Trees are able to add characteristics to the landscaping of your home, office, or even street/city, they are able to provide shade, create privacy, be a home to wildlife, and can bring fresh air to us. With all of these benefits we receive from trees, there can also be negative aspects that can cause harm to us, our property, or our homes and businesses. Here, we are going to help recognize and teach you how to reduce these risks from affecting you, your home, your safety, and even your wallet.
Recognizing Tree Hazards
1. Dead or Dying Trees
This first one is the most common hazard that we come across almost every day, a tree is either completely dead or is starting to die. Dead or dying trees can become scary and extremely dangerous due to the tree becoming weak and not being able to support the weight of the wood that it once was able to when it was alive. Dead or dying trees can break at any moment, whether it is the full tree crashing down or just a small limb falling off, we always recommend removing these trees as soon as possible.
Signs of Dead or Dying Trees: Little to no leaves during blooming season, brittle branches, early leaf drop before fall, peeling bark, rot or fungus present, or root damage.
2. Cracks and Splits
After strong wind or heavy ice storms the branches or limbs on a tree can become cracked or split from the main trunk of the tree, this can become a concern for safety from the increased chance of the cracked or split portion of the tree falling at any moment. We’ve seen this happen to a number of trees after a
strong storm that can cause perfectly healthy trees to lose a limb and become hazardous. If you are able to visibly see a crack or a split in a tree please contact us (or your local tree service if you are not in the metro Detroit area) immediately to get an estimate to remove the broken limb or branch off of the tree to help keep you and others safe.
Signs of Cracks and Splits: Visible cracks in the trunk or major branches of the tree, dead branches in portion of a tree that is cracked, or damaged bark
3. Leaning Trees
Trees are very strong and grow deep roots into the ground to help them stay upright in harsh weather conditions and can grow in odd directions when they are trying to reach for sunlight, however when a tree is visibly leaning more than 15 degrees this can start to become concerning. More importantly, if a tree was once upright and has started to lean downwards after an ice storm or strong wind, this can be even more dangerous with the heightened risk of uprooting and falling onto structures, cars, people, or road ways.
Signs of Leaning Trees: Tree is leaning more than 15 degrees from upright vertical, exposed roots sticking out, impacted or raised soil, cracks in tree trunk, or missing bark.
4. Close to Structures
Oftentimes when a tree is planted or one starts to grow out of the ground from a seed that had fallen there, it may not be an issue but after many years of the tree growing bigger and the possible chance of more development around the tree. This can cause a problem with where it is located and how close it is to buildings, power lines, or underground systems which can cause damage to them or people. Commonly, we hear about trees damaging foundations of homes, sidewalks, plumbing, power or utility lines in the air.
When there is a tree that is causing this issue we recommend either trim away from the structures to prevent further damage or even removal if the root system is causing harm.
Signs of a Tree is Too Close to Structures: Tree is growing too close to buildings, power or utility lines, roots are lifting or cracking cement/concrete, damage to plumbing or foundation of building, cracks in the trunk, leaning tree, or debris clogging and causing damage to gutters and roof.
5. Diseases or Pests Damaging Tree
Disease and pests can cause damage to only a section of a tree or can affect the whole tree that can lead to the tree dying. This can make branches more susceptible to breaking and falling off of the tree or making the whole tree dead and going back to the first hazard we discussed about, and dead trees are not our friend. They can become very dangerous to their surroundings and can cause loads of damage to buildings, cars, roads, people, and our wallets. We recommend scheduling an inspection as soon as possible if you’re concerned if your tree may be suffering with a disease or pest infestation.
Signs of Diseases or Pests: Discolored or wilting leaves, early leaf drop during summer, unusual growth, presence of insects or fungi, damage to bark of tree, rotten sections, dead branches, dropping branches, or leaning tree.
How to Reduce the Risk of these Common Tree Hazards:
1. Book Regular Inspections
Mark your calendar and set a time of year that can help you to remember to schedule an inspection for an arborist to come out and take a look at your trees to see if there are any signs of a disease or pest, broken or dead limbs, or if the tree is starting to completely die, or added issues that you may miss. Additionally, after strong weather, take a couple of minutes to look at your tree to see if there are any new cracks or splits, broken or hanging branches, or any concern of leaning. This can help tremendously with preventing any damages done to the surroundings of the tree.
2. Trimming and Pruning
When your trees are regularly trimmed by a professional arborist it helps your safety and the tree’s health immensely. By getting your trees trimmed routinely, this can help reduce deadwood, alleviate excess weight on limbs, help prevent the spread of diseases or pests if there are any, and in circumstances that the tree is growing too close to a building or other structures, the tree can get trimmed away to help prevent damage.
3. Tree Removal
Sometimes, the best solution is to remove a tree that is dying, dead, severely damaged, or is diseased or pest infested. As much as we prefer to preserve the lifespan of a tree, this could be the best option to reduce the risk of danger. We recommend consulting with a professional arborist to give you a quote to remove the tree. Also, if the tree is located too close to a structure that can pose a risk to safety, consider removing the tree.
4. Cabling and Bracing the Tree
For trees that branch into multiple large limbs, we recommend cabling and bracing the tree. This can give extra support for the weight of the tree or weaker branches or unions of the tree, and it can help reduce the risk of the tree failing which can cause damage or harm to nearby structures or people. Additionally, this can help guide the tree growth to make the structure of the tree more stable.
5. Disease and Pest Control
When there are signs of disease or pests that could be affecting the tree’s health, it can be crucial to get this addressed immediately, not only can this help reduce the spread of the disease or pest, this can improve yours and others safety with making sure the weakened limbs are removed on a diseased or pest infected tree. If these branches or limbs fail it can cause damage to the surroundings or harm to others. We recommend consulting with a professional arborist to take care of these trees if it has become a severe circumstance.
6. Tree Root Preservation
In the world of new construction constantly developing, this can turn into a bad situation when major tree roots are harmed. When tree roots are harmed and become weaker this can result in affecting the tree’s overall health and cause the tree to become diseased or completely die. In other circumstances, this can also weaken the tree’s overall structure and make it more likely to uproot during a harsh storm or heavy snowfall due to the lack of brace to the soil beneath the tree. We’ve seen massive trees fall that were 60-70 years old due to damaged root systems that made the tree’s structure weak resulting in damage to the neighborhood. In the end, avoid damaging tree roots and consider installing root barriers that can help protect your home’s foundation and underground utility lines.
Trees are a beautiful addition to any landscape but require maintenance to keep them from becoming a negative.
By being proactive to tree care and regularly inspecting, trimming, and caring for trees at your home you can be saving yourself, your family, your home, and your wallet from the risk of damages that could be done by not properly caring for them. If you’re ever in doubt of the condition of a tree or what procedure you should take for making sure they are safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to contact us today! Metro Detroit Tree & Firewood have professional arborists that can help take care of any of your tree needs and we are always just one phone call away. Stay safe and come back later this month to learn about why it is important to hire a professional tree service that is fully licensed and insured to take on any job type!
