The Horizon team of Certified Utility Arborists is fully trained to work around power lines and
other utility cables for any type of tree maintenance or emergency service.
We can handle any low to high-risk tree pruning and maintenance request around any type of electrical, water or other utility equipment.
Why Tree Maintenance Matters
Like anything else, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same is true for tree care, especially those located near power lines and buildings.
Trees grow in the wild just fine, so why prune them? It’s not just about looks.
Pruning is the art of trimming or removing damaged, weak or diseased branches from a tree so that the tree can continue to flourish and live its longest life possible.
Sure, pruned trees are more pleasing to the eye, but the actual key issue is safety.
Without proper maintenance, tree rot can go undetected until it’s too late, causing a branch to down a power line or cause damage to a building. Branches can become overgrown and
dangerously close to lines, needing only a small windstorm to tangle them up and down the
lines, too.
Pruning keeps people and property safe, and extends the life of the tree.
Pruning Trees Away from Power Lines
Our team is ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified and comprised of Certified Utility Arborists. In addition, our team has their Faller certifications for land clearing and forestry tree falling work.
We have experience handling the toughest utility pruning jobs using a variety of methods to
ensure trees are well taken care of and power lines are safely managed.
Pruning and Removal Methods We Use
Notching
Our team carries out all notching, back-cutting and hinging according to the strictest tree falling standards to ensure a controlled and safe tree or branch removal process for worry-free maintenance.
Cutting
Improper pruning can damage its structural integrity. Due to improper cuts in the tree, over time branches that appear to be well-attached can become weak. That means they are at risk to fall in a storm, causing massive property damage and potentially life-threatening safety issues.
Our team of certified arborists only make cuts that are appropriate for both the tree’s structural integrity and health, and for the risk level of the utility and power lines nearby.
The result can be beautifully landscaped, strong trees able to withstand what Mother Nature can throw at them during storm season.
Controlled Tree Limb Removal
At times, it may not be enough to simply prune a tree’s branches: an entire limb may have to be removed to protect nearby power lines.
In this process, our certified utility arborists carry out a controlled and safe removal of the tree and/or its limbs. The direction of the falling branches is carefully planned and executed to ensure the safety of everyone on the site, with all proper work site precautions being taken, such as blocking off the active area from the public, wearing required hard hats and PPE and having all our staff trained in the specific tasks they carry out.
Tree limb removals should never be taken lightly, but our team ensures they happen as safely and efficiently as possible.
Directional Pruning
This method ensures the absolute safety of power lines by ensuring all branches remain a
specific distance away from them. Sometimes, this can lead to a Y-shaped or L-shaped notch in the branch structure which may be a rather unnatural appearance.
Our arborists take every opportunity to ensure the trees we prune near power lines retain their natural shape and beauty wherever possible, without compromising electrical safety and efficiency. However, sometimes safety must take precedence, which is when we use directional pruning techniques.
General Tree Pruning
In many cases, a combination of all of the above methods and more are required for each
maintenance site to ensure the health and safety of all individual trees on-site.
Our team will use their expertise combined with local regulations to provide the safest pruning strategy for your site, that also factors in the aesthetics of your location, with power line and human safety being our top priority.
Who We Serve
Property Managers
We carry out all types of regular tree care, pruning and maintenance for commercial and
industrial property managers and strata corporations.
We can tailor our services to meet your requirements, landscape and budget.
Municipalities
Knowledgeable of all Lower Mainland municipal regulations for tree pruning, cutting and
permitting, we can take care of any subcontracted tree maintenance work.
Landscaping Companies
We offer full landscaping services to our clients, but are also happy to partner with other
landscaping firms in the Lower Mainland for subcontracted tree maintenance and pruning
services.
Utility Service Providers
As mentioned, our team is fully ISA and CUA certified, meaning we can work on any type of
power or utility line work involving tree maintenance and removal, including emergency and
high-risk situations.
We can assist in all aspects of storm season readiness, such as scheduled and preventative pruning, tree inspection prior to the fall/winter season and more. We can also assist in utility emergencies such as fallen trees on power lines or transformers, fallen trees on a car or near other fuel sources, or other specialized scenarios.
We offer 24/7 emergency on-call service throughout the Lower Mainland — 365 days a year.
Construction Job Sites
From initial land clearing to later-stage tree removal or maintenance, we can do it all.
Our certified arborists can also advise on how to ensure remaining trees on site are protected during the construction process to keep the aesthetic appeal of the site intact. As well as assist in planning for which trees can safely stay on the premises and which should be removed before construction starts.
We can also assist with choosing new trees to plant that will flourish in that particular habitat
after construction is complete to add more value and natural beauty to the development.
Let’s Keep Your Trees Healthy and Safe
Well-pruned trees are safer, stronger and better-looking trees. You’ll save money by having
longer tree life with less replacements and by avoiding preventable property damage and
injuries from fallen branches.
Contact Russ Thomson at 604-807-0500 or Russ.Thomson@horizonlandscape.ca to talk more about our services and let us put together a custom service plan for your location today.