5 Key Things To Consider Before Cutting Down A Tree

Planting trees on your property can provide countless benefits. Having trees can boost your property value and enable your home to stand out from the neighborhood. Trees also provide shade that can be utilized as another living area and encourage kids to play outdoors. Here are 5 key things to consider before cutting down a tree.

Trees can do wonders for you, your family, and property, but only if they’re well-maintained. Trees, when left alone to grow too large, can cause damage to nearby properties and injuries to family members.

Once you notice that the trees in your property have already become potential hazards to your family, you may decide to cut them down to avoid accidents. Listed below are the things you should consider before cutting down a tree:

Look Out For Any Nearby Structures

Trees can look good on any property, but planting them too close to your home or garage can be dangerous.

If you experience strong winds in your location, for example, these trees can fall and damage nearby structures, such as your garage, shed, and even your home.

Also, branches of trees that are growing near utility poles may get entangled in wires and cause power interruption. 

Once you see that your trees are growing near structures, immediately call for tree removal in North Bay or in your local area. The longer you leave this problem unaddressed, the more adverse the consequences can get. 

Check For Any Dropping Branches Or Limbs 

The branches or limbs of the trees are some of the many reasons why these greeneries look majestic. Green leaves on the branches or limbs can certainly add a pop of color to any property and can become home to birds and small animals. However, when these branches or limbs start to fall, there’s no reason to continue having them around. 

Dropping branches or limbs is a sign of a dangerous tree. Dead branches or limbs will usually carry brown withered leaves or no leaves at all.

Aside from being an eyesore on your property, dead branches or leaves can eventually fall into the ground and cause injuries to whoever is underneath. These branches can also fall into your roof and other nearby structures. 

Pay Attention To The Condition Of The Trunks 

You don’t have to be a professional or invest in countless pieces of equipment to determine the health of your trees. Merely paying attention to the appearance and texture of the trunks is enough for you to determine whether the trees in your property are dangerous or not. 

Deeper cracks, cavities, and splits in the trunks are indicators that the trees are diseased and about to die. These problems are often caused by unstable soil, bacteria, or fungi. 

Growing trees with too many deep cracks in the trunks can eventually lead to danger as they no longer have strength and stability. These trees can easily tumble or fall over, especially if you live in a city or country that often experiences typhoons and strong winds. 

Assess If The Trees Appear Damaged Or Unhealthy

As mentioned, there are no specific requirements before you can effectively assess the condition of your trees. As long as done regularly, you can easily tell the health of your trees simply by looking at them even from a distance.

If you notice that your trees seem damaged or unhealthy, it’s a sign that these can eventually cause danger to your family and around your property.

Damaged trees, such as those affected by typhoons and floods, are weak and can fall any minute. Unhealthy trees, on the other hand, can affect other healthy trees in your property and cause more danger. 

Determine If The Trees Start To Shift Or Lean Over

With the number of trees you can plant today, it’s common to find ones that don’t grow straight. In fact, more and more homeowners choose to plant trees that have branches that grow in different directions as these can add more drama and personality to any outdoor space.

However, if your trees used to grow straight in the past, but are now starting to shift or lean over, you should be wary.

Trees that suddenly shift or lean over are a sign of danger because these can eventually be detrimental to people or properties. This problem is often caused by poor root systems and can become the reason why the trees will die in the long run. Trees can’t thrive if their roots are unstable and don’t absorb essential minerals. 

Hire Professionals 

After you’ve spotted dangerous trees in your property, call professionals to have them removed or maintained. It’s best if you hire pros to handle all of these things for you as doing these tasks on your own can only do more harm than good. This is especially important if you don’t have any experience in removing or trimming trees. 

How To Know If A Tree Is Dangerous In Your Backyard

Having a tree in your backyard is beneficial in more ways than one. A tree can become a good source of shade – perfect during the summer season when you or your family members would want to rest. A tree can also add value to your property while alleviating the mood of everyone who sees it – lush green trees are always a pleasant sight to see, right? But how do you know if a tree is dangerous in your backyard?

When you have a lot of trees in your backyard, you’re also helping conserve the environment in your way. Without a doubt, a tree can do so many things to your backyard and your property. However, there’ll be instances that trees can also do the complete opposite – there’ll be times when your tree can do more harm than good. And if you don’t do anything about this, a tree can pose serious risks not only to your property but your family as well.

