Category: Tree Maintainence And Your Homeowner's Insurance

Proper pruning practices---not only keeping your trees healthy but beautiful as well!!

6/10/2016

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It's important to hire a professional tree care company who is educated in how to properly prune your trees. This shows you first hand the difference between proper pruning and tree hacking. Proper pruning techniques keeps your trees healthy and cosmetically appealing. When a tree is trimmed properly it will always compliment your landscape and your tree will remain strong for years to come. On the contrary, improper cuts will damage your tree, initiate decline and leave your tree as a visual eye sore.

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The Benefits of Trees

2/27/2015

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Have you ever imagined what the world would be like without trees? The benefits of trees extend beyond their beauty. Trees planted today will offer social, environmental, and economic benefits for years to come.
Learn more about the benefits of trees.

Social Benefits
Social benefits of trees go beyond enjoying their beauty. Humans feel a calming effect from being near trees. The serenity we feel can significantly reduce stress, fatigue, and even decrease recovery time from surgery and illness. Green spaces can also help lower the level of crime within urban environments

Communal Benefits
With proper selection and maintenance, even trees on private property can provide benefits to the community. Trees provide privacy, accentuate views, reduce noise and glare, and even enhance architecture. Natural elements and wildlife are brought to the urban environment which increases the quality of life for residents within the community.

Environmental Benefits
Trees alter the environment we live in by moderating climate, improving air quality, reducing storm-water runoff, and harboring wildlife.

Examples of the environmental benefits of trees:

Trees help moderate temperatures by creating a cooling effect which can counteract the heating effect of pavement and buildings in an urban environment.
Compact tree foliage can serve as a windbreak, as well as provide protection from rainfall.
Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates and releasing oxygen.

Economic Benefits
The economic benefits of trees are both direct and indirect. Property values of landscaped homes are 5 to 20 percent higher than those of non-landscaped homes based on the species, size, condition and location of the trees included in the landscape. Trees also provide shade which can lower cooling costs for your home and reduce heating costs in the winter by acting as a windbreak.

An arborist can help you determine the value of trees by providing an appraisal. Documentation on the value of trees in your landscape can assist with determining property value, as well as, help with insurance claims in the event of a loss.

Learn more about the value of trees

Maximize Your Trees' Benefits

Trees provide numerous benefits but in order to maximize a tree’s benefits routine maintenance is required. Though these benefits begin the moment a tree is planted, they are minimal compared to the benefits of a mature tree. The costs associated with removing a large tree and planting a young tree can outweigh the costs of regular tree maintenance practices such as a tree inspection, pruning, and mulching.

Learn more about mature tree care
Courtesy of treesaregood.org

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The Importance of Maintaining Trees On Your Property and Removal of Dead Decaying Trees

1/15/2015

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Trees add value and beauty to your home, but they also can spell trouble if they aren't properly maintained. Dead or dying trees aren't just unsightly; they pose safety hazards and can cause liability issues. It's important for homeowners to understand what is covered by their homeowners insurance policy if a tree should fall on their property or their neighbor's property.

Overview
Most basic homeowners insurance policies will cover damage to your house and the contents caused by falling trees and tree limbs. Most storm-caused tree damage, such as ice, hail and lightning, is covered. As long as the tree was healthy and well maintained, it doesn't matter if it was your tree or your neighbor's tree; your policy covers damage to your property. The same is true for your neighbor. Their homeowners policy is there to cover their property.

Liability
This is where it gets a little more complicated. If a tree on your property is not well maintained, is dead or diseased, and may fall and cause damage to your neighbor's property, you may be liable. Typically, your neighbor's insurance company will pay for the damage and then come after your insurance company for reimbursement in a process called subrogation. If the insurance adjuster finds that you were negligent (didn't maintain the tree properly), your insurance company may end up footing the bill and you'll feel the pain through higher premiums and potential lawsuits.

If you notice that your neighbors aren't taking care of their trees properly, you should contact them about it. If they aren't cooperative, it's best to use certified mail to have a record of the communication to show you've made an effort to protect your property.

If you don't properly maintain trees on your own property and they cause damage to your home, it's possible the insurance company may deny coverage because you failed to protect your property.

Other damage
Should a healthy tree fall on your garage and damage your car, your homeowners policy will cover the damage to the structure up to limits set within your policy. Your auto insurance, assuming you have comprehensive coverage, will cover the damage to your car. Again, if the tree isn't properly maintained, coverage may be denied.

Your homeowners insurance policy also likely will cover some of the cost of removing the tree from the structure and the cost of hauling it away. Tree removal and hauling away will have separate limits. These can be very expensive, so be sure to see what the limits of your policy are.

It's important to maintain the trees on your property. Keeping them healthy and well trimmed doesn't just protect your family's safety, but can save you from increased premiums, potential lawsuits and a lot of money out of your pocket. Prevention is by far the best cure.

Fallen dead tree which should have been maintained and ultimately removed. It is very likely homeowner insurance will not cover a situation such as this.

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Proper pruning practices---not only keeping your trees healthy but beautiful as well!!

The Benefits of Trees

The Importance of Maintaining Trees On Your Property and Removal of Dead Decaying Trees

Sarah H.

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