Asking the Professionals of Tree Service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area: Tree Protection During Renovation Projects
For years we have been providing tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area. From pruning and removal of trees to stump grinding and tree care – our clients hire us for different tree service projects. Where the successful execution and completion of these projects is our priority, we also make sure that we facilitate our clients by offering advice on the questions which they have to ask. And one such topic on which our advice is often sought is:
How should we protect our trees during major home renovation projects?
This is an area of consideration which often goes unnoticed during home renovation projects. It’s not that we don’t love our trees – they are endearing to us all. But, since we are too occupied with the planning of the renovation project, we forget to take care of them and protect them from damages incurred during the project. As a result, an accidental cut from equipment or the trampling of roots under heavy mobile machinery leave our onsite trees exposed and vulnerable to forces of nature and viral infections. Since tree care is part of the portfolio of our offered tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area, we decided to blog on this subject and help our readers in protecting their trees during renovation projects.
We would like to suggest to our readers to hire an arborist who offers tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area, so that they can guide you and work with your contractor to make sure no trees are harmed during the execution of the project.
So, let’s start by exploring different activities which cause damage to the onsite trees during a home renovation project.
How Trees are Damaged During Home Renovation Projects?
There are a number of activities which may cause damage to onsite trees during major renovation projects. Some of these include:
Machinery Movement and Operation of Equipment – These activities can damage the above-ground portion of a tree like wounding the trunk, causing bark tear or breaking branches. This can result in an open tree wound which leads to depletion of resources and a point of viral infiltration or insect infestation. To learn on how to treat these open wounds, please contact a tree care consultant who provides tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area.
Constructional Grading and Trenching – These activities are common in the nature of projects which require the replacement or installation of utility systems or underground heat pumps. They can cause severe damage to a tree’s root system as the roots may not be visible from the surface.
Heavy Foot Traffic — Heavy foot traffic or heavy machinery moving at the premises may cause soil compaction which can reduce the pore spaces, and hence limit the soil capacity to hold water and other mineral salts. The compaction of soil also affects air exchange through roots affecting the oxygen supply to trees.
Removing shrubs and small vegetations — This is an intentional removal of plants to allow greater accessibility and mobility of onsite workers and equipments. By removing shrubs and small vegetations, vulnerable trees and plants get exposed to nature of elements.
This is only a brief list of activities which cause damage to plants during home renovation projects. To learn more about such onsite damaging activities please consult professionals of tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area, before starting the project.
How To Protect Onsite Trees During Home Renovation Projects?
Protecting your onsite trees during home renovation projects can be simple and cheap but at times the exercised plan is complex and may require you to invest significant amount of money. Apart from that, there would be trees, the removal of which would be of utmost importance for the execution of renovation project. Therefore, before you proceed with the project it is important that you call a meeting of the hired contractor and a tree care consultant which provides tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area. In that meeting make sure:
- To identify which trees must be preserved and protected while which need to be pruned or removed depending on the renovation project.
- To identify and mark construction zone boundaries. This will help you to know which trees are more exposed to the project activities and hence allowing you to exercise extra set of precautions.
Once you have understood the development plan and identified and categorized the trees after mutual agreement, you should then start taking measures to implement your protection plan.
Protecting Your Root System
The importance of protecting your root system has already been discussed earlier. It’s not time to devise a plan to protect them. Where some trees are able to survive even after losing 50 percent of their roots, others may not be that biologically robust. Therefore your strategy will vary accordingly. To help you identify which trees are more robust please consult professionals of tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area.
You should start by identifying the protected root zone. This is the area around an onsite tree where ninety to ninety five percent of its roots are concentrated. You can do this by the dripline method or by calculating the critical root radius. Contact a professional who provides tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area to learn more about the identification of PRZ. Generally this area should be within a radius of 3 ft.
Once you have identified the PRZ, let your contractor and workers know and avoid any activities, stockpiling or foot traffic within the defined circle. At times this would be impossible, so in that case restrain the activity to minimum. In case of any damage, immediately contact a tree care consultant who provides tree service in Dallas and Fort Worth Area.
Protective Measure to Prevent Open Wounds
Build enclosures around trees, where possible, so that the area can be protected from damages incurred due to movement and operation of equipment.
Protecting Your Soil
Soil system can be protected by clearly defining traffic routes and material storage areas. Spread wood chips over the area which is likely to experience more traffic. These wood chips can be produced from the pruning of branches, which need to trimmed so as to avoid heavier damages to trees. Ask the contractor to instruct the workers on avoiding chemical disposal and spills. Soil compaction because of the movement of transportation trucks can be prevented by using conveyor pipes for the translocation of raw materials.
Provide care and protection to your trees. They are important and help in the stabilization of the ecosystem in which we live and breathe. Love them and they will love you.