Tree Pruning - Large Silver Maple
Updated: root cause of neighbors concern in fact appears correct as Tree Effects had predicted so I'm revising my review higher in light of this.
Original review:
I was looking for a 30% pruning on a 60-70 ft. tall silver maple tree which has been pruned every 5 years or so. The company we worked with last time was not available this season, so I gathered several quotes and decided to go with Tree Effects.
Overall from my side of the property, the work was satisfactory. However, there are 3 caveats, one of which is a major concern and a reason I cannot recommend Tree Effects.
Several days after the job was performed, I was raking leaves and chatting with my neighbor when we discovered that her house suffered serious damage to the aluminum siding where Tree Effects had been dropping large branches. I clearly recall at least two occasions during the pruning work where I heard loud crashes, and saw branches hitting my neighbor's siding. The photos attached show the tree itself and the damage sustained to the siding as a result of the falling branches. Typically the branches being cut are tied to a rope and then lowered carefully, so something must have went wrong on these couple of big branches to cause so much damage as they fell. I expect Tree Effects will compensate my neighbor for the damage.
It is noteworthy that I did not observe the crew take any breaks, and I was under the impression that they were rushing the work.
There are 2 minor grievances beyond this, but they are not very important in contrast to the damage my neighbor's siding suffered as a result of Jen's crew. I had specifically requested for the crew to leave me plenty of firewood which I would cut to size myself. I also requested for pruning back the branches above my garden to allow more sunlight in next season. Her crew left me less than 1/8th of a cord of firewood. I get it - it's time consuming to leave me a whole cord of firewood, but I would have been happy to negotiate an extra fee with them to leave it behind instead of chipping it.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $2,000.00
- Company Response
Our team at Tree Effects is deeply saddened to hear you have left such an awful review for our company after leaving us such kind thankful words upon completion.
The claims from your neighbour have our team very distraught as we take such care and passion for safety and control on the job. Your job was no exception. Every single branch was carefully rigged under full control and lowered slowly to the ground. When branches brush rooftops, it often echos within homes and can sound damaging though it is merely small tips that do not damage the roof. The damage on your neighbours house was identified by our team during our safety debrief prior to commencing work and noted in the document along with all the other obstacles and targets present on both yours and your neighbours property. Though we assume people know the condition of their property, this situation has brought awareness and we are now working on changing our policies to ensure there will be a walk around with clients and neighbours prior to commencing work to identify any issues or potential risks and to ensure clear communication throughout the duration of work. I assure you, we take much pride in our work and are fully certified and insured for any and all unforeseeable damages.
An investigation of your neighbours house will prove that the marks were not caused by wood scrapping the aluminum siding, but likely metal. The damaging marks are something travelling INTO the rear yard whereas we moved small material out. A further investigation can absolutely be dealt with through proper investigations and insurance with your neighbour.
With regards to firewood and pruning.
As discussed and identified with labelled images in your detailed quote, we agreed that no large branches would be removed from the tree as it could be damaging to the health and structure of the tree. There were more broken limbs in the tree than when quoted months back and we agreed to leave the quote the same price and mitigate the additional hazards.
We in fact, took more out of the canopy than quoted to ensure your happiness with the clearance over the yard and houses at no extra charge. We pruned the maximum of 30% of the canopy as any more would be damaging to the health and structure of the tree. We were very proud of our before and after pictures of your tree as the tree had a beautiful balanced structure, plentiful clearance to homes, adequate elevation for sunlight and rear yard activities, while still maintaining good health and structure for the tree. The ultimate goal we always strive to achieve for our urban trees! And, just as you requested, we left all ‘wood’ 4 inch diameter and over in manageable sized pieces stacked nicely to the side of your yard. We are always appreciative of those requests as it saved us hauling from the rear yard.
If you are looking for more firewood, I can certainly add you to our list for dump sites when we have wood to dispose of in the area; otherwise, I would highly recommend signing up for www.chipdrop.com (free signup). It is for people looking for wood chips (mulch for gardens) and wood. Landscape and Arborist companies are always looking for free sites to get rid of material.
I certainly wish we could have discussed these concerns prior to your posted review, but I assure you, we have completed more than what you were charged for with the utmost care and highest safety practices and we certainly hope to find a solution to ease your neighbours concerns.
With Sincerest regards,
Jennifer and the Tree Effects Team