Unseen Hazards in Oaks / Hardwoods

climbingmonkey24

climbingmonkey24

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
United States
You drive by so many town trees that have been taken down and there’s just stumps and it’s all heart rot. Or when storms roll in and storm work comes you see hardwoods that are rotted inside. But from the outside they look healthy and solid.

Anyone get nervous about this kind of thing?
 
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Oak trees are really my least concerning species in regards to hidden hazards.

Assess each tree you work on and look for signs of poor health. Sounding hammer. ID fruiting bodies. Resistograph. Pull test. Canopy inspection. A professional TRAQ certified assessment. Most of these things done to assess whether a tree should be taken down or not. I was told at a workshop a tree should be taken down at 30% decay at base of tree. Have climbed and rigged trees that were more like 95% decay. Took every precaution possible, worked slowly, rigged small, convinced clients their hostas were less valuable than my life, etc. Oaks are very well behaved.
 
Reon Rounds posted a video earlier where he was going to do a job and part of the tree had failed before they got there to actually start the removal process. Kind of crazy to think about, and it got me concerned.
 
climbingmonkey24 said:
Reon Rounds posted a video earlier where he was going to do a job and part of the tree had failed before they got there to actually start the removal process. Kind of crazy to think about, and it got me concerned.
Click to expand...
Information is tool against blanket fear, in other words, link to video is appreciated or at least metabolize the information into something specific, please. What kind of failure / what part of tree / what signs present / weather conditions / site conditions, know what I mean?

I’m on vacation and I’m hangry rn so forgive my curt tone lol
 
Stumpsprouts said:
Information is tool against blanket fear, in other words, link to video is appreciated or at least metabolize the information into something specific, please. What kind of failure / what part of tree / what signs present / weather conditions / site conditions, know what I mean?

I’m on vacation and I’m hangry rn so forgive my curt tone lol
Click to expand...

It was on his instagram stories so I don't know if that can be posted that's why I didn't link it. I've got an account for my business so was able to view it.

Large oak. Some decay, also some scat. Fell at the base, looks like half is still standing.
 
I'm having to repeat that mantra more since the thread about sudden branch failure, including my own experiences with branches falling during the calm after a storm.
 
I bid a job the other day where there is an old large oak in a back yard needing to be removed. The tree split 3 ways about 5 foot up.
One part had broken off over a year ago falling away and down a river embankment.
The week prior, the split off the front came down, taking out the power service and chain link fence barely missing the house.
You can see through the main trunk now from front to back and all the wood inside is just flakey.
Externally, the tree itself from that point up looks like an ideal and healthy oak. No sign of anything going up or in the canopy. Yet, the whole trunk is hollow up to where branches start over 20’ up.
I feel like at any point the whole tree is just going to collapse and fall.
There is no way I would even rig off anything, and the last thing I want is to be up in the basket removing limbs and the tree decide it’s time to go. Ideally, I could tie in up high and just pull the tree over, but the river behind the property won’t allow.
It was a real eye opener of how terrible a tree can be inside when all looks great on the outside.
Much like some people I suppose [emoji848]


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