Summer storms are approaching: Are your trees safe?

Pictured above is damage done by a pine tree in the Cedar Creek Neighborhood of Athens, Ga during a summer storm.

When should a Tree Risk Assessment performed on your property? There are multiple factors to consider when assessing the “safety” of a tree.

• First, is your home, a playground, or another highly trafficked area in the target area of a tree? The target area is the space around a tree where its limbs could fall or where the tree itself could fall. This tree should be assessed to determine its risk of failure, and the safety of the items within the target area.
• Second, are any of the trees in your yard not structurally sound? A perfectly healthy tree can have structural defects that cause it to fail, such as holes, cankers, etc. During the growing season, the added weight of foliage puts additional stress on the structural defects, which increases the likelihood for failure  even more.
• Third, are any of the trees in your yard already showing signs of decay? If a tree is showing signs of decay, it would be prudent to remove the tree before the failure causes harm to person or property. The more unsafe the tree becomes, the more expensive it will be to remove.

 In conclusion, it is both safer and less expensive to remove trees as soon as they are marked as an "At-Risk Tree". Contact your local ISA Certified Arborist today to schedule your Tree Risk Assessment!

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Author

Scott Rushing is a father, small business owner, and ISA-Certified Arborist. If you’ve done any work with us, then you’ve definitely met him! He holds a degree in Agricultural Education from UGA, and has over 10 years of experience in the tree service industry. When he’s not climbing trees, he is Daddy to two under four, both redheads like him, and likes to spend his time going on adventures with his family. If you’d like to schedule an estimate or get more information about the kind of work Scott does, check our website, blog, or feel free to give him a call!