Crane Service

We have the tools to get the job done safely and efficiently. Our arsenal of equipment includes a 30-ton crane and an 18-inch whole tree chipper!. Using the right tools for the job we specialize in difficult tree removals

Cable and Bracing

What does that mean?

• Cabling and bracing are the two most common forms of structural support for trees
• They involve installing flexible cables or rigid rods to reduce the chances of failure of defective unions.
  • cables are installed high in the tree, at least 2/3 the distance from the defect to the crown
  • rods are installed much lower, just above and/or below the defect
  • cables are always stronger than rods because of their greater leverage
  • cables can be used alone, but bracing is always supplemented with cables
• Other, less common forms of structural support are guying and propping

When would you use such a technique?

• There are three major uses of cabling and bracing:
  • prevention: to reduce the chance of failure on a healthy tree with structural weakness
    • Example: a specimen bur oak in good condition but having large limbs with “V-crotches”
• • restoration: to prolong the existence of a damaged tree
    • Example: a large sugar maple that lost one of its leaders in a storm, leaving the others  suddenly exposed and vulnerable to further damage
• • mitigation: to reduce the hazard potential of a tree
    • Example: picturesque multi-stemmed hickory that towers over a picnic shelter
• Be sure to ask yourself some questions first:
  • Is this a reasonable way to treat this tree, or am I just trying to preserve a tree that is actually at the end of its useful life?
  • How do I justify this expenditure on a single tree?  Do I have more pressing needs in my forest?
  • Is the tree basically healthy?  Is there enough sound wood to anchor the cable?
  • Do I understand that cabling is no guarantee that failure will not happen?
  • Am I prepared to have the cable inspected annually, then replaced after 7-10 years?