Consider the following factors when Assessing For Tree Removal
Tree Condition: Trees in horrible condition may have many dead twigs, dead branches, or small, off-color leaves. Trees in good condition will have full crowns, vigorous branches, and healthy, full-sized leaves; however, green foliage in the crown does not ensure that a tree is safe. Tree trunks and branches can be quite defective and still support a lush green crown.
Tree Species: Certain tree species are prone to specific types of defects. For example, some species of Poplar in the Northwest often form weak branch unions and aspen is prone to breakage at a young age (50-70 years) due to a variety of factors, including decay and cankers.
Tree Age and Size: Trees are living organisms subject to constant stress. Pay particular attention to older trees, which may have accumulated multiple defects and extensive decay.
We build ourselves on safe Tree Removal Practices as seen on our YouTube video. Let us help you beautify your Trees, keep them healthy or simply dispose of them properly. All of our tree pulp is recycled and reused.
“The key to doing a Tree Removal job safely is to hire a reputable tree service contractor. There are many tree service companies who claim to be experts in their field. Make sure the Tree Removal Service you work with is licensed and insured.”
As a State Registered Tree Care/Tree Service company in Anchorage Alaska, Rice and Company Tree Service, advises consumers to use a tree removal service with a history of experience in tree removal services, get references and make sure they are certified in their field.
Tree Removal Checklist
| Hazardous Tree Removal Defects are visible signs that the tree health is failing. We recognize seven main types of tree defects: dead wood, cracks, weak branch unions, decay, cankers, root problems, and horrible tree architecture. A tree with defects is not hazardous, however, unless some portion of it is with it’s striking distance of an object or present imminent danger of personal harm. |
| Cracks A crack is a deep split through the bark, extending into the wood of the tree. Cracks are extremely dangerous because they indicate that the tree is already failing. Contact a Tree Removal Expert if… · A crack extends deeply into, or completely through the stem. · Two or more cracks occur in the same general area of the stem. · A crack is in contact with another defect. · A branch of sufficient size to cause injury is cracked. A serious crack like this one indicates that the tree is already failing! |
| Deadwood Severity of dead leads/limbs will often lead to Tree Removal. Deadwood is “not negotiable”– dead trees and large dead branches must be removed immediately! Dead branches and tree tops that are already broken off (“hangers” or “widow makers”) are especially dangerous! Take immediate action and call Rice and Company Tree Service Tree Care if… · A broken branch or top is lodged in a tree. · A tree is dead. · A branch is dead and of sufficient size to cause injury |
| Weak Branch Unions Weak branch unions are places where branches are not strongly attached to the tree. A weak union occurs when two or more similarly-sized, usually upright branches grow so closely together that bark grows between the branches, inside the union. This ingrown bark does not have the structural strength of wood, and the union is much weaker than one that does not have included bark. The included bark may also act as a wedge and force the branch union to split apart. Weak branch unions also form after a tree or branch is tipped or topped, i.e., when the main stem or a large branch is cut at a right angle to the direction of growth leaving a large branch stub. The stub inevitably decays, providing very horrible support for new branches (“epicormic” branches) that usually develop along the cut branch. Seek Tree Removal Care from a Licensed and Insured Tree Removal Company if.. · A weak branch union occurs on the main stem. · A weak branch union is cracked. · A weak branch union is associated with a crack, cavity, or other defect. |
| Decay Decaying trees can be prone to failure, but the presence of decay, by itself, does not indicate that the tree is hazardous. Advanced decay, i.e., wood that is soft, punky, or crumbly, or a cavity where the wood is missing can create a serious hazard. Evidence of fungal activity including mushrooms, conks, and brackets growing on root flares, stems, or branches are indicators of advanced decay. A tree usually decays from the inside out, eventually forming a cavity, but sound wood is also added to the outside of the tree as it grows. Trees with sound outer wood shells may be relatively safe, but this depends upon the ratio of sound to decayed wood, and other defects that might be present. Evaluating the safety of a decaying tree is usually best left to trained arborists. Contact Rice and Company Tree Service if… · Advanced decay is associated with cracks or weak branch unions. · A branch of sufficient size to cause injury is decayed. · The thickness of sound wood is less than 1″ for every 6″ of diameter at any point on the stem. Any seriously decayed trees should be evaluated and removed before they fail. |
| Cankers A canker is a localized area on the stem or branch of a tree, where the bark is sunken or missing. Cankers are caused by wounding or disease. The presence of a canker increasesthe chance of the stem breaking near the canker. A tree with a canker that encompasses more than half of the tree’s circumference may be hazardous even if exposed wood appears sound. Contact Rice and Company Tree Service if… · A canker or multiple cankers affect more than half of the tree’s circumference. · A canker is physically connected to a crack, weak branch union, a cavity, or other defect. |