Risky Oak (bad tree)

[tree md]

Here is a pic of a large oak I have to take down. Was planning on taking it down today but we have a wind advisory with 40 MPH gusts. I don't want to be it the top of this one in that kind of wind. I'm going to have to lower all of the left fork as it is partially over the house and over the septic tank. Had to back it up until next week but I'll get some pics of the takedown if I can spare a man to take them.

 

[Tree Pig]

Im not sure why but for some reason it kinda reminds me of an ex girlfriend of mine.

Good luck with that one man be careful.

 

[MonkeyMan_812]

Looks like a fun climb despite rot at the bottom. But then again if the rot wasnt there you might not have got that call. Have fun!!

 

[Sunrise Guy]

After looking at the base, in your pics, I've got to say that this one would've been a "walk-away" for me, if dropping it in one fell swoop was out of the question. Good luck. If you're going to climb it and rig anything/everything down, I sure hope your groundies know how to let things run. Shock loading this baby may send you to that big grove in the sky. Again, good luck. Be careful.

 

[tree md]

After looking at the base, in your pics, I've got to say that this one would've been a "walk-away" for me, if dropping it in one fell swoop was out of the question. Good luck. If you're going to climb it and rig anything/everything down, I sure hope your groundies know how to let things run. Shock loading this baby may send you to that big grove in the sky. Again, good luck. Be careful.

That's the plan. I can fall the right half of the tree. I plan to set a block in the top of the right fork and swing small pieces out to the drop zone and just let them drop. Then tip tie spar chunks so they don't shock load too bad. I plan to rig from the right fork and tie in to the left. Of coarse I will get up there and feel it out but I believe I can lower small pieces.

 

[Tree Pig]

There isnt another fitting tree near by you can rig off of.

 

[tree md]

Nothing high enough or big enough. I would like to try to fall the left half of the tree but it is at such a lean I would have to get a huge pull to do so and with that base I don't want to try to pull on it that hard. I'm not even sure that I could pull it over and would have to drop the right half first to do so. If I drop the right half and cant get enough on the left to pull it over I would be screwed because I would have nothing to rig off of safely. I think the best bet is to just lower off the right side and take it in small bites.

 

[tomtrees58]

Im not sure why but for some reason it kinda reminds me of an ex girlfriend of mine.

Good luck with that one man be careful.

i hope she is not on here tom trees

 

[MonkeyMan_812]

I would probably take a set of ratchet straps and tighten them up about where the first of the larger limbs start so it would hold the stems together while trying to do any rigging. Not to tight though.

 

[treeseer]

I would probably take a set of ratchet straps and tighten them up about where the first of the larger limbs start so it would hold the stems together while trying to do any rigging. Not to tight though.

Yup that is one idea.

Cabling the two trunks together permanently and doing a light pruning when you inspect it every 2 years is another idea; one that would yield far more income, while delivering steady benefits to the owner.

Of course, it may also deliver anxiety to the owner. Some folks worry too much. Looks like plenty of woundwood down there around the canker. Nasty as it looks, the tree could be kept; it depends. $.02

 

[ddhlakebound]

Yup that is one idea.

Cabling the two trunks together permanently and doing a light pruning when you inspect it every 2 years is another idea; one that would yield far more income, while delivering steady benefits to the owner.

Of course, it may also deliver anxiety to the owner. Some folks worry too much. Looks like plenty of woundwood down there around the canker. Nasty as it looks, the tree could be kept; it depends. $.02

I'm for saving all the trees that I can save, but with the combinations of that huge defect, the included bark, a fair amount of headweight leaning towards and over the house, and living in the ice band, I couldn't in good consience ask the homeowner to reconsider removal. We can't save them all....

Arborphobia is ALOT easier to deal with when the person with the phobia isnt living or sleeping under the tree in question.

Tree MD, are you going to do any sort of pull test before you rig off the right side?

 

[MonkeyMan_812]

Yeah its pretty bad. I would tell them it needs to come down, but in that case they ( the HO ) probably know already the danger of that tree and that it should come down.

 

[tree md]

We have tried to save this tree. Trust me if I could let it stand in good conscience I would. It started out with an ant infestation. I treated the tree with pesticide but the damage had already been done. It has just further deteriorated since the initial infestation. Then it was hit by an ice storm a year and a half ago. I mitigated the hazard over the house. When I came back to make the proper cuts I recommended removal after seeing how far it had deteriorated and considering that it is leaning over the house and bedrooms. I have been in this tree as recent as 7 months ago. Best bet is removal and I had to do some talking to convince them of that. I wouldn't want to be sleeping under it. I believe I will shore it up with a come along and will definitely give it a pull test before I enter or rig from it. Thanks for the suggestions and I am open to more.

