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disappointed in arborist consult - oak tree issues
I have a very old shingle oak in my yard that scares the crap out of me... it has the potential to squash my house like a pancake if it fell. It has a canopy approximately 50 ft in diameter and trunk that is 8 ft in diameter. It has a number of issues- it has a noticeable lean toward my house, it has a foam-wrapped high-voltage power line leaning against the trunk, and the power company has sheared off all the lower branches on one side.
I started reading this board about a month ago, and noticed someone's advice to have a certified arborist check out their tree- and I thought hey, great idea, I'll do that for my tree.
Well, I feel like I threw my $45 down the toilet. I picked a company that had been around a long time, was staffed by certified arborists, and found out that the owner with 30 years experience lived 5 min from me and would be doing my tree inspection. I really wanted to be at the inspection, and he said he absolutely could not do it before 8 or after 4:30 (my work day). I realize I should have walked away then. His report told me absolutely NOTHING, like he was trying to avoid saying anything that could ever be wrong so he wouldn't get sued. His only suggestion, trimming more lower branches to even out what the power company did, was something I planned to do anyway.
I really just wanted to know if the tree is healthy. It doesn't have any obvious signs of being unhealthy like dead leaves and branches, but it does have some carpenter ant damage. There's a rotted/eaten cavity in the trunk between the roots that is about 5 inches deep and 3 inches tall. I've treated it for carpenter ants and termites, but how bad is this? Is this a serious problem for the health of the tree, or is this no big deal?
The tree also has an arch-shaped area on one side that is about 3 feet high and 5 inches wide that is missing the bark. It represents ~ 1/10 the diameter of the tree trunk. I've poked at it and it seems to be firm, not rotted, although it has a handful of carpenter ant holes in it. Is this a serious problem? Is there anything else I can do besides treating it for carpenter ants and termites?
Also, is there any way of telling how old the tree is?
Re: disappointed in arborist consult - oak tree issues
Sounds as if you got a written report? Was this person a Registered Consulting Arborist?
If so, in the section of the report outlining the assignment, is it clear that you hired this person specifically to determine whether the tree was healthy, or posed a risk? If not, what is the given purpose of the report?
If so, are these questions answered in the conclusions section of the report? How did this person come to his conclusions? This will be detailed in the testing and analysis section. What tests were performed? Detailed explanations of methods will be in the discussion section.
I'm very sorry the service did not satisfy your expectations. I feel terrible when I hear stories like this.
I wonder how qualifed he is. If it makes you feel any better, you got off cheap. RCA reporting is typically FAR more expensive than that. I don't know a single RCA who reports for $45.
The signs you describe might not contribute significantly to the trees hazard rating, but my advice would be to try again. Hire an RCA who specializes in diagnostics and hazard evaluation. Obtaining an appraisal is also good idea; an RCA can help you with that as well. Good luck.
https://www.asca-consultants.org/find/directorySearch.cfm