Cabling & Bracing

Cabling and/or bracing a tree is the installation of threaded steel rod braces or flexible high strength cables to reduce potential damage from stress. Stress commonly comes from heavy ice and snow, high winds, and heavy limbs or foliage. If you haven’t taken the necessary precautions, you may find yourself in need of emergency services to repair damage to your property. Of course you don’t want that. So…

How do you prevent against stress damage?

First, have Ryan Tree & Landscaping provide you with a Tree Inspection & Assessment to identify problem areas and potential stress points. Weak areas are not always obvious to the untrained eye. We can help you identify weak points and suggest preventive measures including cabling and bracing, if necessary. As ISA Certified Arborists, our focus is on strengthening your trees so they can withstand storm damage and reduce potential risk. Below, we outline the differences between cabling and bracing.

• Cabling:
  Cabling is usually necessary for two types of trees which tend to have structural weakness…
  • Y Shape Trees – Trees that grow like a “Y” from the ground. One trunk produces two smaller limbs from which the rest of the tree grows (often called co-dominant stem)
  • V Shape Trees – Trees that grow like a “V” from the ground. The tree immediately splits into two halves from which the rest of the tree grows (often called a double leader)
  Both of these types of trees are structurally weaker than a single leader tree or a tree with a single dominant stem. This is because the weight becomes heavy on each side of the tree which in turn makes it more likely to fail. Cabling reduces this risk by adding a support cable in the canopy of the tree. Usually, this is done in addition to selective tree trimming/pruning to reduce weight.
• Bracing:
  Bracing usually consists of installing arbor bolts through the trunk of a tree that has begun to split apart. In addition, there are several other possible methods for bracing that are less common but we readily employ when the situation requires it.

Let us help you secure your trees future and protect your property with cabling & bracing!