That bark inclusion I missed on a maple cost me big time

I was trimming a big silver maple in a backyard last fall and totally overlooked a bark inclusion that looked stable. Three months later, the homeowner called me because a big limb split right at that point during a storm. It landed on their shed and did $400 in damage. I should have spotted it during the initial walkaround and recommended a cable or removal. Now I'm wondering, how do you guys catch those hidden inclusions on tall trees, especially when you're pressed for time? Has anyone else had a close call like this that changed how you inspect?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace8910d ago

I heard a climber say to always check from three angles before leaving a tree.

the_tessa10d ago

A friend of mine learned this the hard way when he just walked away from a tree he'd been climbing and didn't notice a big dead branch was about to fall. It landed right where he'd been standing a couple minutes before, and he said it really shook him up. Now he's the one telling everyone to look from a few different spots before you leave.

jana_hart1810d ago

Oh man, that's crazy. A buddy of mine did the same thing but got nailed on the shoulder, had a nasty bruise for weeks and now he won't go near any tree without his hard hat.