Safety, Service, and Satisfaction

Things to Consider

1. The lowest price isn’t always the best value.
2. When you’re hiring a tree service the customer should always ask who is the company insurance provider. Call the company and ensure they are in good standing with the company and are covered on both LIABILITY AND WORKERS COMPENSATION. Many companies will have liability, but not cover employees or subcontract without coverage.
3. Ask how the job will be done. One company may be taking the tree down in small sections with ropes, while another plans on cutting the whole tree at once. Both can get the tree down but one may be riskier than the other.
4. What equipment will be used? Some customers are particular about their lawn. Heavy equipment may cause some light marks in the yard. If damage is done then what is the expectation to fix the damage.
5. What is the timeframe to get the job done? Most jobs can be completed anytime of year. If the yard is wet the tree will be climbed or wood will be placed on the ground to get the equipment into the yard. This takes more time and resources so the price will be more costly. If the job doesn’t need finished until the ground is firm the job can be completed without using as much time making it less costly.
6. How will the tree be trimmed? This is a loaded question, but the basics of this is simple. They should look for dead, dying, diseased limbs, and crossing branches—these should always be removed. Then looking at any limbs that have openings or holes where water can sit and rot the inside of the tree. Leaves on a tree are not the best indication if the tree is healthly. Trees are trimmed from the inside out with no more than 30% of the live branches removed. This allows the light and air to pass into the center of the tree. Trimming not done correctly can have irreversible affects that can end up costing to have the tree removed. Read more on Is Topping Beneficial? below.

What Is Topping?

1. It puts the tree into shock because of the sun exposing the bark to the sun causing sunscald. It also causes vigor, which is the growth of many new limbs.
2. The new limbs are attached by a smaller surface area to a weak point on the limb. The end of the limb usually rots and the larger branches grow too heavy and start to break.
3. The trees can starve from the lack of leaves in the photosynthesis process. It can also cause the roots to die and leave the tree weak from not being able to transport nutrients.
4. Limbs are now open to disease and insects that can lead to death of the tree. Some trees will die if topped.

Disadvantages to topping

1. It reduces the property value.
2. The tree will likely have to be removed and another tree to replace it.
3. The weakened branches can cause damage to structures or other property.
4. Already topped trees will need to continue to be pruned to keep them from becoming unsafe.