Preventative Tree Care is essential when it comes to reducing storm damage related to high winds. During our last wind storm in Lake Oswego, you may have found yourself eyeing the trees on your property with good cause. Trees that aren’t properly pruned and maintained are more likely to fail during high wind storms, thus making them especially hazardous to our homes and loved ones.
At Westcoast Tree Care, one of the main things we look out for when it comes to preventing tree failure is canopy density. A dense canopy is more likely to catch the wind during a storm, causing a wind sail effect. While it’s somewhat normal for a tree to bend slightly with the wind, a dense canopy can cause a tree to bend more than it should causing breakage or total tree failure.
Preventative Pruning & Wind Sail Reduction
Windsail reduction is a preventative tree care service that works to reduce wind resistance in a tree’s canopy. By selectively removing branches throughout the crown of a tree, a certified arborist can reduce a windsail effect by increasing wind penetration and passage through a tree. This, in turn, will make a tree less likely to bend or fail during heavy wind storms that occasionally sweep through the northwest.
However, pruning and windsail reduction is never a DIY job. Improper pruning can easily cause expensive, and irreversible damage to your trees and landscape. That’s why it’s important to hire an ISA Certified Arborist who is trained in all aspects of arboriculture and preventative tree care techniques.
Depending on an individual tree’s overall health, location and density, a windsail reduction will remove approximately 10-20% of a tree’s branches and foliage. On larger, more mature trees with less foliage, deadwood removal is another option to preventing potential damage caused by a windstorm.
After the Storm Warning Signs
First and foremost, the safety of you and your loved ones is our top priority at Westcoast Tree Care. If a storm has left large, hanging branches or broken power lines, it’s important to call our certified arborist to assess the situation immediately. Prompt, swift action must be taken if you spot any of the following warning signs:
- Hanging or broken branches
- Splits in tree branches
- A broken or uneven tree top
- Decay, holes, splits or cavities in tree trunk
- Heaving soil at the base of the tree
- Pulled or visible root system
- Uprooted or toppled tree
- New or unnatural leaning
It’s also important to keep in mind that fallen or damaged trees can be incredibly dangerous to work with. Broken limbs and trunks are also extremely unpredictable. That’s why it’s important to contact a certified arborist who specializes in emergency tree care services. Our ISA Certified Arborist is trained to handle a variety of tree removal situations and has the skills, experience, and equipment necessary to remove a tree or extract a broken limb while preventing a dangerous situation or any damage to your surrounding property.
Contact Westcoast Tree Care
Trees are more likely to survive a storm if they are properly pruned and well maintained. Therefore, it’s important to be proactive and take the necessary steps to prevent wind and storm damage before it occurs. Doing so will reduce the risk of damage to your home and property while saving yourself a great hassle and expensive repairs in the long run.
At Westcoast Tree Care, our certified arborist can reduce the number of potential threats that make a tree unpredictable. We offer preventative tree care services that include pruning, windsail reduction, deadwood and hazardous tree removal. If you would like more information along with a no-cost, no-obligation quote, contact us at 1.800.767.8733.
