It happens that construction sometimes happens too close to trees which can hurt their health, and in the future turn out to be a bad thing for the building being built. Whether it is building a new home, home renovations, building a garage or any other construction work, it is beneficial to consult with a professional Perth Arborist so that the trees are safe.
Builder and arborist working together
At the start of the planning phase your arborist can work with the builder to ensure the plans do the least damage to the trees around them. Sometimes all it takes a slight adjustment to the plans to get the driveway you want without any impact to your trees. Here is a look at what that might include;
- Rerouting utilities if possible further away from the trees or using trenching and tunneling techniques that are less damaging.
- Erecting barriers to prevent damage to the roots and the trees can help protect them. Place a sturdy fence around each one at least 1 foot per inch of the tree’s diameter or as far as it can be placed.
- Keep the entrance and exit site to one place and have an area where the workers can park vehicles away from roots. Also keep places like equipment storage, cement wash out pits and the fire site for burning materials away from trees.
- Coordinating everybody on the premises is going to be key. If you are having a plumber carry out a water heater repair at the same time, they too need to stick to the same entrance and exit.
- Take photos of your site before it all starts, make regular visits to make sure everything is okay and take photos each time you visit.
Treating damaged trees
A professional Perth Arborist as well as helping to protect the trees is also important for the process of inspection and care. It is important to bring them in as soon as you can, the sooner they can act the more chance they have of saving the tree or trees. First they will carry out an inspection looking at damage as well as stability and the structure of the tree. Common damage seen in cases like this include;
- Roots smothered from too much soil piled on top of them
- Injury from vehicles or tools to the crown or trunk of the tree
- Roots that have been severed
- Soil compacting around the roots
- Stress due to things like changes in drainage
- An increase in exposure to sunlight and wind
Actions a professional arborist might take could include pruning dead or split branches and removing diseased limbs, bracing or cabling branches that need more support, treating the wounds in the bark and trunk, putting in proper drainage and irrigation, and adding a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulching to help root growth.
Conclusion
As well as calling in an expert to look after the trees you might also need an expert to look after things like damaged pipes. If you need something like water heater repair and call in a plumber you could have them inspect the pipes outside too.