 

[ropensaddle]

We have tried to save this tree. Trust me if I could let it stand in good conscience I would. It started out with an ant infestation. I treated the tree with pesticide but the damage had already been done. It has just further deteriorated since the initial infestation. Then it was hit by an ice storm a year and a half ago. I mitigated the hazard over the house. When I came back to make the proper cuts I recommended removal after seeing how far it had deteriorated and considering that it is leaning over the house and bedrooms. I have been in this tree as recent as 7 months ago. Best bet is removal and I had to do some talking to convince them of that. I wouldn't want to be sleeping under it. I believe I will shore it up with a come along and will definitely give it a pull test before I enter or rig from it. Thanks for the suggestions and I am open to more.

I would hook my 40000lb winch to it and cut that puppy.

 

[tree md]

I guess that I should also mention that he had painted over the canker. I cleaned it out once before and explained to him that it needed to get air to heal. I went to clean out the cavity again this time and saw that it had deteriorated to the point that it is a lost cause. Best to take it down now before I have to use a crane.

 

[treemandan]

We have tried to save this tree. Trust me if I could let it stand in good conscience I would. It started out with an ant infestation. I treated the tree with pesticide but the damage had already been done. It has just further deteriorated since the initial infestation. Then it was hit by an ice storm a year and a half ago. I mitigated the hazard over the house. When I came back to make the proper cuts I recommended removal after seeing how far it had deteriorated and considering that it is leaning over the house and bedrooms. I have been in this tree as recent as 7 months ago. Best bet is removal and I had to do some talking to convince them of that. I wouldn't want to be sleeping under it. I believe I will shore it up with a come along and will definitely give it a pull test before I enter or rig from it. Thanks for the suggestions and I am open to more.

So... you slit your own throat? Well , if it makes it through the 40 mph winds that would make me feel better to know when I climbed it but when you look at what you are doing when you get up there it all kinda seems, uhm, ahh, surreal?

I would put in a chain binder at the bottom for sure, although it will most likely hold without but we don't go on " Most likely" do we? You plan seems appropriate.

 

[treemandan]

I would hook my 40000lb winch to it and cut that puppy.

Can I stand on my Dingo and cut whilst you pull? He did say the right side could be dropped? If that is a yes then I think you are right. Just cut it a few feet above the rot. Oh man this job is looking up, good call.

 

[tree md]

That's what I was thinking. If one side can be dropped the other side just might be able to be dropped in the same place. I'd make the felling cuts as high as I could hoping for sound wood.

There was a video going around a while back with a similar tree and they tied the two sides together about 50ft. up and felled them both at one time. I see no need for doing it like that but it worked well and made for a neat video.

I'd consider bombing some weight out of the side that can be felled...using it for my high tie in point and rigging the other side down on itself. I would not tie them together even though it may strengthen the pair....because if the side does go that's being rigged down on itself...I'd rather it not be attached to the one I'm using as my high tie in climbing point. I would not rig off of the side I was tied in to or be lanyard-ed in hard to the side being rigged down and would consider using a weak breakaway link in the lanyard.

Here's to the best of luck no matter how you do it!

See TreeCo, I was thinking exactly what you are saying originally. I need to quit listening to people tell me what I know. I can reduce weight and rig this tree I know. I've been in this tree already and I've done worse trees! I'll get this tree down. News and story at 11.

 

[treeseer]

I went to clean out the cavity again this time and saw that it had deteriorated to the point that it is a lost cause. Best to take it down now before I have to use a crane.

OK, sounds like you covered all the bases for options. I agree with all except that the ants were a problem--they were just excavating fungus-killed wood.

A pic of the stump would be interesting. Looks like an aggressive pathogen. Any conks around?

 

[Blakesmaster]

Sounds like you got the right idea, md.

You could probably pull it over with a winch but I think I'd only try that if it seemed more sketchy once you're up there than you originally thought. Other than that, strap the leads together, blow some weight out the right lead, tie into the left and rig it in small pieces back to the right. Once you get to the big wood, instead of tip tieing and rigging, could you just cut smaller chunks and throw them off to a safe landing zone? I wouldn't worry about tearing up a yard when your life is on the line.