Had a call last week about a massive limb over a pool in Austin

Got a call from a homeowner last week in Austin who had a 40 foot live oak limb hanging right over their in-ground pool. The thing was about 14 inches thick and had a crack running halfway through it from a storm a few months back. I spent a good hour just figuring out the rigging so I wouldn't drop anything into the pool or mess up their deck. Ended up using a 3-to-1 mechanical advantage system to lower the pieces down slow. Got it all done in about 4 hours total. Has anyone else dealt with a tricky drop zone like a pool or a greenhouse where you just can't let anything fall?

3 comments

3 Comments

cameron_chen6311d ago

Dude, you have way more patience than me. My buddy tried to take down a limb over his parent's koi pond and that thing landed right in the water, scared all the fish half to death (and they still give him the stink eye).

lisa_jones2111d ago

Wow, never even thought about koi ponds being a hazard factor too.

spencer_johnson2211d ago

You ever have one of those jobs where you just know before you start that it's going to be a long day? I had a similar situation a few years back with a limb over a neighbor's greenhouse. The thing was about 20 feet up and the greenhouse had those old glass panels. Every time I cut a piece, I had to lower it down with a rope and pulley setup, real slow-like. It took me almost all day, but I didn't break a single pane. I can tell you, the homeowner was watching from inside the house the whole time, holding his breath. I felt like a surgeon, and it's definitely not something I'd want to do again anytime soon.