Rant: A big oak in Charlotte taught me to never trust a clean-looking trunk

I was doing a removal last month on a mature white oak that looked totally fine from the outside. The homeowner said it was dropping a few small branches, no big deal. I made my face cut and went around back for the hinge, and my saw just sank into pure mush. The whole center was hollow and rotten, but the bark was tight and there were no conks or visible signs. It was like a 3-foot wide shell with maybe 2 inches of good wood holding it up. The thing could have pancaked on their house any day. Now I drill a test hole on every single big tree removal, no matter how healthy it looks. Anyone else get totally fooled by a tree with hidden rot?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara74515d ago

That "clean-looking trunk" thing is everywhere. It's like how the shiniest, most put-together people can be the most messed up inside.

lunab9715d ago

Ever wonder why we keep falling for the shiny outside? The pressure to look perfect must be brutal. What happens when that trunk finally pops open for everyone to see? Seems like a setup for a massive crash.

linda_wood7d ago

My neighbor's perfect lawn hides a garage full of absolute chaos.