Any ideas??

[sloth]

Interesting its so far from the stem, looks a fair sized tree with a hefty lean. Certainly worthy of further inspection if its likely to flatten the house should the roots let go. The brown rotted roots, depending on extent of decay, will have lost some, or maybe lots, of their tensile strength.

[daltontrees]

Sure looks like Phaeolus schweinizii. Personally I've never seen any tree last too long after showing fruiting bodies. It's a pity you can't see the whole tree to tell if it is straightening up naturally higher up the stem and therefore whether the lean is old. Also can't tell from photos whether there is rootplate lifting or abnormal butressing. I have no hard evidence to back it up but several cases of P.s I have seen I have attributed to infection after root tearing following rootplate heave but without knowing detailed history, it could be chicken-and-egg. If this one's going to flatten a house there must surely be a case for definite identification of fungus and bit of investigation by hand-dig of the state of the root(s) in that sector.

 

Doing the old Metheny & Clark thing risk = presence x probability x harm, you've got a permanent target, serous damage would be caused and unless you can get your probability of failure down to less than maybe 1:100,000 you've got a (HSE definition) unacceptable risk.

[Mr P]

Thanks a lot guys that really helps!!

 

There is no root plate lifting at all and I noticed some other pines that had the same lean but it was only the bigger ones. I was thinking it could maybe be wind but hard to tell. Some of the other roots have had some damage from lawnmowers so this is prob how it got opened up for infection.

 

Cheers again!

[Mr P]

Just incase you wanted to know how this one panned out, the tree came down last night and landed on a cottage!

 

I didn't get a chance to inspect the damage or have a look at the roots but there was a tornado warning in the area and the guys up there think it may have been hit by lightning.

 

Just last week based on the advice you guys gave me I said it would prob have to come down, nature beat me too it!

[Paul Barton]

Found this at the base of a pine leaning over my friends house...should he be worried??

 

Yes - I predict that within a week that tree will fall down.

[Mr P]

It came down last night Paul, landed on a house! No one was hurt

[sloth]

Pics please! Are you doing the clean up? Lucky no one was hurt, how did the house do?

[Mr P]

I wasn't there, just got a call this morning so not sure il see if can get some pics. Cottage is still standing but not in great shape apparently, there was quite a few people staying in it at the time so yea real lucky no one was hurt it was an 80ft tree!

[Paul Barton]

It came down last night Paul, landed on a house! No one was hurt

 

Wow, I am good!

 

Glad no one was hurt. If you can get some photos of the rootplate and any close ups of the roots where they failed that would be great to see.

[Mr P]

Managed to get a few pics of the aftermath sent to me, apparently some of the branches pierced straight through the roof and where 6ft into the tv room!

 

Anyway they had a tornado warning in the area so high winds coupled with some rot equals tree fall down.

 

If course it flattened my mates cottage but missed his neighbours who's cottage was directly under the natural lean of the tree!haha sods law