The Conservative Cave
Interests => Around the House & In the Garage => Topic started by: CG6468 on September 26, 2011, 12:47:25 PM
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Has anyone used an arborist to check out a tree to determine it's health? We have a crimson king maple close to the house (~25') for which the base has not looked good for about 20 years.
I'm for taking it down, but my wife wants an arborist to look at it first. It shows a scar from an old split in the trunk, and the bark has been peeling away from the trunk for many years. Now there's sawdust on the ground at the base of the tree.
I don't trust it; if it falls, it will either fall onto the house, against a large blue spruce, or on or near the elevated power and cable lines.
Our son can take it down with his buddy's help, and with me assisting on the ground. Or my neighbor can do the same thing.
Need pictures?
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Has anyone used an arborist to check out a tree to determine it's health? We have a crimson king maple close to the house (~25') for which the base has not looked good for about 20 years.
I'm for taking it down, but my wife wants an arborist to look at it first. It shows a scar from an old split in the trunk, and the bark has been peeling away from the trunk for many years. Now there's sawdust on the ground at the base of the tree.
I don't trust it; if it falls, it will either fall onto the house, against a large blue spruce, or on or near the elevated power and cable lines.
Our son can take it down with his buddy's help, and with me assisting on the ground. Or my neighbor can do the same thing.
Need pictures?
Man, if somebody surfaces on this question, I have one of my own. It's a tree that I THINK is dead, but I'm not sure. It's certainly didn't sprout leaves for this year and instead of leaves sit sports what look to be like large knots on each branch -- the knots look almost like walnuts, but aren't. I wish I knew what kind of tree it is, but since it has no leaves, I can't tell.
If this tree goes, the worst that would happen is it would take out a portion of a cattle-panel fence, but that's about all. I think it'll need to come down next year or year after that at the latest.
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When I bought my house, I had a 35+ year old Mulberry in my back yard, the trunk was about 4 feet across, and it stood about 10 feet from my house. I looked up in it during the winter, and saw all of this dead growth. Euph, your tree kind of sounds like my tree, except I still had leaves. I had a crew come and take it down, and they ground the stump. The whole dang inside of that tree, from 5 feet high and down was rotted. It looked like honeycomb, but no sign of termites. You could stick your hand in and scoop out big ole chunks of it.
I like trees, I really do. But, I don't need to mess with that kind of nonsense.
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When I bought my house, I had a 35+ year old Mulberry in my back yard, the trunk was about 4 feet across, and it stood about 10 feet from my house. I looked up in it during the winter, and saw all of this dead growth. Euph, your tree kind of sounds like my tree, except I still had leaves. I had a crew come and take it down, and they ground the stump. The whole dang inside of that tree, from 5 feet high and down was rotted. It looked like honeycomb, but no sign of termites. You could stick your hand in and scoop out big ole chunks of it.
I like trees, I really do. But, I don't need to mess with that kind of nonsense.
That's what I'm afraid of with mine. I found a Consulting arborist who will be here this Thursday to check it out. I did learn from a local tree service that a CONSULTING ARBORIST is what I need (nice guy - he didn't have to explain anything to me). Any tree removal service can have an "arborist" with or without some kind of certification, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he/she is college educated as an arborist, whereas a Consulting arborist is educated in that field.
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That's what I'm afraid of with mine. I found a Consulting arborist who will be here this Thursday to check it out. I did learn from a local tree service that a CONSULTING ARBORIST is what I need (nice guy - he didn't have to explain anything to me). Any tree removal service can have an "arborist" with or without some kind of certification, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he/she is college educated as an arborist, whereas a Consulting arborist is educated in that field.
Exactly. Had my tree looked healthy, I would have gotten someone to check it out. I will be interested to see what the arborist has to say to you.
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Exactly. Had my tree looked healthy, I would have gotten someone to check it out. I will be interested to see what the arborist has to say to you.
Me too. <<<Sigh...........>>>
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Consulting arborist? :rotf:
In this part of the backwoods planet, I'd be lucky if there were 3 people here who even KNOW what the hell an arbor is, much less what an arborist does!
There are plenty of guys around here who live on the edge and would cut the damned tree down, grind up the stump, and not even think about PPE, but an indication as to what's wrong with the tree and how to fix it? AYFKM? :lmao:
Gimme a chain saw gun. Any ol' chain saw gun..... :killemall:
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Consulting arborist? :rotf:
In this part of the backwoods planet, I'd be lucky if there were 3 people here who even KNOW what the hell an arbor is, much less what an arborist does!
