The Top 10 Man-Made Tree Killers
1. Soil Compaction & root damage
2. Topping & harmful cuts
3. Over-thinning & canopy elevations
4.Over-watering
5. Neighboring tree removals
6. Planting too deep
7. Wrong tree/ wrong place
8. Cambial injuries to trunk
9. Poor cabling & damage repair
10. Over fertilizing or treating
Although a significant portion of tree damage is " directed" by property owners, you may recognize a disturbing
trend from the list above. Prestige Tree are the professionals who pride themselves by educating themselves and
customers learning from their mistakes!
* The above list was compiled with feedback from North American-based arborist but without significant research
or scientific data.
How to Hire Tree Services for Tree Limbing, Tree Removal
When would consumers be advised to hire tree services? Reflect upon the following image: A tree limb crashing through a window, sprinkling glass all over the living room carpet! Surely an occurrence to avoid, right? But what if you need to have tree limbing work done in order to let more sun into a garden area? If you undertake your tree limbing project yourself, you risk precisely that occurrence, when the tree in question looms over your house like the fabled sword of Damocles. Clearly, tree limbing is not a project to rush into. Even the most ardent do-it-yourselfer will probably want to defer to the expertise of tree services on this one. The problem is: How do you locate tree services? And once you've located them, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff for a difficult tree limbing job?
Caveats When Hiring Tree Services
Certainly, an all-purpose handyman driving around a neighborhood in a pickup truck with a chainsaw and hollering out sales pitches may not be suitable for work demanding such a high level of responsibility.
Also be wary of hiring tree services requesting payment in advance or who wish to begin work without having drawn up a free estimate of the cost. In fact, consumers should demand not only an estimate but also a written contract, laying out precisely what the tree limbing job entails and for how much. If limbing work needs to be performed on a tree whose appearance is important to you, always insist that tree services climb the tree using ropes or ascend with an aerial lift rather than using climbing spikes. Spikes cause damage to the cabium of a tree. Spikes are extremely harmful to a tree health, and should only be used on a removals. Maintenance on a tree can be done without using spikes. In this day in age all you need for general maintenance on a tree is your saddle, safetystrap, and overhead line along with your general instruction manual to keep from being injured or even killed on the job.
For dangerous work such as this, tree services' demonstrated possession of adequate insurance may well be the consumer’s primary consideration. Request to see certificates of liability and workman’s compensation insurance, and check that they are current. Phone the insurance company to verify current policy information.
Also ascertain how prepared tree services are to take appropriate action in the event that a mishap occurs. For instance, tree services removing limbs situated directly over telephone wires leading into your house should have experience in splicing together damaged wires. To minimize the likelihood of such damage in the first place, skilled tree services carefully control the fall of limbs using ropes.
While most large tree companies have someone who can repair telephone or cable wires, if they should get cut...no company will resplice your electrical service cable. This is a direct feed from the utility company, and they need to come and shut down the cable at the transformer. This may entail taking out the power from your neighbours as well. Also, electrical service cables usually have wire rope wound around the cables, so if they do break, often there is damage at the masthead (where the cable attaches to the house), so an electrican needs to repair this as well. Article III.
Hiring Tree Services: Word of Mouth and References
Finally, it never hurts to do some asking around on your own. If word of mouth spreads fast, then tales
of woe spread like wildfire. If a neighbor knows a friend of a friend who once had a tree limb arrive
unexpectedly on the living room carpet, accompanied by a shower of glass, due to the incompetence of a
tree service, chances are you'll hear about it. Conversely, tree services worth hiring will benefit from
word of mouth and will be glad to provide a list of phone numbers of local clients satisfied with a job
well done. As when dealing with any professional who will be working around your home, don't be afraid
to ask for references from tree services. Prestige Tree & Landscaping Inc. is on Kudzu.com as well as
a member of the Better Business Bureau with satisfactory record since 2004.
Thank you for your business,
Damon Walters
Prestige Tree & Landscaping, Inc
President
404-304-6012
