This past weekend was going so well until Sunday afternoon.
In a span of about 2 hours, I discovered that I had several problems with either my home or property.
One of the problems that occurred is going to require that I know how to find a tree service.
Here are 3 of the problems that occurred to bring down my Sunday evening:
#1. I was walking through my garage and saw a puddle of water on the cement floor.
It was coming from the guest bathroom — where the water was leaking out of the tank via a bolt that held the tank on. Unfortunately, it will be inoperable until I get it repaired.
I’m going to replace the entire toilet, as previously planned, so just replacing the guts is not in the cards. I will post an article on the toilet replacement once it is complete.
#2. I was sitting in the backyard and discovered that, once again, I had bats roosting on my house in one of the gable vents.
This time it was above the breakfast room that I had not put the screen over, as I had done on the front gable vent.
Must read: How To Safely And Humanely Get Rid Of Bats From Your Home
So I took care of that, and put up a bat house — high up on a tree about 30 feet from the house — hoping that the little devils would be moving into it to keep the mosquitoes down this summer.
#3. I was pulling the English ivy off of a couple of trees and discovered that the bark on one of the humongous tulip poplars (which had been dead for about a year) sounded hollow when I tapped on it.
That’s not a good sign.
It’s anywhere from 70-90 feet tall and about 20 feet from the house.You do the math.
Here’s What I Had To Do To Hire A Tree Service / Arborist
- There is a lot of risk involved in the tree-cutting business, so make sure that the company you hire is licensed and insured. Ask for the paperwork, and call the insurance company prior to hiring them. They should carry liability and workman’s compensation insurance.
- NEVER pay them in advance!
- Ask for references… and contact them to see how they did at with previous jobs.
- Talk to your friends and neighbors. Word of mouth is big in this business.
- Acquire multiple estimates. The quotes should include everything that you’re looking for the tree company to take care of. I want the wood hauled away as part of the deal, because it’s dead and of no use to me.
- Look for coupons and deals in your local newspapers and online.
- Make sure they are certified members of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) or members of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
- Tell them all they need to know regarding the job prior to agreeing to let them handle the job.
Those simple tips should ensure that you don’t get ripped off and that you’ll be able to find and hire a qualified, reputable company to do the job right the first time.
