Do dead trees cost more to remove?
Do they!?!? Short answer yes with an if, long answer no with a but...
As Arborists we get a real mixed bag of jobs - from opulent hedge trims and fine tree pruning, through to monster removals and (often) reallllllly nasty stuff. Today we're going to look at 3 reasons why DEAD trees might
cost you more to remove, and how to avoid paying too much...
1. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast...
As climbing arborists we need to treat dead trees differently to living trees. As wood dries out it reacts differently than living wood wood (so punny dad). Pieces must be cut smaller and more thought must be put into how we 'work' the tree. Furthermore, the high tie-in points we normally use for our access ropes may be too unsafe to use, making access more difficult and time consuming.
2. Pick up sticks...
Logically, a dead tree is physically smaller than when it was alive, often being devoid of leaves, bark and moisture afterall...right? Well all those little twigs, dead leaves and shedding bark often add up to a HUGE amount of extra cleanup once they hit the ground. They're also physically harder on our cutting equipment meaning more frequent sharpening.
4. Deadly
Finally, a dead tree could be a deadly tree. No matter how thorough our tree inspections, how safe our gear is or how experienced we are, there are always going to be some 'unknowns' with dead or structurally unsound trees. The longer it's been dead, the more risk and unknowns there are.
So how do I avoid paying more than I should?
If you have a dead or structurally unsound tree please get it removed as soon as possible. Don't leave it for 5 or 10 years thinking it might bounce back; don't leave it hoping that it might fall down on its own; and don't expect it to ever get any cheaper. An Arborist some day will thank you for it... hopefully y ours truly , bless your cotton socks :)
