Engineered support systems that reduce the risk of structural failure so weakened trees can be preserved instead of removed.
Not every tree with a structural weakness needs to be removed. When a tree risk assessment identifies codominant stems, weak branch unions, or overextended limbs, cabling and bracing can reduce risk to acceptable levels while preserving the tree's value to your landscape.
Serving Colorado's Front Range · (720) 535-8769
Great Western Tree Care installs supplemental support systems — cabling, bracing, and guying — that reduce the risk of structural failure in trees with identified defects.
Across Colorado, aging trees often show their years through hidden decay or stressed limbs, but with the right tree support system many can be made safe again while preserving a cherished tree and protecting your property.
Our ISA-Certified Arborists design support systems following ANSI A300 Part 3 standards for Supplemental Support Systems, ensuring every installation is engineered to the specific tree's structural needs.
Not every structural defect calls for removal — some can be stabilized in place once identified through a proper assessment.
Trees with three or more codominant stems — common in trees that were topped years ago and developed multiple competing leaders — often develop included bark unions that are prone to splitting under load.
Triangulated, multi-cable configurations distribute forces more effectively than a single-cable installation on these complex canopies.
Trees topped years or decades ago frequently develop multiple weakly attached leaders that grow rapidly and become increasingly heavy — more failure-prone than the original branches the topping removed.
Cabling these new leaders together, often combined with restoration pruning to select dominant leaders, helps manage the long-term structural consequences of past topping.
A non-rigid synthetic fiber system developed as an alternative to rigid steel cable. Dynamic systems allow the tree to continue moving and growing naturally, engaging only in high winds or heavy snow to help prevent limb failure.
Over time, the weak branch union strengthens by creating reaction wood until it becomes strong enough to support itself, and installation does not require drilling holes for bolts.
Steel cable is best utilized where stems are already cracked, where limb weight is too heavy for a dynamic cable to support, or where the tree is in immediate danger of breakage.
Strong metal rods installed through limbs or trunks to reinforce weak branch unions and stabilize areas that have begun to split, redistributing weight and reducing movement in vulnerable sections.
Especially valuable for multi-stem trees with competing vertical leaders that pull away from each other as they grow.
Most commonly used for newly planted trees, providing temporary stability while roots establish. Support lines are attached about three-quarters up the trunk and anchored to stakes, and are typically removed within a year.
Guying mature trees is less common and generally reserved for preserving historically significant or uniquely valuable specimens.
Cable placement and material are chosen based on the specific defect, species, and target risk identified during assessment.
High-strength, galvanized steel cable installed between codominant stems or major scaffold branches using through-bolts, typically at two-thirds the distance from the defect to the branch tips for maximum mechanical advantage. The industry standard for included bark unions and heavy lateral branches in species like honeylocust, green ash, Siberian elm, and silver maple.
Synthetic rope or webbing (such as Cobra or BOA systems) that allows greater natural movement than steel while still limiting extreme displacement. Installed without hardware penetrating the wood — slings wrap around branches and connect through shock-absorbing synthetic cables. Preferred for younger trees and moderate risk levels; requires replacement roughly every 5–7 years.
Complex canopy structures may require multiple cables at different levels and branch pairs to address every identified failure point, with each anchor point, direction, and tension mapped to create an integrated support system.
Threaded steel rods installed through the trunk or branch union provide rigid support for splits, cracks, and weak unions that cables alone cannot stabilize, and are often combined with cabling above the union.
Active splitting or separation at the point of attachment, visible included-bark seams under tension, and partially split codominant stems require the rigid reinforcement only bracing provides.
Ground anchors and tensioned cables or straps stabilize trees with compromised root plates or excessive lean, from newly planted large-caliper trees to mature trees leaning due to root loss from construction or erosion.
In Colorado, cabling and bracing systems help stabilize weak or split trees against heavy snow, wind, and drought stress that can lead to costly failures.
Trees along the Front Range face particular splitting risk during heavy wet spring snowstorms in April and May, when saturated canopies load weak unions beyond their capacity.
Properties with sloped terrain and shallow soils see elevated lean risk, making permanent guying a more common prescription for mature trees with root loss.
Combining cabling with crown thinning or reduction pruning reduces overall wind loading on the canopy and can decrease the number of cables needed.
We evaluate the tree's structural defects, target zones, and overall health to determine whether supplemental support is appropriate and which system type best addresses the identified risk.
We design the specific cable and brace configuration, identify anchor points, select hardware specifications, and provide a detailed estimate covering materials, installation, and post-installation inspection.
We schedule installation during appropriate conditions and coordinate with any pruning work that should precede or accompany support system installation.
Our crew installs cables, brace rods, and/or guying systems according to ANSI A300 Part 3 standards, with hardware inspected during installation for proper placement, tension, and load distribution.
We conduct a post-installation inspection to verify system performance, document the installation with photos and specifications, and establish an annual inspection schedule.
Static steel systems typically last 15–25+ years with proper installation and inspection; dynamic synthetic systems require replacement roughly every 5–7 years. We recommend annual inspection of all installed systems to verify hardware condition, cable tension, and tree growth around attachment points.
Our arborists design support systems based on tree biology, species-specific wood properties, and structural mechanics — informed by TRAQ risk-assessment training and local knowledge of Front Range wind and snow loading from our Larkspur headquarters.
Static steel cable systems typically last 15–25+ years with proper installation and periodic inspection. Dynamic synthetic cable systems have shorter service lives of 5–7 years and require replacement on schedule. All systems should be inspected annually to verify hardware condition, cable tension, and tree growth around attachment points.
Properly installed cabling using through-bolt anchors creates small wounds that healthy trees compartmentalize effectively. The wound from a single bolt installation is far less impactful than the damage caused by structural failure of an unsupported defect. Dynamic cable systems that use non-penetrating slings create no wounds at all.
Cabling significantly reduces the likelihood of failure at the specific defect point it addresses, such as a codominant stem union splitting apart. However, no support system can guarantee a tree will survive extreme weather events — it reduces risk to manageable levels, it does not eliminate risk entirely. Combining cabling with pruning to reduce wind loading provides the most effective risk reduction.
A professional risk assessment determines whether a tree's defects can be effectively mitigated with support systems or require removal. Factors include the severity of the defect, the tree's overall health, wood condition at anchor points (decayed wood cannot hold hardware), and the consequences of failure if the system does not prevent it. Our TRAQ-qualified arborists provide objective recommendations.
Yes. We recommend annual inspection of all cabling and bracing systems. Inspections verify that hardware is intact, cables maintain proper tension, trees have not grown around bolt heads creating bark entrapment, and the original defect has not worsened. We provide inspection services and adjust systems as needed.
In many cases, yes. If the split has not progressed to the point of complete failure and the wood at the union is still structurally sound, a combination of bracing (to close and stabilize the split) and cabling (to limit further movement) can arrest the failure progression. Our arborists assess split severity on-site to determine if repair is viable.
Great Western Tree Care designs and installs tree support systems throughout Douglas County, the Denver Metro, and surrounding Front Range communities from our Larkspur headquarters.
Get a free consultation to find out whether cabling, bracing, or guying can safely reduce risk while keeping the tree you value.
Serving Colorado’s Front Range
