Why Pruning your Trees is Dangerous & You Should Hire a Professional

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Sometimes saving a buck isn’t worth putting your self, home or family in danger. Pruning your trees can lead to a number of injuries or damages, that end up costing more than a contractor would have.

If you do not have the proper experience pruning trees, then you are putting yourself in danger every time you bust out those shears. Check out some of the reasons below of why hiring a professional is always the best bet when it comes to tree pruning. 

  1. Going Going Gone 

When working at heights professionals use harnesses, vests, and industrial ladders, all of which are meant to keep them safe. When in a tree, without the proper gear your are far more likely to fall and injure yourself. If you do not have the right tools for the job, then you are likely to fall from a branch, resulting in serious injury. 

Contractors always work in teams, even on small jobs a contractor on a ladder has someone holding it steady. When you climb a ladder by yourself, a gust of wind could mean the difference between life and death. Why put yourself at risk over a few branches? 

Even if you have a buddy system, grabbing onto the wrong branch could result in a fall straight to the ground. Professionals are trained to know which types of branches are safe and how much pressure they can use when moving. 

  1. They’re Cute, but Definitely Not Cuddly 

Nobody is a fan of guests in their house, especially when those guests start to tear the place apart. Chipmunks, Squirrels, Birds, and even Raccoons love to live in trees, cutting down parts of their home can be very disturbing. 

When an animal feels cornered, or threatened they will begin to attack, if you are untrained you can accidentally upset an animal without knowing. Even those cute and cuddly birds can show their dark side! 

When up in a tree an animal attack can cause you to fall out of the tree, or even worse, get stuck up in the tree with the animal. If you have guests living in your tree then it is always safest to have a professional do the work, or remove the animal from the tree and put it back after. 

  1. ZAP

Trees are always placed unconventionally close to electrical lines, electrical lines that are transmitting 155,000 to 765,000 volts of electricity. If you were to not look where you are snipping or even get distracted for a second, you may cut into one of these lines accidentally, which can cause fatal injuries. 

If you are using extended shears you may not be able to see exactly where you are cutting, this can cause you to cut a wire and send a life threatening shock through the shears. Even if you believe you are being completely safe, all it takes is a bit of sun in your eyes to cause an accident. 

If your trees are near power lines, don’t take the risk, it is always safer to call a professional. The extra couple of bucks is worth saving your life and your families! 

  1. Honey I Wrecked our Home! 

On the subject of cutting in the wrong place, snipping the wrong branch of a tree could cause severe damage to your property. If you are trimming your branches you may mistake the size of a branch, this branch could be large enough to cause damage to your home, car or even those around you.

Don’t forget that you aren’t the only person at risk, pedestrians, neighbours, and family members could be close by, how often have the kids snuck up on you without warning? These falling branches could severely injure someone, especially a child. 

Aside from injury, even if the branch does no damage on your property, it could manage to injure your bank account by hitting another property. You know that new car your neighbor just got? As much as you’d love to introduce it to a bat, dropping a branch on it can cause thousands of dollars in damage. 

Professionals are equipped with the tools and know how to control where branches fall, which could save lives. Instead of busting out thousands of dollars in repairs, save a whole lot of money by hiring a professional. 

If you are considering pruning your tree, you may want to consider hiring a professional, otherwise you could end up forking out more money than the cost of the contractor! 

Remember, next time you or your loved one want to prune the tree 

  • Falling from a tree is quite common and can be fatal 
  • Animals are not big fans of losing parts of their homes 
  • Electrical lines are everywhere and extremely dangerous 
  • Falling branches can cost a life or a life’s savings 

At Man with an Axe, we are your one-stop-shop for any tree or landscaping-related issues. If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of your tree or any other tree-related issues check out our free consultation or give us a call at (647) 799-3057.

What to Do if a Tree Falls on Your Home or Business

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In Canada, we’ve seen our fair share of harsh weather conditions, ice storms, snowstorms, and wind that blows you down the street, and yet we persevere. Unfortunately, the trees that we plant in our yards or on our streets can’t withstand the weather the same way we do, this causes trees and tree branches to go flying, damaging your home, your car, and possibly your family. 

