How to Avoid the Cost of Arkansas Ice Storm Damage with Fall Tree Trimming
After an ice storm in Arkansas you may have been out to your driveway to see a tree lying in half across it. You might not be aware that the branches which gave way are ones you could have put in the ground months before. Then there is the question of whether some forethought in the fall will spare you an exorbitant spring bill.
We at A&M Tree Care make it our business to shield the property of homeowners in Cabot and Greater Little Rock from what the winter has in store. Call (501) 599-4866 and we will come out and put your trees in order prior to the first freeze. Christopher Kraus started this family-owned concern in 2016 and we have had occasion to witness the toll an unprepared tree can take when Arkansas ice comes through.
The Hardship of an Arkansas Ice Storm on Your Trees
You cannot put a schedule on an Arkansas winter. It is mild one week, then the next there is a layer of ice on every branch in view. The thing about ice is its heft; a mere half-inch of it puts hundreds of pounds on a mature specimen, and it is the weak spots that feel it.
More often than not the branch that gives out was already under some strain. Put an ice load on dead limbs or a weak joint, an overgrown canopy or crossing branches, and they will break. And they do not tend to go down in a harmless spot.
Damage is apt to be found in these places:
- Roofs and gutters where it causes leaks and calls for structural work
- Vehicles in the driveway
- Fences, outbuildings and sheds
- Power lines, sometimes without electricity for days to follow
- Other sound parts of the tree, leaving open wounds for disease
Making a Difference with Fall Trimming
There is no better time to get ahead of such matters than the fall. The leaves are gone and you can read the tree’s structure. We know right away what is dead, what is in the way and what is growing at an angle that will not support the weight.
A bit of pruning in the run up to winter is good for several reasons. You are ridding the tree of wood that would be the first to snap. There is less surface for the ice to hold onto. The canopy is put in balance so as not to put all the weight on one side.
It is far cheaper than having to do emergency repairs. Pruning in the fall is an expense you can count on. A tree in your roof in January is something else entirely.
Putting the Costs in Perspective
Tally it up and an ice storm failure is costly:
- You will pay a premium for emergency removal in the midst of a storm
- Repairs to siding or the roof
- Deductibles for vehicle damage
- The time and food lost in a power outage
- What is left to clean up
Put that against a fall trimming session and the numbers tell their own story. With preventive care you put out a little now and are assured of not putting out a lot later.
Our Approach on a Fall Visit
We will not be there to put the hard sell on you for services you have no use for, nor will we ever try to upsell work of no benefit to your trees. Homeowners should be given straight talk and we hold to that.
In the course of an assessment we look at what is of import before winter sets in:
- Limbs that are dead or dying and a hazard
- Those that are overextended and will be laden with ice
- Unions of narrow or weak branches
- Anything encroaching on power lines, the driveway or roof
- The general health and balance of the canopy
Every job is done with an eye toward ecology, for a tree to be healthy, not just pruned. And since we do not charge for a trip or to make a diagnosis, an estimate from us is free of any fee.
Get in Before the Winter Weather
Wait until after the ice and you have missed the mark. We are here Monday to Saturday, 7:00am to 6:00pm, and 24/7 if a storm brings on an emergency. Military and first responders also get a 10% discount with us on an ongoing basis.
To head off the kind of damage that is hard on the budget and the roof, put in a call to A&M Tree Care at (501) 599-4866 and set up your fall trimming. Some preparation goes a long way when winter comes around.
