DIY guideTrees

Walk the trees: hanging deadwood and roots near the house

Look up into the trees near the house for dead and hanging limbs, and down at the trunk and roots, then leave any tree work to an arborist.

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Look for branches with no leaves when the rest have them, peeling bark, or brittle grey wood.
Look for broken branches caught up in the tree. They can fall without warning.
Stay out from under a hanging limb, and keep everyone else out too.
Look for deep cracks, hollows, and splits where big limbs join the trunk.
A tree that leans more than it used to, or has cracked or lifted soil on one side, may be moving.
Look for mushrooms at the base, soft or rotting wood, and roots that are cut, or lifting the ground near the house.
Photograph anything you find from a few sides, and note which tree it is.
Dead or hanging limbs, cracks, or a lean: don't climb or cut. Ask Handyman for an arborist.

Handyman says: Keep clear. I'll find an arborist.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.