Guide to Preventing Tree Damage

Trees are an essential part of life, but when mother nature gets mad it can be quite costly. Trees add value to property, provide shade saving money on energy bills, and can produce food. Avoid expensive and deadly damage to your house by following a few simple tips.

Some precautions to take during a storm can help protect you, your family, and home. Estimating which way a tree will fall in a storm is dangerous. Wind is so unpredictable, don’t rely on personal judgement. If a tree does fall watch for electrical wires and don’t attempt to remove the tree yourself.

The roof is a common place for trees to fall during heavy winds. Don’t sleep in upstairs rooms during unfavorable weather. Sleep in the basement or in the center of the house, away from windows and the roof. If trees fall onto the roof never climb and try to remove the branches yourself. Patch tarps into all of the holes, and call an arborist or roofer to remove the debris.

In the case of a tree breaking a window simply cover and call a professional. Make sure to cover the hole, window, and tree to prevent any leaking or bugs from entering. A tarp is the best option for covering such tree damage. Block off the root pit left from the falling tree with stakes and string. When the storm passes a tree cleanup crew should come by and help fix the problem.

To help prevent tree damage get your trees assessed by an arborist. The arborist can determined potential hazards like Bradford pears, proper soil at the root zone, and construction or sewage damage that may cause the tree to fall.

Make sure to research before you plant to avoid dangerous situations. Bradford pears are the most common tree to fail during a storm. Maples, river birches, and poplars are also not wise choices. They are fast growing and have weak branch attachments, which may fall onto the house or car.

No matter where the trees originate, your homeowner’s insurance will pay for the damage. If the neighbor’s tree happens to fly into your house your insurance company can file a claim with the neighbor’s insurance to cover your deductible. As long as there is no property line dispute you will not have to pay for the damage.

The cost for tree damages can be quite costly. A typical rate per inch of the tree’s diameter to have the stump grounded will only cost about $2. Having a Tree Care Company come clean up and remove that Bradford pear will cost you about $600. The average contribution of a medium-sized tree to your property value is about $9,000. Following these tips can help save a lot of sanity and money.

Source: Homeimprovementmag.com