Trees are the "green lungs" of the urban environment and should be highly valued for their aesthetic and practical uses.

Tree Health and Safety:

If you are responsible for trees as a manager or owner, you need to discharge your duty of care to avoid injury or damage to other people or property.

We can inspect trees, usually from the ground with no physical intervention, and advise on management required to maximise their safe life. Most trees require no intervention, but some need pruning, etc.

Trees in areas of high public use may need more detailed inspection. We can do this by:

internal investigation to assess extent of suspected decay (see below),
or
climbing with rope and harness to closely inspect aerial parts

In areas subject to public access or near to buildings we can investigate tree decay using an ARBORSONIC Decay Detector. This sends ultrasound through the tree to detect suspected rot or cavities. This can be followed in severe cases by drilling with a very fine drill to determine exact location of the defect. Some trees require aerial inspection from rope and harness which we are equipped and trained to do.

Jim Unwin investigating possible basal decay using the ARBORSONIC Decay Detector in a large mature horse chestnut located 2m from a public highway. This device requires only bark to be removed which is less damaging than drilling.

Trees and Development:

Trees in towns and gardens have to co-exist with a host of potentially harmful influences (pollution, excavations for underground services and construction).

Often, when building work is planned, the needs of trees are ignored, with resultant avoidable damage to a tree's stems, or more often, its root system.

As Arboricultural consultants with over twenty-three years' experience we can work with engineers and trees' owners to minimise damage to trees.

Subsidence and Heave:

Subsidence of houses on clay soils caused by tree roots drying subsoil under foundations is a current hot topic. This causes house owners, and potential purchasers, more worry than is usually justified.

Heave is also a concern. Heave is the name for clay subsoil under foundations re-wetting and swelling, as a result of tree removal or root cutting.