Precautions to take for Winter Storms

Basic precautions can be carried out before winter storms to minimize potential damage to your property and buildings.

Check for any large limbs on trees overhanging your house or other structures that may pose a problem in strong winds particularly those with heavy leaf growth which gain additional weight when wet and have these pruned back clear of the roof.

Check for any splits in forks which may weaken a limb in particular on wattles in flower which have added weight with flowers and moisture.

Decay, rot or presence of white ant activity can also weaken limbs and trunks in strong winds.

For more information and precautions go to our storm damage link.

Beaver Tree Climber wins WA state titles

Elliot Gill (left) and Delroy Bergsma (right) and representing Beaver Tree Services competed in the recent state titles held at Faulkner Park in Belmont where Delroy was successful in winning the state title and the right to represent WA at the national titles held in Newcastle NSW against climbers from all other states and NZ. where he finished in the top ten climbers.

This is a very competitive competition held annually incorporating a series of disciplines which are designed to be representative of the skills they employ in their day to day work.

Close shave with a falling branch

CHERRELLE Brown is feeling rather lucky this week as she looks out on to her Wanneroo front yard which is covered by a 50m long tree branch.

The branch fell during high winds on Sunday as Miss Brown watched through her front window.

“I heard a couple of cracks and went to the front lounge window to see what was going on and it just came crashing down in front of the window,” she said. “If it had blown down any differently I probably could have been killed.” “Half the tree had been eaten out,” she said.

Miss Brown called on anyone who had an old tree to get it checked professionally to avoid what could have been a disaster for her family.
 
 

As reported in the Wanneroo Times, Thursday 5 July, 2007, page 3.

Timber to good use

Two century-old sugar gums cut down in Armadale will be put to good use with the announcement of a $12,000 fine wood competition last week.

About 31 WA wood artists, designers and furniture makers have been selected to participate in the competition, which was initiated by Member for Armadale Alannah MacTiernan and sponsored by the Armadale Redevelopment Authority and the City of Armadale.

There are seven categories in the competition with cash prizes available for the best creation.

"It's going to be fascinating to see what the wood turners create out of something that would have been lost from the environment." Ms MacTiernan said.

"There were many people upset over the removal of the sugar gums in Armadale, but now they can see something positive come out of it."

Artists will be given a deadline to work to, with an exhibition to showcase their works anticipated for August this year.