Preparing Your Trees for Winter Friday, November 4th 2011 Trees can be badly damaged during severe winter storms. Trees are biologically engineered to adjust to most of the things that "Mother Nature" dishes up. Read More So You Have A Storm Damaged Tree- Now What? Tuesday, January 4th 2011 It happens far too often. You intended to get that branch that tree trimmed up, the crown reduced or have the interior of the tree pruned so it didn’t have as much volatility in a storm (so important with Bradford Pear trees) but you just never made the call to the tree care company and your you have a storm damaged tree. Read More Downed Tree Removal The List You Need To Keep Handy Tuesday, January 4th 2011 The sirens have finally shut off & the winds have died down & Mother Nature has taken quite a toll on your home & yard. You go outside to assess the damage & you notice that one of your trees is down. Read More Emergency Tree Removal Service Tuesday, January 4th 2011 A huge storm just rolled through your area leaving in its wake downed trees & power lines. Now what do you do in order to get your life back to “normal” as soon as possible? Your first call should be to emergency phone line of your power company if live lines are lying on the ground. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next		Downed Tree Removal The List You Need To Keep Handy Tuesday, January 4th 2011 The sirens have finally shut off & the winds have died down & Mother Nature has taken quite a toll on your home & yard. You go outside to assess the damage & you notice that one of your trees is down. Not only is it down, but it has fallen into another tree- now what do you do? First of all, determine if the trees that have taken the hit from Mother Nature have any part of them that are in striking distance of your home. If so, you need to call a tree care company immediately. Sometimes a downed tree removal is really not a big deal because the tree was small & perhaps it was out in the middle of the yard & poses no threat to persons or property. On the other hand, many times downed tree removals include trees that are lying on the house, across the driveway blocking access to the home or as in the scenario I began with, the tree has fallen into another tree & you are now dealing with one downed tree for removal and one possibly damaged tree. That takes expert advice from an arborist. Here is a handy list if you have a downed tree that will help to keep you safe in your home & more money safe in your wallet: 1. First of all if there has been any power lines or gas meters pulled due to the tree falling (the Gas Company calls them runaway meters) be sure to start by calling your electric & gas providers first to insure that no fire hazard is posed to your home & power has been disconnected. 2. Call a reputable tree company. A local tree service provider with a good service history, insurance that can be verified and one that provides emergency service with all the tools, equipment & training to handle dangerous & difficult downed tree removals. 3. Make sure that the company provides service to your area that they won’t be trying to charge you a trip fee in order to come assess the damage or to do the work. For instance, Hansen’s Tree Service services all of Metro St. Louis & St. Charles Counties, Lincoln & Warren counties along with near counties in IL from our location in O’Fallon, MO. In the Branson/ Springfield/ SW MO area, we service most all counties surrounding Branson & Springfield along with counties in NW Arkansas. Just call the numbers provided on this website for a free estimate. 4. Do not work with contractors who ask for money up front for any of this downed tree removal work. Reputable tree companies will want their payment as soon as the job is finished & you are happy with the work- but not before! 5. Check insurance. Ask for proof of insurance & then call the insurance company & make sure the policy is valid & in force. 6. Before any storm blows through your area, why not do some research on a tree care company & jot the name & number of that company on the list where you keep your other emergency numbers for police, fire, ambulance, doctors, the electric & gas companies etc. We’ve heard many times how the gas & electric companies cannot come & reestablish vital services until the downed trees have been removed & the area is secure. Be sure to check with the BBB to determine if the business has a satisfactory rating & better yet, to see if the company has been accredited by the BBB.