Tag: removal

Do you have a dead or dying tree in your yard? You know you need to do SOMETHING, and you suspect you should have it removed, but you're waiting because you know it's going to cost money, right? Well, wait no more. Here's what you DON'T KNOW about dead and dying trees and why you should act NOW.

Top 3 Reasons to Remove that Tree NOW:

1) The limbs may fall! Whether the tree is fully dead or in its mortality spiral, its limbs fall whenever they feel like it, without warning. These limbs can kill a grown man, easily. Two weeks ago, Martin examined a Locust tree in a man's yard. He advised the homeowner to remove the tree. The night before we showed up to do the work, a HUGE tree limb crashed right across the homeowner's driveway. If the cars had been parked in the driveway, they would have been crushed.

2) The trunk may fall! A dead tree in a forest may pose a danger to a squirrel or deer, but a dead tree in your own yard poses a severe risk to you, your family, your house, and maybe even the neighbors' house, neighbors' kids, and perhaps, passers-by. Note which way the tree is leaning, and from which direction winds normally blow. This will tell you the most likely direction a tree will fall. What will it hit?

3) The cost increases the longer you wait! Here's what happens**:

a. A dying tree can usually be climbed and removed by a tree professional. The danger to the climber is low (in most cases), so the removal cost is reasonable.

b. A dead tree cannot be safely climbed. This means a climber will need to climb a nearby healthy tree and carefully use that as his homebase for the removal. This takes longer and is more dangerous. That costs you money.

c. If there is no nearby healthy tree, the dead tree must be removed by crane. The location of the tree can make this very difficult to accomplish. Obviously, this type of removal will cost the most to you, the homeowner.

If you see your tree is dying, or even THINK it may be dying, call in an ISA Certified Arborist for an assessment. Perhaps the tree can be saved. But if not, plan to have it removed NOW--before the fall and winter weather hits.

Free estimates in the Greater Seattle Area: Martin Macauley, ISA Certified Arborist and PNW-ISA Certified Tree Risk Assessor (206) 714-9835

** This information applies to most trees, but there are many contingencies, of course, depending on the tree species, root health, angle of tree, level of decay, and so on. To be on the safe side, call in a professional to assess your particular tree(s). **

This past weekend, we attended the Highland Games in Enumclaw. There, amid the kilts, sporrans, and bagpipes, Martin felt right at home.

A proud member of the clan MacAulay, Martin's chosen field of work truly exemplifies his clan's motto: Dulce Periculum which means "Danger is Sweet." Climbing and removing trees--sometimes over 100' tall!--certainly is dangerous. The fact that Martin likes doing it, well, he finds it sweet!

Martin's two sons, Josiah and Michael, work alonside their father in the tree business. College grad Josiah is now working on trees full-time, and he climbs trees right along with his father. Martin's brother, Ben, owns his own tree service company in Eugene, Oregon, called Highland Tree Service through which he works on residential trees when he is not falling lumber out in the woods. Dulce Periculum!

(We do want to point out that we follow safety regulations during all our tree work. So while it is dangerous work, the Blooma Tree Experts do it safely!)

Removing a large tree is a tricky job best left to the professionals. Here is how the experts at Blooma Tree Experts LLC removed a large Port Orford Cedar that was right next to a house.

Before and After:

The large Port Orford Cedar had grown too large for its space; the final cut.

Martin cuts this large limb on his way up the tree, after removing much of its foliage. Note the rope in the upper left side of the photo. It is tied onto the limb and put on a pulley which is higher in the tree. This way, the men on the ground can direct its downward movement.
Removing a large limb requires patience, strength, and know-how.

	Martin repeats this procedure all the way up the tree to its top, using ropes and pulleys to let each limb descend slowly to a specific spot. This customer has a formal landscape that must not be damaged, along with a balcony that is in harm's way. Lowering each limb is the only way to ensure no damage to the yard and property.
Limbing a tree the safe way.

Once the tree is fully limbed, Martin works his way down from the top, removing chunks as he descends. As you can see, this becomes quite challenging as the size of the trunk increases. Note how the large piece has ropes tied on so the men below can pull it onto a safe landing site, out of the way of the customer's precious plants.

The trunk is nearly as tall as Aaron.          Definitely the largest spider we've seen.

As you can see from these photos, removing a large tree is challenging, dangerous work best left to professionals. So much can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing. That's why the Blooma Tree Experts always have an ISA certified arborist in charge on every job, ensuring the safety of our crew and the safety of our customers.