Tree Removal NW Suburbs

Reasons for Removing That Tree in Your Yard

Most of us have a soft spot for trees, especially those that grow in our yard. They’re pleasing to the eye, they provide welcome shade, and they offer glorious contrast through the four seasons. They also serve as homes for wildlife. Yet, often there comes a time in the life of a tree when, because of disease or damage, it needs to be removed. When that’s the case, the decision to do so can be emotional. When do you know when it’s time to call a professional tree removal service?

The short, simple answer is: before it’s too late. But what are the top reasons for tree removal?

Obvious Reasons for Tree Removal

ATC Tree Removal Service — There are many reasons that make removing trees from your yard very important. Some are obvious, and other can be harder to spot.

The tree is dead. Dead trees pose a hazard, and they should be removed as soon as possible.
The tree is diseased. Look for signs that its branches are dying back, especially at the top. You can also look for signs of decay on its trunk.
The tree was damaged in a storm. While sometimes we can save a damaged tree, often it must be removed.
The tree is leaning and could fall, damaging your home, garage, patio, sidewalk, or other parts of your property.
The tree is growing too close to your home or garage, or too close to the utility lines. In this case, trees are often removed to prevent a fall that would snap the lines, disrupting power or service to many other customers in the area.

Less Obvious Reasons for Tree Removal

You’re planning construction or renovations that will damage your tree or its root system beyond repair.
Disease or insect infestation affects a tree on your property and could easily spread to—and threaten—your other trees. A familiar example in our area is the emerald ash borer, which preys on both ash and elms. If found in one tree, it can easily spread to others nearby.
Structural damage or decay has occurred, and your tree is no longer thriving.
The tree has formed a bad crotch in the upper trunk, or you notice cracks in the main trunk or large limbs.
You have too many trees on your property—and they can’t thrive or grow properly because of overcrowding. Trees’ root systems need to be able to spread to sustain each tree properly.

On a final note, you should hire a professional tree removal service to remove your tree when the time comes. Tree work can be complex and a mistake can be costly. Look for a tree service that serves your area and choose one led by a certified arborist. You should also ensure that the service is licensed, bonded, and insured, and that its staff will be responsive to your questions and concerns.

Advanced Tree Care combines top-notch equipment, cutting-edge technology, and well-trained staff to provide emergency tree removal and tree maintenance services. With a presence in nine counties and two states, we work daily to provide unparalleled customer service, safety, and efficiency—as well as the expertise to beautify your landscaping and community. Advanced Tree Care isn’t just our name—it’s also our purpose!

Storm Season Tree Safety Tips

Protect Your Trees From Weather Disasters

Winter and early spring can be a perilous time for trees. Snow and ice can wreak havoc on branches and roots, and extreme temperatures can also cause stress. While you can’t shelter your trees from all weather disasters, you can follow some easy storm season tree safety tips to protect them—and yourself.

Keep tree limbs pruned

Overgrown limbs can pose a risk to passersby or your property. During the winter months, trees are in their dormant stages of growth—and it’s an ideal time to prune. Locating and removing weak-jointed branches is important to protect both you and your tree. We pay extra attention during pruning to weak, narrow-angled, v-shaped branch crotches, as these are often most susceptible to breakage. Additionally, branches over your house, sidewalk, or car can be cabled or braced for added protection.

Resist the temptation to shake your branches

When winter storms come through, tree branches are often laden with snow. Sometimes, the branches even droop or bend under the snow’s weight. Resist the temptation to shake those branches. Cold and ice can make them brittle, and you could damage them beyond repair. Instead, let nature take its course.

Stay away from branches laden with ice and snow

This one may be common sense but is worth emphasizing—don’t park or walk under branches laden with snow or ice.

Be vigilant about salt use

Areas that receive a lot of snow typically use a lot of salt on roads and sidewalks. The salt can definitely damage your tree. Avoid shoveling a bank of snow around the base of your tree, as the salt in the snow can damage the roots, bark, and other aspects of the tree. If there is a bank of snow around your tree, consider using a gentle watering to wash away some of the snow and salt when the weather permits.

Protect your trees from snowplows

That bank of snow around a tree’s base can also mean it’s harder for snowplows to see where the tree is. As a result, snowplows could hit your tree, causing a wound that’s not evident until spring. Trees planted on parkways and roadsides are most vulnerable.

Take care of breakage right away

If a snow or ice storm comes through, and you notice broken or damaged limbs, call a tree service right away. Broken limbs disrupt a tree’s circulatory system and should be addressed as soon as the weather allows. It’s possible that prompt attention will help prevent further damage to your tree.

If you’ve done all this, and a winter (or early spring) storm comes through and severely damages or downs your tree, you’ll want to act quickly to call for emergency tree removal.

Keep these storm season tree safety tips in mind:

Keep away from damaged trees. You don’t want to walk or park under obviously damaged branches. Keep cars, small children, and pets away from the damaged tree.

