There is a time when your tree becomes to dangerous to keep

An older tree makes up about 15% of your assessed property value. With that much on the line, you sure don’t want a tree falling. Here’s how to tell if your tree is too dangerous to keep and what you can do about it.

How to Inspect Your Trees
No one understands your trees better than you. So, after they grow leaves in the spring and the leaves fall off in the fall, walk around and inspect your tree from top to bottom, taking notes of any changes in branches, bark, roots, and leaves.

Examine the tree’s sides from and distance and up close. Look for peeling or cuts in the bark. With binoculars, examine the crown for brown leaves and dead wood.

Trees that Lean
Trees typically don’t grow straight, so leaning is normal. But if your tree starts resembling the Tower of Pisa due to anchor root damage or poor weight distribution, it probably unstable. You should call an arborist.

Warning signs:

• Heaving or cracked soil on the non-leaning side
• Visible roots around the base of the tree.
  

Cures:

• Prune limbs to even out the weight
• Support the tree trunk with cables connected to stakes on opposite sides of the tree. Be sure to pad the tree before putting cables around the bark.
  
• A tree with multiple trunks might be unstable.
  

Warning signs:
U-shaped or V-shaped multiple trunks are weak spots for older trees. The area on the wood where the trunks unite could lose strength and split when a storm takes place. Or, it could do the split and lose strength due to old age. Look for cracks that go through or into the trunk.

Cures:
An arborist can steady split trunks by linking cables between branches and trunks high in the tree. Cables won’t fix existing damage, but they will improve the safety, particularly in high winds and extend your tree’s life.

Sometimes a treasured tree uproots without warning. But usually, your tree gives you a heads-up before it topples. You can always contact a company that specializes in tree service in Rochester to assess your tree for you. They have the tools and equipment to inspect your tree from top to bottom.​