Lightning, ice, wind, or any other force of nature has the potential to ruin lives, at any moment your tree can send a branch flying through your roof. 

Although there are measures that can be taken to prevent this from happening, nothing stops mother nature. 

Check out some of the steps below on what to do if a tree, or tree branch, comes crashing into your home or business. 

Don’t Freak Out 

Although seeing a tree come crashing into your living room isn’t an enjoyable experience, the chances of sustaining injuries are far higher to both you and those around you if panic sets in.

In this case, it is best to try to keep a calm and collective manner, check to see if everyone is okay and try your best to keep everyone as calm as possible. 

Whether or not people are injured, a state of panic is infectious, this will cause people to try to run, which can increase the chance of injury. 

If a tree slams into your house it is likely that there will be debris and glass everywhere, trying to run through all of this is a tripping or slipping hazard that can cause serious injuries. 

Another good reason to keep everyone calm is so that your brain can process what has just happened. In an accident, you will likely be disoriented, before you jump up into action your brain needs time to properly assess the situation. 

If people panic they will begin to scream, shout, and cry, which is a complete distraction, whereas if the room is calm you can take the time to ensure everyone is alright, and get everyone to safety. 

Ring Ring Buzz Buzz 

Once you have taken control of the room and ensured everyone is in a calm state, you must then assess the area to ensure everyone is alright. Tree’s falling can cause serious injuries and may even be fatal, it is essential that you ensure the safety and well-being of everyone around. 

Checking on everyone else should come after you check on yourself, shock can cause your body to ignore any possible injuries you have sustained. Just like when a plane is crashing, you must ensure you are alright before you check on anyone else. 

If there are any signs of injury, whether it is major or as small as a bump on the head, you MUST call 9-11. The shock of an accident increases the adrenaline in our bodies, this reduces the amount of pain we feel, it is absolutely crucial that the proper authorities are called. 

No matter how big or small an injury may seem, the medical professionals must be the ones to determine how serious the injury is, and if you need further medical attention. 

If all parties are accounted for, and no injuries appear to be present, the next step in this journey is checking for electrical dangers. When a tree falls it could likely damage or takedown electrical lines, these are far more dangerous than the tree itself.

In the harsh winds, electrical lines transmitting 155,000 to 765,000 volts are blowing all around. If you see broken electrical lines you MUST call 9-11 and report what has happened. 

In a storm, between the loose wires, harsh winds, and downpouring rain, the electrical danger is far greater than the tree, it is imperative the proper authorities are contacted to ensure everyone’s safety. 

Don’t Pass the Gas 
If a tree falls over it is likely that the roots of the tree were brought up by the force, sometimes these roots can damage the gas line on your property, which could result in a serious accident. 

Once you have ensured the safety of everyone around, you must turn off the gas in your house, and check to see if the gas line has been damaged. Turning off the gas in your house and ensuring the integrity of the gas line could be the difference between life and death. 

It takes a strong force to pull a tree out of the ground, this force could be so strong that it causes the roots of the tree to pull on the gas line as well. If a tree does fall, after turning off the gas in your home or business, you must check to see if a gas line is visible. 

Whether or not the gas line is visible, it is always a safe bet to contact your gas company, they will be able to tell you where the gas line is located for your home. Calling the gas company saves the effort and cost of sending a technician to check out the area, this way you know whether or not your gas line was affected, and save on some extra costs. 

A Picture is Worth a $1000 

When a tree falls on your home, business, or car, it is essential that you take pictures of the area and all damages. 

Any damages that have occurred will have to be fixed, and when the insurance representative comes around knocking, pictures of the damages could save you thousands in coverage. 

A picture of the accident allows the insurance representative to visualize the damage, and fully understand the depth of the situation, this may help cover more of the cost of the damage. 

Without enough proof of what has happened, the insurance companies may take advantage of this, and cover far less, resulting in you having to pay thousands and thousands out of pocket. 