Call for service right away. Contend with the situation quickly, as a damaged tree is a liability. Look for a 24/7 emergency tree removal service in your area—at Advanced Tree Care, we pride ourselves on quick response time and serve a two-state, nine-county area.
Hire a licensed, bonded service led by a certified arborist, such as Advanced Tree Care. Tree work can be complex and mistakes are costly, so entrust the job to an expert like us.

Emergency Tree Removal Service

Call 24/7 With Your Tree Removal Emergency

Children and adults alike can become very attached to trees. When it comes time for a tree removal emergency, you should be prepared to make a quick decision on this emotional subject. Dead or damaged trees are unsteady. High winds or a sudden storm could pose risks to your home, your family, and passersby or vehicles if the tree is near the street.

To avoid further damage or liability, you must be prompt in calling a tree removal service. At Advanced Tree Care, we offer 24/7 emergency tree removal service in a service area covering two states and nine counties. Our Emergency Management Center is staffed around the clock and always ready to take your call. We’ll be able to provide information about emergency tree removal, answer your questions, and quickly dispatch staff and equipment.

What should you expect when you call with a tree removal emergency?

Certified arborist and a professional staff

While tree care is complex, emergency tree removal can be dangerous. Weather conditions, the location of the tree, and the presence of power lines can all elevate the risk factor. Our certified arborists have experience in removing trees in a variety of emergency situations. We’ll assess the emergency situation and create a plan for the tree’s removal. We’ll also use the correct safety equipment, rigging gear, and procedures for removal.

Licensed, insured and experienced company

We’ve been in business since 2008, and our founder had more than a decade of experience before that. That means we’ve seen it all. We’re fully licensed, bonded, and insured, which is important for liability and protection. If something unforeseen happens, we’re covered.

Quick response time

Tree removal emergencies require immediate attention—and, often, immediate action. At Advanced Tree Care, our Emergency Management Center is open all day, every day. We’re just a call away. With a two-state, nine-county area of service and 44 service units, we keep our response time to an hour or less, so that we can take care of your situation quickly.

Excellent customer service

Every member of our staff is expected to be prompt, professional, polite, and thorough. When we arrive at your site, we’ll answer your questions and address any concerns you have. We’ll tell you about our plan for your tree’s removal as well as anything else to expect while we’re on site. We are also committed to cleaning up, so that your site looks as good (or better) than when we arrived.

Advanced Thermal Tree Imaging

The Latest Technology in Tree Care

At Advanced Tree Care, we take our name seriously by staying at the forefront of advances in tools and processes for tree care, pruning, and cutting. We’re committed to using technology as it advances. One of the latest tools we’re using is advanced thermal tree imaging.

Thermal tree imaging uses infrared imaging to assess tree health. It’s a non-invasive method that can clearly distinguish between living and damaged stem tissues in trees. Why might it be important to assess the overall health of trees on public or private property?

Tree care and maintenance are an important part of property management. If you’re a homeowner—or buying a new home—you’ll want to know how healthy your trees are, and if there are signs of damage or disease, you’ll want the best information possible. There are commercial considerations too: village administrations and commercial property owners need to attend to the care, maintenance, and replacement of trees on their properties, too. The reasons for doing so include public safety as well as historic preservation, in some cases.

What is Advanced Thermal Tree Imaging?

Thermal tree imaging is a highly effective way to determine how healthy those trees are, which ones need dead limbs pruned, and which ones might need to be removed.

Traditionally, inspecting trees to determine health and structural integrity can be time-consuming and invasive. Trees need to be closely inspected. Often, the bark must be disturbed, or our staff has to climb the trees to inspect areas of interest. Invasive testing may be required.

Thermal tree imaging changes all that. The technology gives us both great accuracy and efficiency at once. By taking and examining infrared images, we can distinguish between living and damaged stem tissues in the tree. We can make educated decisions—with clear evidence—about which trees are healthy, and which are diseased or damaged. Together with the property owner, we can make informed decisions about maintenance or removal.

Not only is it non-invasive, thermal tree imaging is also much quicker than other methods of inspection—up to 1,000 times faster at providing the critical information we need. If we’re using thermal tree imaging to appraise the health of trunks and branches, we can inspect dozens of trees in a single day. If we’re inspecting a small, more specific part of a tree—perhaps the trunk only, for decay—that total can be even higher.

So what is it we’re looking for with thermal tree imaging? We’ll tell you. In comparison to other living organisms, trees produce relatively low metabolic energy. Most of what healthy trees emit has already been absorbed by the surrounding environment. On the infrared images, a healthy tree will have relatively even water distribution between its cells and an even heat dissipation over its entire surface.

If a tree is diseased or damaged, the image appears different. The flow of heat energy is interrupted, and cooler areas are apparent in the image. The more cooling there has been internally, the more effect there is on the temperature of the tree’s surface. Once identification of an issue is made, we can proceed with pruning, treatment, or removal.