Portland Tree Care

If you have trees growing on or near your Portland, Oregon property, it’s important to keep an eye out for potential hazards. While trees provide us with a wide variety of wonderful benefits (not to mention how beautiful they are), they are also potentially dangerous. When a tree or any of its branches fall, they can cause a lot of damage or harm to those below. However, risks like these can be minimized by caring for them properly and spotting any defects.

That’s why Westcoast Tree Care would like to provide you with the following hazardous tree signs.

Cracks & Splits

While it’s normal for trees to develop cracks in their bark as they grow, deeper cracks that extend into the trunk can be an indication of a hazardous problem. Another thing to look out for is a crack or split that runs down the trunk of a tree into the ground. This can indicate structural weakness and should be inspected by a certified arborist to see if it needs to be removed to prevent a hazardous situation from happening.

Dead Spots

While it can be difficult to determine whether parts of a tree are dead, branches with little to no foliage while the rest of a tree is well covered is a good indication. Dead branches should be removed as soon as possible by a certified arborist to prevent harm and potential property damage. If left unattended, they can break off and fall unexpectedly, making them especially hazardous.

Missing Or Peeling Bark

Shedding old bark and replacing it with new is a part of a trees natural process. However, if there is exposed wood that isn’t being covered with new bark, this could be a good indication of disease. Disease that causes missing or peeling bark can weaken a tree, making it a potential hazard.

Fungi Growth

Fungi likes to feed on dead and decaying organisms. While a tree can rot from the inside out, making it hard to spot, it’s important to look for fungi growing on the bark or base of a tree. If you spot a lot of mushrooms or other fungi, a tree is likely to be dead or diseased, making it a potential hazard that needs to be addressed by a certified arborist.

Sudden Lean

Many healthy, stable trees grow with a slight lean. However, a tree that develops a sudden lean that is accompanied by bulges in the soil around its base can indicate structural failure. If you are concerned about a sudden lean with a tree on your property, it’s important to have it inspected by a certified arborist as soon as possible to prevent it from falling unexpectedly.

Westcoast Tree Care

Westcoast Tree Care offers hazardous tree removal services to help homeowners in Portland, Oregon prevent serious harm or damage from occurring. If you believe a tree on your property is in need of emergency attention, contact our certified arborist at 1.800.767.8733 as soon as possible.