’t have to plant the trees so close to the deck. I will check out the pergola link!

I would group small trees--about 30 ft maximum height--all around the deck, some at a little distance, some closer. Plot it all out on paper to help you establish where to plant each one. Layers of small trees and maybe a couple of large trees some distance from the house with the smaller ones as understory. It would also help cool the house, which is simply baking in the sun.

Remember that the sun is your friend in winter and possibly spring and fall too. You want it streaming through the windows and warming your roof at least some part of the year, and probably enjoy basking in it on the deck. So that should steer you away from towering evergreens to deciduous trees. Also think about the view you want to preserve. It doesn't look like privacy is a concern. Choose your trees to create a canopy.

It looks like if two medium-ish trees were off the long side of the deck, flanking the steps, that would be sufficient to provide good shade to the deck. That location is also not directly in line with windows, so no impeding the view.

There is a vague, general correlation that the faster growing a tree is, the junkier, or trashier, it is. Since most trees grow fast enough anyway, if you give them water and fertilizer, there is no need to get a super fast growing tree.

You might also be able to attach some shade sails from your roof to the railing. They'll provide plenty of shade in the summer, and you can take them down once it cools off.

There are also retractable awnings that can be fastened to the side of the house and extended as needed.

or some folks build a pergola and add fabric in the sunniest seasons.