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TIPS: Spotting an At Risk Tree

Your trees provide shade, beauty and character to the place you live. Most people don't want to cut down any of their trees. However, a sick tree can be a danger to your home and to your family. Here is a little checklist to use as a hazard assessment when you are concerned about tree risk.

1) Target: Is there a permanent structure, a road, a play area, a bench or anything that indicates frequent usage of the area.

2) Size of the tree, or tree part, that is likely to fail: Is the part of the tree that you are concerned about a 1/2 inch diameter or more? If so, and you are concerned, simply cut it off, or have it cut off. Does the tree have decay and more than 4-feet in diameter? Could it flatten a car or a house? If there is decay then have it professionally assessed for removal.

3) Failure Potential: This is where a trained and experienced eye comes into play. Determining failure potential starts with a visual analysis, which may lead to more thorough physical examination. If concerned, trust your cut and have it looked at.

If any of these issues caught your attention, then you would do well to look further:

Signs You May Have aSick Tree

If you suspect that one of your trees is sick , check to see if it displays any of the following signs of trouble:

Mushroom fungi growing at the base of the tree Sawdust along the trunk base or root Cracks in the trunk or on major limbs Hollow or decayed areas in the trunk Wilted or discolored leaves Insect damage Dead branches Man-made damage

If you do have a sick tree and want it removed, call a reputable insured company like Westbound Tree Service offering custom removal services that match your needs and budget. If you want to know if it can be saved, Westbound Tree Service can help. We have the expertise to determine if your tree has the potential to be nursed back to health.

Even if the tree can be saved, it's important to prune dead, diseased or damaged branches promptly. Not only can diseased branches cause further problems with the tree, a large falling branch can cause considerable damage in its own right.

Physical examination and evaluation of tree defects can include excavation of the root collar, drilling with a small bit is a great way to feel for decay and cavities.

A "gut-feeling" is often your best tool. Common sense tends to clue us in when something just doesn't look right.

Visual clues of possible trouble are also important and include a change in the angle of a trunk's lean, cracks or heaving of soil around the base of a tree, motion in the lower trunk in gusty winds, mushrooms or other fungal fruiting bodies growing on the base of a tree trunk or on limb surfaces, separation at the attachment of multiple trunks or large limbs, and physical defects such as cankers, cracks or splits in limbs.

Take a good close look at your trees and don't hesitate to call for Westbound Tree Service for help if something just doesn't look right.

Call us for a free quote. . . .
503-263-TRIM
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