Most of the storm-damage calls we run in Waterloo Region were preventable with twenty minutes of attention earlier in the year. Spring and early summer are the right time — before the leaves are fully out and before the first prairie low rolls through.
The 20-minute walk-around
Walk the perimeter of every tree on your property, twice — once close in (look at the trunk and root flare), once stepped back (look up at the canopy). Note anything that fits one of the categories below.
1. Deadwood in the upper canopy
Limbs without leaves while the rest of the tree is leafing out. These come down in even mild wind events. They're cheap to prune now, expensive to clean up after.
2. Anything overhanging the house, garage or driveway
Especially silver maples, willows and poplars — fast-growing species with brittle wood. A 30 cm branch falling from 12 metres has the energy of a small car. Crown reduction now beats a roof claim later.
3. Co-dominant stems with V-shaped unions
Two leaders splitting into a tight V, especially if bark is pinched between them, are the single most common failure point in our windstorm response. They can often be cabled — sometimes need one stem reduced or removed entirely.
4. Recent lean or heaving
If a tree has noticeably tilted in the last year, or you can see mounded soil on the opposite side, treat it as urgent. Our removal-vs-preserve checklist has more.
The cheapest tree work is the kind you book in May for July, not the kind you book at 3 a.m. in November.
What we can do before storm season
- Crown clean — remove deadwood and broken limbs.
- Crown reduction — shorten over-extended branches to reduce sail area.
- Cabling and bracing — for co-dominant stems on trees worth keeping.
- Hazard removal — when a tree is past the point of safe retention.
If you'd like a no-pressure walk-through, request a quote — site visits are free.