Work Blog - Chicago's Urban Forest

Chicago's Urban Forest

Trees, we literally can't live without them. They're intrinsically connected to our survival, to our planet's survival. Without trees our planet would die.

Old Town Neighborhood (Ken Whitelaw)

There are about 3½ million trees in Chicago. Of these, only 15% are managed by the city. The rest are the responsibility of whoever owns the property on which they stand.

Forgotten Giants

Trees are often overlooked when buying a home. But they shouldn't be. They have a profound impact on us in so many ways, good and bad.

Trees reduce soil erosion and can control flooding. Trees provide the shade we so dearly love on a hot summer day. That firewood stacked in your yard and the mulch spread on your garden and flowerbeds ...trees.

They provide ⅓ of our planet's oxygen. They remove carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air. They provide us wood to build our homes and food for our families. Their beauty, colors and majesty have inspired artists for centuries.

Snow-Frosted Trees (Ken Whitelaw)

Death from Above

Trees can be dangerous. Anyone who's ever fallen out of one knows this.

Those big limbs you see fallen after a big storm? They can weigh thousands of pounds and they can be deadly. A hundred-year-old maple, soaked in summer rain, broke under the weight and half that tree fell in my backyard, splitting an 8×8 beam of the kid's jungle gym like a toothpick. It's also why when camping, looking above for 'widow-makers' before pitching your tent is (or should be) fundamental for avoiding death from above.

Camping at Starved Rock SP (Ken Whitelaw)

The electrical service conductors (the lines between the utility pole and the mast or lateral mounted to your house) can be damaged by trees. Service lines within the tree canopy can be damaged by tree movement, abrasion and falling limbs. This can lead to fire, service interruption, property damage, electrocution and death.

Don't Forget your Roots

As well, trees damage stuff buried underground. Tree roots break water service piping, sewer pipes, gas supply piping, They can damage buried electrical and communication cables. Tree roots can break foundations.

This May be a Problem 

(bowling pin for scale) (Ken Whitelaw)

We can Help!

Fortunately, there are professionals. Certified arborists and tree service providers can determine a tree's condition and provide insight to its health and management. Fiber-optic inspections of sewer pipes performed by qualified professionals can identify tree root occlusions and pipe damage that would otherwise go unnoticed and cost you thousands of dollars in damage and repairs. Here's a list of service providers we trust.

Trees on Public Property

Most cities provide these services for trees on public lands like the parkway in front of your home. Chicago does this. Here is a link to Chicago's Forestry Division.

Public utilities are federally mandated to trim or remove trees that can result in service interruption. If your electrical service conductors are in contact with tree limbs, get in touch with ComEd here.

This goes for natural gas utilities as well. Here's Nicor Gas website. Here's Peoples Gas website.

A great home inspection covers all this and more. So, if you're looking for a home, remember CBI for your inspection. And don't forget about those trees.

We are Chicago Building Inspections and we're here to help.

Ken/Chicago Building Inspections, Inc.

Office: 312INSPECT

Mobile: 773.350.2325