Four simple steps could mean the difference between life and death, or at least death of your bank account. If you ever find yourself with a fallen tree on your home or business remember these four steps: 
Stay Calm 
Call the proper authorities
Check on your gas line 
Take many, many pictures of the damage. 

At Man with an Axe, we are your one-stop-shop for any tree or landscaping-related issues. If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of your tree or any other tree-related issues feel free to book a free consultation or give us a call at (647) 799-3057.

How to Tell if a Tree Might Fall and How to Prevent it

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If a tree falls on a suburban street but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? It certainly does if that tree just fell onto your home or your car. In Canada, we are known for our harsh winters, crazy storms, and winds that can blow you down the street, but the biggest concern for a lot of people is the damage this kind of weather can cause to their homes. 

If you have a tree in your yard, or on your property, you may want to take a deeper look at this to make sure it’s safe. In Canada, homes have a 1 in 25 chance of being severely damaged by a tree, this doesn’t account for minor damages to your home or damages to your car! 

Before you break the bank on repairs or get forced out of your home by a poorly placed branch, check out the signs below to see if your tree might fall, and what to do when it does. 

The Leaning Tree of Pisa: 
When trees grow they have the tendency to grow in whichever direction they please, but when they grow too far to one side they are more likely to fall. 

Trees are bound to lean a little more in one direction than another, but when your tree starts to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa you have a problem on your hands. The best thing to do when you have a tree is keep track of the direction it is growing in, if the tree is fully grown and it’s too late to adjust, then it might be time to call an arborist. 

When your tree is still in the growing phase the best action you can take is to place a tree anchor around it, this will ensure that your tree grows in the right direction, upwards! This can be left on the tree for the majority of its growth period, and will likely keep your tree from ever leaning. 

If your tree is fully grown and leaning towards one side, it is far more likely to fall, the best way to determine this is to look at the ground around the base of your tree. If there are large cracks, elevated dirt, or roots sticking out of the ground around your tree, then this is a clear sign that your tree is going to tip over! 

Cracks are Whack:
No two trees are alike, the different species all have different appearances, shapes, and branch styles, yet there is one obvious distinction to tell if any tree is a dangerous one. If your tree or its larger branches have cracks or splits then it is very likely that this could lead to an accident. 

Although some trees may look like they have cracks or splits due to their bark, it is usually very obvious when a split is a dangerous one. If you look at a tree and you can see deep into the wood, then the tree is at high risk to be damaged by the wind, and subsequently break off and damage your home. 
If your tree has a large crack or splits on its trunk or any of the branches, don’t wait around and hope for the best. The best action to take in this situation is to call an expert, have the tree pruned, and avoid endangering your home and your family. 

If the Lightning Strikes
Location, location, location, the greatest influence on tree accidents is the location of your home, more specifically the environment of where you are located. If you live in a city or town that sees more storms than sunny days, you are at a great chance of an accident. If you move to a place nicknamed the windy city, you should know what you’re in for. 

Now we’re not saying to pick up and move just because you are more likely to have a tree tip over, but your best bet is to keep an eye out for the signs listed above. Even if you live somewhere where storms are a token occurrence, the location of your house just in your neighbourhood may put you at a higher risk of tree-related accidents. 

If you live at the top of a hill, your tree will be a big green target for lightning, if you live on a corner, your tree becomes a drunk driver’s worst nightmare. 

If you are concerned that your tree may cause trouble in the future it is always best to call a professional. 

If you see uplifted ground or roots around your tree or splits in the wood, the only course of action you have is to call a professional! Even though picking up a new axe, throwing on a flannel shirt, and practicing your Timber yell sounds fun, trying to cut down your own tree could result in damages to your home, car, or self. 

Instead of putting your home and family at risk, avoid the dangers of falling trees by contacting a professional today. 

At Man with an Axe, we are your one-stop-shop for any tree or landscaping-related services. If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of your tree or any other tree-related issues book a free consultation or give us a call at (647) 799-3057.