Guy Meilleur
Addicted to ArboristSite
That is not a bad thing. If you rethink into selling detailed diagnosis instead of giving away quickie diagnoses, you and the clients and the trees will be far better off. You can start with this from http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/hazards.aspOriginally posted by jkrueger
I may tell a possible client that they may have 3-4 years left in a tree. Hammer and other experiences of such may be all I need. And if the tree falls down on his house will he take it to court?
Possibly, and possibly with some expectation of winning a suit. Before offering an opinion, a THOROUGH diagnosis is needed. Shell out the $35 for the Hazard evaluation book. Its middle 2 pages are a form that you can fill out and hand to a client. this will establish that your opinion is based on systematic observation, not a "hammer and experience".
I'll even mail you some copies if you pm me your address.
"Was looking for sound reasoning germain to this thread.
the potential client wanted me to do a quick evaluation."
If you accept the assignment of a quick free eval with written recommendations, you are cooking your goose and laying it on a lawyer's platter.
The opinion is just as if not more valuable to him than the work, and you're giving it away?. A quick eval is seldom a good eval, by definition.
the trunk was showing rot just above the root flair and the girth of the trunk at that point was OK to hold the weight so far. It had been a double leader tree with the lost leader at the bottom.
How much rot--what % of wood is gone? Is the defect mitigated by species quality, shelter, good structure above and below? Is it aggravated by lean, cracks, species of fungus, etc.?
At the end of the ISA form it talks about lessening hazard before it talks about removal. Will pruning, cabling, disease control, root invigoration lessen the risk to an acceptable level for the client? In maybe 80% of the trees I see, the answer is Yes.
possible litigious results I'm haveing to rethink my usual approach.
Trees provide significant benefits to our homes and cities, but when trees fall and injure people or damage property, they are liabilities. Taking care of tree hazards makes your property safer and prolongs the life of the tree.
Trees are an important part of our world. They offer a wide range of benefits to the environment and provide tremendous beauty.
However, trees may be dangerous. Trees or parts of trees may fall and cause injury to people or damage to property. We call trees in such situations hazardous, to signify the risk involved with their presence. While every tree has the potential to fall, only a small number actually hit something or someone.
It is an **owner's responsibility** { Hint--if you hand them this brochure, you are reminding them that they, not you, are responsible for their trees!} to provide for the safety of trees on his/her property. This brochure provides some tips for identifying the common defects associated with tree hazards. However, evaluating the seriousness of these defects is best done by a professional arborist.
Regular tree care will help identify hazardous trees and the risk they present. Once the hazard is recognized, steps may be taken to reduce the likelihood of the tree falling and injuring someone.
Hazardous Trees & Utility Lines
Trees that fall into utility lines have additional serious consequences. Not only can they injure people or property near the line, but hitting a line may cause power outages, surges, fires, and other damage. Downed lines still conducting electricity are especially dangerous. A tree with a potential to fall into a utility line is a very serious situation.
Tree Hazard Checklist
Consider these questions...
1. Are there large dead branches in the tree?
2. Are there detached branches hanging in the tree?
3. Does the tree have cavities or rotten wood along the trunk or in major branches?
4. Are mushrooms present at the base of the tree?
5. Are there cracks or splits in the trunk or where branches are attached?
6. Have any branches fallen from the tree?
7. Have adjacent trees fallen over or died?
8. Has the trunk developed a strong lean?
9. Do many of the major branches arise from one point on the trunk?
10. Have the roots been broken off, injured, or damaged by lowering the soil level, installing pavement, repairing sidewalks, or digging trenches?
11. Has the site recently been changed by construction, raising the soil level or installing lawns?
12. Have the leaves prematurely developed an unusual color or size?
13. Have trees in adjacent wooded areas been removed?
14. Has the tree been topped or otherwise heavily pruned?
Examples of Defects Present in Urban Trees...
1. Regrowth from topping, line clearance or other pruning
2. Electrical line adjacent to tree
3. Broken or partially attached branch
4. Open cavity in trunk or branch
5. Dead or dying branches
6. Branches arise at one point on the trunk
7. Decay and rot present in old wounds
8. Recent change in grade or soil level, or other construction
Examples of Defects Present in Rural Trees...
1. Recent site construction, grading and tree removal; clearing of forests for development
2. Previous tree failures in the local area
3. Tree leaning near target
4. Forked trunk; branches and stems equal in size
5. Wet areas with shallow soil
Managing Tree Hazards
An arborist can help you manage the trees on your property and can provide treatments that may help make your tree safer, reducing the risk associated with hazardous trees. An arborist familiar with hazard tree evaluation may suggest one or more of the following:
• Remove the target. While we can't move a home or a nearby power line, we can sometimes move picnic tables, cars, landscape features, etc. to prevent them from being hit by a falling tree.
• Prune the tree. Remove the defective branches of the tree. Since inappropriate pruning may also weaken a tree, it is best done by an ISA Certified Arborist.
• Cable and brace the tree. Provide physical support for weak branches and stems to increase their strength and stability.
• Provide routine care. Mature trees need routine care in the form of water, fertilizer (in some cases), mulch, and pruning as dictated by the season and their structure.
• Remove the tree. Some hazardous trees are best removed. If possible, plant a new tree in an appropriate place as a replacement.
Recognizing and reducing tree hazards not only increases the safety of your property and that of your neighbors, but will also improve the tree's health and may increase its longevity!
"i tell a lot of people that anything standing is a risk, just a question of how much."
Shooot KC, anything laying down is a risk, too, tripping hazards and all...let's face it, everything is a risk, it's all in how you manage them.
