Large Red Oak Tree

[teg]

I'm with Sonny, hate to say it... around here, when they build, it almost seems like the builders do there best to abuse and kill a tree. No protection what so ever to try and save a tree. Trees will look like they are alive but they take a few years to succumb. If you started to save the tree as soon as you moved in, you might have had a chance... but no one thinks of that until it's too late.

PS. Pine beetle do not eat oak trees, you have wood borers... and they usually feed on dead wood.

 

[newbury]

<snip> I have space to stack and sticker the wood and let it dry...use some here for some projects and maybe sell a slab or two to help with the cost...we will see.

It would be awesome if the tree could stay though...that would be the best outcome.

-Joe

Johns Island, SC seems to be in a pretty humid area. You might need to build some shelter for it to dry properly.

 

[nybirdman]

If I had a diseased tree that large and close to the housed it would have it taken down for sure and I hate taking trees off my property especially a large nice looking tree.
If it's dropping branches;I would guess it's done for.Sounds like a lot of money to take it down but probably less than the repair bill if it hits your house.
Locally were loosing our Elms,Pines have some kind of disease and the Ash are being infected by Ash borers.Not good,only thing we will have is our Oaks,Butter-nut(also in trouble) and Maple.

 

[/pine]

Interesting...I will get ahold of someone to look at it that doesn't stand to make their living taking them down.

I did find a local guy with a portable bandsaw mill that travels. He charges a 400 dollar minimum and says if I have 2x 12' trtunks he expects it will take about that 400 dollar minimum to slice them up. If he is close with his estimate, and the wood looks good, that sounds like a good deal to me. I have space to stack and sticker the wood and let it dry...use some here for some projects and maybe sell a slab or two to help with the cost...we will see.

It would be awesome if the tree could stay though...that would be the best outcome.

-Joe

Just a suggestion should the tree have to come down and it is fairly solid...And you can possibly market some of the lumber...Consider having the sawyer leave you some live edge slabs..."live edge" is quite popular right now...

 

[jrdepew]

Just a suggestion should the tree have to come down and it is fairly solid...And you can possibly market some of the lumber...Consider having the sawyer leave you some live edge slabs..."live edge" is quite popular right now...

This was the sawyer's suggestion as well. It is a sales tool for him for sure, as he said a few slabs could be sold off to cover the cost of hiring him, but it does make sense.

 

[jrdepew]

Johns Island, SC seems to be in a pretty humid area. You might need to build some shelter for it to dry properly.

Shelter as in protection from rain? Or that the wood would need to be in a climate controlled area?

Humid might be an understatement

 

[Egon]

Figure out how many board feet there is in the tree so the economics can be figured out. Also, try and determine what type of boards you want cut. ( quarter, rift, flat sawn )

You might try and sell the tree as felled. ???

Chainsaw mill may work but sawyer is more practice.

 

[newbury]

Shelter as in protection from rain? Or that the wood would need to be in a climate controlled area?

Humid might be an understatement

Protection from rain and bugs immediately.
But perhaps you could erect a minimalist tent frame over a well stickered stack, throw a tarp over and put a fan on it to force air through.
/edit - remember it's the rule thumb - an inch a year for drying. So if you cut a 4" thick slab it might take 4 years to dry.

Figure out how many board feet there is in the tree so the economics can be figured out. Also, try and determine what type of boards you want cut. ( quarter, rift, flat sawn )

You might try and sell the tree as felled. ???

Chainsaw mill may work but sawyer is more practice.

Really difficult to tell what the wood will be like without cutting it open. Cavities, insect damage, rot, embedded metal are all possible.
Almost every tree I've milled has had some surprise inside.

The quotes to get it removed have been around 3k for removal, including stump grinding. One company will do it for 2k, but doesn't do stump grinding.

Removal means ALL problems are gone. You don't worry about climbing up in the tree, limbing, disposing etc.

I'd view that as a 3k "grant" to buy more equipment and talk that tree into laying down. But then I enjoy getting up in trees with a chain saw

 

[EddieWalker]

Sadly, big old trees are the most delicate. While it's sometimes hard to understand, it's smart business taking out all the trees around a house when building and then planting new ones.

$3 grand to take it down, haul it off and grind the stump is a very reasonable price. Just make sure that you have in writing that it will all be done and cleaned up before you pay them anything. Usually they will get rid of the tree, and then it's weeks or months later that the stump is finally ground up, and who knows how that will look.

Getting it cut into lumber is never worth the effort if you do not have a mill, or access to one. You can have the guys cutting it down cut the trunk into 9 foot lengths so you can have it milled, but then you will have to either hire a guy to come to your place to cut it into boards, or you will have to haul it to him. Then what will you do with the lumber? It will have to dry out before it's usable, which takes up a lot of room. If you want to sell it, you have to be cheaper then Home Depot, and finding buyers costs time and money. Do you have a need for it?

In my experience, it's cheaper in the long run to just get rid of it.

 

[big bubba]

should you decide to have it professionally removed, ensure the guy is bonded/ insured esp having to cut it that close to house. maybe ask for documentation. if someone or property is damaged, liability for you could be a concern if an outfit is not properly covered
best of luck, sorry to see the old warrior fade.