Building Management Hawaii - April/May 2012 - (Page 5)

Trees – Our Green Assets How not to plant the wrong tree in the wrong place. By Carol L. Kwan W e’ve all seen it—the wrong tree planted in the wrong place. If you look around town you’ll notice trees everywhere trimmed into unnatural shapes to accommodate rooflines, above-ground wiring and other obstructions. Poorly chosen and located plants and trees can be an expensive mistake, as landscaping and irrigation for a multi-family complex can cost between a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $1 million with trees being a major component of these “green assets.” Proper regular maintenance is necessary or a landscape’s value can quickly decline. Knowing how to maintain trees can be a challenge to many association boards, but ensuring proper maintenance of assets, including trees, is one of the board’s duties. Improper tree care may appear to be cheaper in the short run but can be very costly over time through increased liability exposure and more frequent pruning cycles. Typical tree maintenance concerns include: • Branches rubbing the side or roof of a building • Roots uplifting a sidewalk or pavement • Roots threatening a building foundation • Roots threatening utilities A tree may be the wrong tree in the wrong place when it’s too large for a planting space, leading to crown and/or root conflicts with infrastructure. For example, a monkeypod tree that would be appropriate in a park would be the wrong tree in the wrong place if planted in a 6-foot-wide planter or near utilities. When a tree’s branches rub the side of a building, its “crown” and foliage should have crown reduction pruning. Proper crown reduction follows the national tree management standards, ANSI A300 Part 1 Pruning. It can be accomplished using reduction and removal cuts. It does not use topping or heading cuts, which promote the rapid growth of sprouts from the cut surface as well as decay in the pruned branch. Topping is not acceptable under the ANSI standards. If crown reduction pruning is needed frequently to clear a structure, it is likely that it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place. In some “wrong tree, wrong place” situations, root pruning can extend the tree’s life and defer the high cost of removal. This involves exposing the problematic roots This young royal poinciana is the wrong tree in the wrong place. It is planted too close to the sidewalk, the air conditioner pad, and the building. Royal poincianas are known to grow large surface roots for about a 10’ radius around the tree and the mature crown extends 20’-40’ wide. Close up view of the royal poinciana’s planting space. In this view, you can also see conflicts with sidewalk lighting and a short rock wall. Both are about a foot away from the tree’s trunk. www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com BMH April - May 2012 5 http://www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Management Hawaii - April/May 2012

Contents Building Management Hawaii, April/May 2012
DEPARTMENTS: Concrete Restoration
If You’re Not Testing, You’re Guessing. Diagnose your concrete woes to save time and money.
Corroding Rebar and Spalling Concrete. Why zinc can be a spalling solution.
Top Five Fixes for Spalling. Preventing the corrosion of your building.
Trees – Our Green Assets. How not to plant the wrong tree in the wrong place.
Watts Up? Watts Down!. What you don’t know about parking lots could cost you big bucks.
Covered Parking & Photovoltaics: A Symbiotic Relationship. Covered Parking & Photovoltaics: A Symbiotic Relationship
Fire Prevention & Response
Top 10 Fire Fighters. Preventing fires is a job for everyone, but condo boards and property managers have a particular responsibility.
Keep a Clean Chute. Maintainance of trash chutes prevents serious high-rise fires
Stop, Drop & Go Wireless. New technology aids in fast response and saving lives.
Insurance: Do Condo Owners ‘Get’ Your Master Policy?
EDITORIAL: Editor’s Note
Ask An Expert: Epoxy vs. Regular Rebar
Association Updates
Movers & Shakers
Industry News
Resource Guide: Concrete Restoration & Asphalt

Building Management Hawaii - April/May 2012