A Touch of Class Tree Service Cable Bracing

Cabling and Bracing

Cabling is performed as a preventative safety measure. Trees that are damaged or that have the potential for causing damage by splitting or falling are often cabled to help reduce the risk of further damage. Cabling can also be used to help stabilize a multi-trunked tree

Cabling/bracing reduces the risk of tree failure resulting from structural weaknesses (V-shaped crotch), storm damage, mechanical injury, rubbing or long heavy limbs Cabling or bracing is only recommended for valuable, mature trees that have some serious structural defects. Cabling and/or bracing will make them safer, but will not solve the original structural problem. For example, when two trunks are joined with a very narrow angle, the trunks are usually structurally weak. When there is a wide angle, there is more solid wood at the junction. Narrow angles have what is known as “included bark” at the joint area, resulting in a weak joint. As the tree gets older, a fissure sometimes develops, and the tree splits in a wedge-like manner. Cabling and bracing holds the trunks (branches) together and decreases the chance of splitting. This also prevents the entry of moisture into the heartwood which can lead to decay. The hazard is reduced significantly, but never completely. Trees that have been cabled or braced should be inspected on a regular basis.

Cabling is not a homeowner job. Special hardware is required, and special techniques are used. Cabling should only be done by trained professionals as incorrect procedures can do more harm than good.

Cavity Treatment

While it will not cure decay, proper cavity treatment in combination with regular pruning, feed and insect/disease control may help improve a tree's defenses. Filling cavities in otherwise healthy trees is generally considered to help improve tree appearance, promote wound closure and prevent water and animals from entering the hollow.

Lightning Protection

It only takes seconds for lightning to strike a healthy 50-year old tree down. While a tree lightning protection system will not prevent a tree from being struck by lightning, it is possible to equip a tree so that lightning will be conducted harmlessly downward, dissipating itself into the surrounding soil. This is accomplished through the installation and use of a system of heavy, copper cables which is secured from the highest point in the tree, and usually the ends of major branches, proceeding down the trunk and into the soil beyond the tree's main root area.