Bolts, Cabling and Bracing

          There are a certain variety of trees that naturally cause more concern when it comes to branch failure. If you’ve ever noticed weeping crotches (sapping out in between the joint of tree limbs), excessive included bark or extremely narrow crotch attachments, then most likely your tree is in jeopardy of future branch failure. . If you see those signs, first call an arborist to assess the risk involved in your tree. The good news is there are many ways of mitigating those risks. Along with pruning for weight alleviation, there are methods to help strengthen the attachments such as bolting and cabling. Bolts are used to strengthen the initial point where the branch is starting to crack before it gets to a point where the limb would have to be severed or worse, complete tree removal. There is a specific way to install the bolts and (depending on how large your tree is) how many bolts to install to help provide stability to the tree. Improperly installed bolts can lead to further decay weakening the integrity of the crotch and infection from certain pathogenic attacks. It is best to always let the professionals handle the bolting to make sure that you and your tree is safe.

Now if your tree is on the taller side, and the branch/crotch attachment is on a lower segment of the tree, the arborist may recommend installing a cabling system as well. The cabling system will provide extra support toward the top of the canopy which in turn will alleviate pressure off the crotch when the wind blows the branches. Installing just any cabling system or just tying rope to the two ends is NEVER advisable. Many times the rope will break or cause girdling to the tree after a few years and it is not easily adjustable. There is also the j-hook method of cabling which uses hooks to drill into the branches to support the cable. However, many times the j-hooks just cause decay and loose stability or don’t give the tree the flexibility it needs to move when the wind blows and break off in heavy wind storms. We use the best top of the line equipment from Germany called the Cobra Dynamic cabling system. It has static cabling which gives some elasticity for the mobility of the branches while maintaining support. It also contains an incorporated shock absorber to take a lot of the stress away from the branches on extremely windy days. It’s also guaranteed to last for 15 years whereas other systems may only last up to a few years and need replacement.

There are certain types of trees that will always be prone to these disasters such as your mesquites, acacias and eucalyptus trees, but be proactive about it and call one of our arborist today to assess your trees and mitigate the hazards involved with major branch or limb failure.

East:         480-423-0300

West:       623-516-9900

Central:   602-253-0300