You don’t need to become a rocket scientist to know that trees are very helpful. But just like any living thing in this world, trees can also grow old and die over time. When this happens, trees can no longer provide the benefits you’ve expected. If you want to maintain the value of your property and keep your family free from any harm, watch out for the following signs:

The trees have extensive damage

There are many reasons why trees are damaged, but most often than not, storms are the most common culprits. If harsh weather conditions recently affected your area, take the time to check the trees in your backyard. Cracked limbs are minor issues as these can be cut down easily, but serious damage to the trunk of the tree might mean that you have to call professionals like Bellarine Trees, for tree removal. You shouldn’t wait for “another sign” as this can only result in more costs and damages.

The trees are leaning

This is one of the most visible signs that a tree in your backyard is already dangerous. When trees are leaning to one side (especially when it was standing straight before), it means that it’s no longer strong enough to hold its size and maintain its upward position. It won’t be long before these trees will fall to the ground.

The trees have dead or decaying wood

Dead or decaying wood can be easily identified. If you see any hanging branches from your trees, remove them immediately. These branches can become unstable during strong winds and can cause damage to anyone who’s near it. But if these branches are too large or are situated in the higher part of the tree, it’s best if you call professionals for help. Cutting these branches on your own can compromise your safety.

The trees are full of algae

Every plant needs water to grow – and algae are no exemption. If you see algae growing on the trunks or roots of your trees, it might mean that moisture has already seeped in and your trees are no longer as strong. Give it time, and your trees can fall because of this algae.

The branches of the trees are hanging on your property

Big trees growing around your home can make your property stand out in your neighborhood. Everyone loves to see nature embrace a home’s contemporary design. Your home might look good with trees, but when its branches are already hanging on top of your home’s roof, you might face more significant problems soon. Sudden weather changes can cause these branches to snap and damage your roof. You’ll end up paying for expensive roof replacement or repair services once this happens.

The branches of the trees are tangled in electrical wires

Regardless of how you tend to your trees, you can never control the direction of the branches. Some might tilt to the right or left while others will grow straight upward. The direction of the branches is no cause for concern except when these are already getting in the way of electrical wires. When electrical wires are tangled on your trees’ branches, electricity supply might be disrupted, and you can even be electrocuted once you try to remove these wires on your own.

The roots are damaged

The roots hold the tree in its location. If the roots are too weak or severely damaged, the tree can die or fall down. If you suspect the roots of your trees are damaged, check for thinning foliage, dead branches or undersized leaves. Limited tree growth despite constant watering can also be a sign that the roots are damaged. And while you can check your roots on your own, there are other signs which only a professional can distinguish so make sure you call for one as soon as possible.

Act Right Away

When you’re a homeowner, it’s not enough that you just plant and grow trees; as a homeowner, you should also make sure that these trees are actually safe especially for your family. You have spent time and money on these trees and seeing all of your investment become useless in the end can be heartbreaking. Frequently check the trees in your backyard and use this article as your reference to know what to look for. The moment you see your trees showing any signs of danger, immediately call for professional help. Don’t wait for another day to take action because by then, your trees might have already caused damage to your property and family members.

 

 

Fabric scrap Christmas tree card

You can call me “Ms Last Minute” from now on because that’s the way we do things around here lately. I want to share how I made this ‘last minute’ fabric scrap Christmas tree card.

I’ve always got the kids to make their teacher’s a Christmas card. Just a piece of A4 card stock folded in half with some kind of drawing or collage pasted on. I’m ‘pretty’ organised around this time of year and usually have done this but not last week. Boy, last week of school and I kept saying to the kids, “we’ve got to make those Christmas cards, we’ve got to make those Christmas cards”. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, they were made at around 8pm the night before the final day of school. 

This is such an easy project. Choose whatever fabric scraps you have. I think the more colourful, the better. I just stuck with green because I wanted it to look like a Christmas tree. If we would’ve done it earlier, I would’ve let the kids pick their own colours. I just grabbed a few pieces of green fabric, ripped it into strips and then the kids pasted it onto a sheet of A4 paper. Once it was dry, cut into a triangle shape, top with a star sticker, button or brad and its done.

Just remember, if you’re like me, use fast drying glue! (The teachers loved them. The cards had that look of “boy, you put a lot of work into this”. If only they knew.)