Calgary Tree Services

Calgary Tree Services Emergency Tree Removals

Trees often bring down power lines, causing dangerous conditions for homeowners and tree care workers to perform emergency tree work, the appropriate skills are critical. Tree care, especially during emergency situations, is the 2nd most dangerous industry in the world. Lives are lost, and major injuries occur every day in the tree service business. That’s why hiring a licensed, bonded, and insured professional tree service is an absolute necessity. Calgary Tree Service has the skills and manpower to complete these emergency tree removals in a safe, timely, and efficient manner. When large storms sweep through and cause major tree damage by way of wind, rain, ice, or snow. During these times, you will need a Tree Service company to handle these emergency jobs.

Storm Damage Prevention

While there may be nothing you can do to completely avoid tree damage from heavy snow and ice, hurricanes or flooding, it IS possible to minimize the risk. Careful inspection can reveal defects in your trees that make them more prone to breakage, falling over, or splitting unexpectedly. The best way to minimize the risk of storm damage caused by trees, and protect yourself and your property, is to perform a regular tree inspection. Take some time to examine your trees (from the ground – don’t try to climb them!). See if you spot any of the following issues, all of which increase the risk of damage from storms.

Potential Risk Factors

Dead or damaged branches and/or trees. 

Look for deadwood, cracks or splits, hanging branches or any other sort of damage. These are more likely to snap when under pressure from high winds.

Diseased or decayed wood. 

Trees and branches that aren’t healthy are generally weaker and more vulnerable to breakage.

Structural problems. 

While a tree care professional is best able to identify structural problems that compromise the stability of a tree, there are some things you can see yourself. Look for V-shaped crotches, crossing branches that are rubbing against each other, and top-heavy trees (where the canopy has been excessively “lifted” to provide more clearance underneath).

Severely leaning trees. 

Just because a tree is leaning doesn’t mean that it will fall over. But the more it leans, the greater the risk of failure, especially when rains have saturated the ground.

Poor root structure. 

A tree that’s not firmly anchored is more susceptible to failure during a storm. Things to look out for include girdling roots, cut or damaged roots (such as from nearby construction) and newly planted trees with little root growth.

Topped trees. 

We do not top trees because new growth is poorly attached and susceptible to breakage (among other problems). If a tree has previously been topped, it should be inspected for potential safety issues.

Lion-tailed trees. 

This is another pruning method we don’t employ because of health and safety implications for the tree. During a storm, the heavy foliage growth at the end of long, bare branch gets whipped around, breaking the branches.

Overly dense canopy. 

A tree with a thick canopy of leaves acts as a sail, rather than letting the wind pass through.

Improperly pruned trees. 

Some trees are mistakenly “thinned” by removing a lot of branches from the interior of the tree, while leaving plenty of foliage around the outside. Unfortunately, this misguided technique makes storm damage more likely.

If you notice anything that concerns you, give us a call. Our tree care professionals are trained to look for potential hazards posed by your trees. We’ll be able to address these risks and take proper action – such as remove dead trees, pruning, cabling or using fertilization to improve the health of your trees – before any major storms come through.

What to Expect

During business hours, there's always someone to answer the phone. However, extreme weather can causes extensive tree damage throughout the area, and leave us swamped with phone calls so we may ask you to leave a message. Our arborists will assess the situation with your tree or trees and determine the best way to fix the problem. They'll provide a detailed quote for the work.

Depending on the situation, trucks and heavy equipment may need to access your property. If there are other trees down in the area and blocking roads, there may be a delay in reaching your property. We take great care to have as little impact on the surrounding area as possible while safely addressing your tree emergency. Experienced safety professionals will be on site to ensure staff follow the highest safety standards.

Safety advice

When trees or branches are damaged or have fallen, it places enormous stress on the rest of the tree. When the tree or branch is moved or cut, the remaining wood can react violently and unexpectedly to the change in forces acting on it. Fallen trees can roll (crushing anyone standing nearby), branches can spring back or sideways (hitting anything nearby), and additional pieces can drop (hitting whatever is below).

Dealing with damaged trees is not a DIY job.

It requires specialized equipment, including safety equipment, and extensive skills and training to do it efficiently, properly and safely. Many homeowners have been killed trying to remove a storm-damaged tree. Please don't let that happen to you. Leave it to the tree service pros!