That job in Portland changed how I look at storm damage cleanup

I was out on a call in the Pearl District last spring after a weird wind event took down a big old elm. The owner kept saying he wanted to save as much of the canopy as possible, which I get, but the trunk had a split that went all the way through the crotch. Spent 3 hours there just rigging pieces down with a block and tackle instead of dropping them. It made me slow down and think about what the customer actually wants versus what's fastest for me. Has anyone else had a job that forced you to totally rethink your go-to method for something basic like takedowns?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendysanchez4d ago

Idk that "save as much of the canopy" part really hit me. I had a similar thing with a big maple where the homeowner just wanted it salvaged for firewood, and taking the time to rig pieces down instead of dropping them saved me a ton of cleanup later.

beth_reed3d ago

That 30 foot branch I saved from splitting a fence by rigging it down was worth every extra minute of setup, honestly.

the_miles3d ago

Firewood maple" sounds more like silver maple, which burns fast and leaves a ton of ash.