Tag: tree removal

If you live in Shoreline, you might want to attend the upcoming community meeting focused on the city's tree code. Here is the information from their e-newsletter:

At this community meeting, city staff will talk about changes being proposed to the tree code, and answer questions and solicit feedback from the audience.

It's important that the city officials know how YOU feel about your trees and your authority over them. We've seen city after city restrict tree removals so much that homeowners cannot remove a too-large tree, for example, even if they want to replace it with several smaller trees. Let your voice be heard!

Our man, Andrew Cheney, just passed his rigorous ISA Certification test--on his very first try! This is quite an accomplishment since only 6% pass it the first time.

Drew has been with Blooma Tree Experts LLC since February 2008, learning the ropes, literally! Drew had years of experience as a landscaper, so tree and shrub identification was a breeze, but he had not worked in the tree care industry before. Blooma owner Martin Macauley saw potential in Drew immediately,  and he began to encourage Drew to prepare himself for the ISA exam.

ISA Certification means that Drew is now a highly trained professional in all areas of tree care. He knows the biology of trees, he knows which diseases and pests attack trees, and he knows proper pruning techniques, among many other areas of essential tree care knowledge.

ISA Certification is valid for three years; Certified Arborists must continue their education by earning 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the end of each three-year period.

We are proud of Drew and his great accomplishment.

If a limb falls on your house, or, heaven forbid, a tree, you need help and fast. How do you make sure your job is handled in a responsible way? What to look out for:

1. NEVER, EVER DO THE WORK YOURSELF! Sometimes homeowners look at a limb fallen on their house, or a tree leaning on their house or fence and think, "Gee, I can climb up there and cut that down." Don't do it! If you think it's safe, look on YouTube for videos of people cutting down their own trees. (Sometimes it's even companies doing it.) People get killed every year trying to take down a tree--two men in the Seattle area were recently killed, and both were experienced. Here are links to the Seattle Times articles: DOT worker killed. Man killed by falling tree. Be safe. Stay on the ground.

2. Ask if the company is insured. This is MOST important. Licenses are easy to get--you just send your money to the state every year. A license tells you nothing. But insurance is essential. If someone gets hurt on the job, or if your property gets damaged (more likely in an emergency situation), you want the company insured.

3. Check to make sure the company is insured. Go to the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries and find the company. (We have a link directly on our website so our customers can see we have a $1 million insurance policy through Penn Star, and a $6,000 bond through RLI Insurance Co.) Do your research before putting your home at risk.

4. Find out how much experience the workers have with emergency situations. All tree work is dangerous, but none is as dangerous as an emergency situation. Uprooted trees, especially, are unpredictable and deadly. Do the workers have emergency experience? How much experience does the crew boss have? Do they all follow safety procedures?

5. Never give a deposit until after you have met with the company representative. In our experience, most tree service companies do not require a deposit (we don't), so we were floored when a potential client called to say she had made a non-refundable $200 deposit over the phone with a company--just to get the rep to her house to bid on the job. That's ridiculous! If you sign a contract with a company, then it is reasonable to place a deposit with them, but certainly not before meeting with them and getting a bid.

Blooma Tree Experts do emergency tree work, and we are very experienced (remember the Dec. 14 storm of 2006? We were there!). Call us 24 hours a day: 206.714.9835. Our estimates are free.

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.