Will cabling stop my tree splitting?

It substantially reduces the risk, and that is the honest way to put it. A correctly placed system limits how far two stems can move apart in wind, which is what tears a union open. It does not make the tree immune, and it does not repair a union that has already failed.

How long does a cable last?

Years rather than decades, and it depends on the hardware and how fast the tree grows. Systems need periodic inspection and eventual replacement. A cable left in a growing tree indefinitely can end up embedded and doing nothing.

There is an old cable in my tree. Should I worry?

It should be looked at. Old hardware loosens, corrodes or grows over, and a system nobody has checked is providing unknown support. On a recent Rockville job we repaired a damaged cable in a multi-stem tulip poplar during the same visit as a removal.

Is cabling cheaper than removal?

Usually, and it keeps a mature tree you cannot replace in under fifty years. But it is not free and it commits you to inspections. It is worth it on a sound, valuable tree with one structural weakness — not on a tree that is declining anyway.

Can any tree be cabled?

No. The tree has to be structurally sound apart from the union being supported, and it has to have enough good wood to anchor into. A decayed stem will not hold hardware, and we will tell you when that is the case.

Tree Services

Tree Cabling and Bracing in Montgomery County, MD

Support systems for multi-stem trees and weak unions across Rockville, Bethesda and Potomac. Installation and inspection of existing hardware — 301-580-6023.

Call 301-580-6023 Get a Free Quote

About Our Cabling & Bracing Services

A mature tree with two competing stems and a tight, included union will eventually split — often in a storm, usually taking a large part of the tree with it. Cabling and bracing is how that is prevented on a tree worth keeping: flexible cable high in the canopy to limit how far the stems can move apart, or a threaded rod through the union itself where the crack has already started.

It is also work that has a service life. Hardware installed twenty years ago loosens, corrodes and gets grown over, and almost nobody thinks to have it looked at until a stem fails. If you know there is a cable in one of your trees and do not know when it was last checked, that is worth raising.

When Homeowners Call Us For Cabling & Bracing

Multi-stem trees with narrow, included unions
A crack that has started at a fork
A heavy horizontal limb over a roof, drive or patio
A high-value mature tree you want to keep rather than remove
Existing cables or braces that have never been inspected
A tree recommended for support by an arborist report

Our Process

Assess the union

An arborist looks at the defect, the tree’s overall condition and what is underneath. Support only makes sense on a tree that is otherwise sound.

Specify the system

Cable, brace rod, or both, and where in the canopy it goes. Placement is what determines whether the system works.

Install

Hardware fitted to arboricultural standards, sized for the stems it is supporting.

Inspect on a cycle

Support systems are checked periodically and adjusted or replaced as the tree grows. This is the step most often skipped.

Why Hire Rock Creek for Cabling & Bracing

ISA Certified Arborist specifying every system
Installed to recognized arboricultural standards
Inspection and replacement of existing hardware
Honest assessment — we will say when a tree is past supporting
Fully licensed and insured in Maryland and Virginia

Service Area

We provide cabling & bracing services throughout Montgomery County, Maryland and into Northern Virginia — including Arlington, VA, Aspen Hill, MD, Bethesda, MD, Brookeville, MD, Cabin John, MD, Chevy Chase, MD, Columbia, MD, Damascus, MD and more.

Cabling & Bracing guides from our team

Cabling & Bracing Services — common questions

Will cabling stop my tree splitting?: It substantially reduces the risk, and that is the honest way to put it. A correctly placed system limits how far two stems can move apart in wind, which is what tears a union open. It does not make the tree immune, and it does not repair a union that has already failed.
How long does a cable last?: Years rather than decades, and it depends on the hardware and how fast the tree grows. Systems need periodic inspection and eventual replacement. A cable left in a growing tree indefinitely can end up embedded and doing nothing.
There is an old cable in my tree. Should I worry?: It should be looked at. Old hardware loosens, corrodes or grows over, and a system nobody has checked is providing unknown support. On a recent Rockville job we repaired a damaged cable in a multi-stem tulip poplar during the same visit as a removal.
Is cabling cheaper than removal?: Usually, and it keeps a mature tree you cannot replace in under fifty years. But it is not free and it commits you to inspections. It is worth it on a sound, valuable tree with one structural weakness — not on a tree that is declining anyway.
Can any tree be cabled?: No. The tree has to be structurally sound apart from the union being supported, and it has to have enough good wood to anchor into. A decayed stem will not hold hardware, and we will tell you when that is the case.

Need cabling & bracing today?

Call us 24/7 or request a free quote online.