When hurricane Sandy struck with very strong winds, thousands of trees fell on Long Island. Since the hurricane, as I’ve driven around various locations on Long Island I’ve seen the internal parts of the fallen tree structure. What I’ve noticed is that many of these trees have “hollow” centers that have been rotted out. The only thing holding these trees up is wood at the perimeter of the tree. The tree is very substantially weakened and structurally compromised as a result of the wood rot. So, there was no outside indication that the internal part of the tree was rotted out until it fell. So what does this mean for Long Island home inspections?
When there are large trees on the property, particularly trees that have a chance of falling on the house, they should absolutely be assessed by a tree specialist. Arborists are considered the cream of the crop relative to treat specialists. According to Wikipedia In the USA and Canada a Certified Arborist (CA) is a professional who has over three years of documented and verified experience and has passed a rigorous written test from the International Society of Arboriculture. Other designations include Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist and Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA).
And arborist is qualified to assess the condition of the tree and advise you regarding the best approach to ensuring personal safety as well as protecting your house. When we do home inspections on Long Island we always advise our clients to seek the advice of an arborist when there are trees close to the home. When should you do this? You should do this now, before another storm strikes. Keep in mind that many trees may be in a weakened structural condition as a result of hurricane Sandy. So now is the time to have your trees assessed for substantial safety reasons.
For more related information click on this link: https://safeharborinspections.