There are plenty of guys around here who live on the edge and would cut the damned tree down, grind up the stump, and not even think about PPE, but an indication as to what's wrong with the tree and how to fix it? AYFKM? :lmao:
Gimme a chain saw gun. Any ol' chain saw gun..... :killemall:
If it was up to me it'd be gone by now. But the Mrs. - we're not looking for how to fix the tree.
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I've had two arborists look at the tree. Yesterday it was a guy from a tree service, and this morning it was a guy from the Will County Forest Preserve District. (I put my tax dollars to work! :-) )
Verdict? Both of them said that I should have cut it down by now. It's mostly hollow inside and has a rotted base, which confirms my opinions.
Our son will bring over a couple of guys from the public works crew in the village where he works to cut it down for us. It's in a real bad spot. Too bad, too; it has a beautiful crown and from a distance it looks great. But it's beyond its normal life expectancy for maples in this area.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Home/DSCF4239.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/Home/DSCF4242.jpg)
On another subject, our security light stopped working on Sunday night. Yesterday morning I called ComEd and requested that it be repaired. Of course, they had no record of it being in existence. :mental:
After some discussion, they agreed that it was their light and they promised service in about two weeks. This morning a lady showed up and fixed it. Nothing worked on it; she said it looked like it took a lightning hit. (She was the 1st woman assigned to a ComEd crew in this area 21 years ago. And believe thee me, she was HOT!!!!! :drool:) She was very professional and replaced everything, and now it's back in operation. I complimented her on her service, and she was truly grateful.
Her big service truck LOOKED great, but she said it runs on propane and gets 3 MPG. She hates it, but being one of two women service people there.....
Now I await the next "project," which will be cutting down that tree. Or getting grass seed spread in the back yard.
Or Bobcat work from my buddy to finish the drainage area he made for me. Or getting him to fix the elevations by that drainage area. :whatever:
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It's a shame about the maple, CG, but if that puppy topples on your house, it won't be pretty.
Sorta like me and my 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan. It's got 172,000 on it and I'm about 10,000 past due for a new timing belt, water pump, seals, drive belts, and other assorted goodies. Can't get into my mechanic until week after next at the earliest. Sumbitch is booked up, which is an indication of how good he is.
If that timing belt goes, it's a problem. :panic:
Oh, my mechanic is a guy so there ain't nothin' "hot" there. :-)
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It's a shame about the maple, CG, but if that puppy topples on your house, it won't be pretty.
Sorta like me and my 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan. It's got 172,000 on it and I'm about 10,000 past due for a new timing belt, water pump, seals, drive belts, and other assorted goodies. Can't get into my mechanic until week after next at the earliest. Sumbitch is booked up, which is an indication of how good he is.
If that timing belt goes, it's a problem. :panic:
Oh, my mechanic is a guy so there ain't nothin' "hot" there. :-)
Is that engine a zero clearance? There's confusing info out there.
The 3.3 liter V6 engine in a 2004 Toyota Sienna ( IS NOT ) an interference engine according to Gates ( they make timing belts etc. )
The answer I get from Toyota dealership ... it is an "INTERFERENCE ENGINE"
Thinking it is not an "interference engine" could be a very costly mistake.
Yes or no? Be careful out there. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_2004_Toyota_sienna_have_interference_engine_or_non_interference_engine)
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My mechanic says it is NOT an interference engine. My wife's 2000 Honda Accord, on the other hand, most certainly is.
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My mechanic says it is NOT an interference engine. My wife's 2000 Honda Accord, on the other hand, most certainly is.
WHEW for you, uh-oh for your wife.
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Epic Fail. Hot chick shows up and NO PICS?
:tongue:
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arborist: A green abortionist.
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WHEW for you, uh-oh for your wife.
Not really. Her car has 186,000 on the clock and I just put in a new timing belt and assorted goodies 6 months ago. We're good for at least a couple of years. On that car, I definitely watch the mileage and change things out before I take out a valve or two.
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DAng CG. Sorry to hear about your tree, but better you get it than it get you.
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DAng CG. Sorry to hear about your tree, but better you get it than it get you.
For sure! We had tentatively planned to do it on this Wednesday, but I had forgotten that I'd be up in Wisconsin from Tuesday PM through Wednesday PM or Thursday AM. So I'm hoping for Thursday.
He gave me a price of $375, which includes taking it down, hauling away the scrap, cutting up the sections I may want to keep into 18" lengths so I can split them, and for grinding the stump. It was cheap for around here! :-)
I'll take some pics if possible.