Tree Cables Protect Historic Barn

As a violent storm raged outside her home in Horsham, Judy Lightstone worried about her much loved barn. Would the Red Maple towering over the barn’s roof stand up to the storm?

Judy didn't have to worry. Two weeks before the storm hit, she asked Giroud to inspect the trees and take action. “To protect the barn, we installed three through bolt cable systems in the Red Maple.” says Robert Poley, Giroud Arborist. “Additionally, we thinned the canopy to improve air flow.”

When the storm cleared, Judy warily looked out to see the damage. While a Douglas Fir on another part of her property had fallen, Judy was thrilled to see that the Red Maple and her barn came through beautifully.

Saving an Ash Tree in Horsham

Bolting helps prevent trees from splitting apart.  The early snow storm was especially hard on trees with weak limbs and cracked trunks.  The heavy snow was just too much and many trees failed.  Rob Poley, Giroud Arborist, shows before and after pictures of an Ash tree with a cracked trunk in Horsham PA.  In the before picture, the crack is very wide making the tree at high risk for failure.  The after picture shows the two bolts on the sides of the tree and how they firmly close the crack and pull the trunk together.  It's important to have structural problems evaluated and repaired before more storms strike.

Before

After Bolting