Climbing over power lines

One of the challenges in working in the old parts of Windsor, and particularly downtown, Walkerville, or parts of the West End, is the lines.

Electrical lines. Power lines.  Lines, lines, lines…

When many of these homes were built, the City had not been wired for electricity, or planning for lines was an afterthought.  Houses were built for coal, wood, and indoor plumbing was likely a luxury, only for the very rich, into the 1840’s.

In our neighbourhood, houses on our street are 125 years or older.  This makes for not only narrow streets and alleyways, but a labyrinth of wires criss-crossing through our back alley and into our backyards.  This presents a real challenge for tree work.  

You can see from the photo that it is not so easy to navigate the tree.  There are two charged 220V lines, as well as cable/internet and then there is a small shed and wood fence in the drop zone. This makes for a busy spot, in a typical 35 foot wide by 50 long back yard.

The key to working in this is to rig everything.  This can be time consuming - tying and lowering every limb so it doesn’t snag or snap any line.  This requires patience, and some degree of skill to get done, but the finished product is not only a safely maintained tree, but if done correctly, better clearance and future proofing your vital electrical lines from damage.