jmmoris

THANK YOU all for your time, especially 10 Bears for your in-depth post. Truly appreciate it. If we hired an arborist to assess the trees, what would they review? Would it be as simple as taking a look at the bark, soil, etc. for external signs of health, or are there internal factors to review/possible tests they can perform? I guess I just want to make sure that a powerful storm isn't going to send one (or both) of these trees toppling... I know no one can guarantee this one way or another--just looking at likelihoods. BTW, we live in Pittsburgh, PA, well away from Tornado Alley.

Hey, folks. I'm really hoping to get some opinions here. We have two gorgeous, 80' red oaks about 30 feet from the rear of our house. Problem is, they're leaning at about a 30 degree angle toward the house. My husband says the lean isn't new (the trunks are curved, so they probably grew toward the sun) and oaks have hardy taproot systems, so the likelihood of them falling is slim. I say they're leaning too much, and I want them down. We're deadlocked. What do you professionals think? There is no mounding or other external sign that they're in immediate danger of falling, at least that we can see. It's just the degree of lean and the proximity to the house that has me nervous. Tree cutters want $4,000 to cut them both down, so we're obviously not taking this decision lightly. Thank you! (P.S. Attached is a pic...it's the two trees on the left. A side view would be better, but this gives you an idea, at least.)