With Christmas just around the corner, you may be wanting the appeal of a real tree in your home for more holiday cheer! If you are looking for tips on how to safely choose a healthy tree and ways to keep it alive until the big day, American Restoration Water & Fire has a few tips to keep your tree safe and your family and home safe as well.
First, choose a tree that is healthy with minimal brown needles; this can be avoided when you choose a tree from a generally shaded area instead of picking one that sat in direct sunlight. You can check the tree’s health by running your hand through several branches and seeing how many green and brown needles fall off. The less green falling the better!
Second, make sure that the seller makes a fresh, clean, straight cut across the trunk to help with water absorption. This makes sure that there is no dried resin that could prevent water from properly being absorbed. When you get your tree home, your tree stand should have a place for you to fill the base with water. A good rule of thumb is for every inch across the trunk of your tree, there should be a quart of water in the base. Check your tree’s water daily. By supplying your tree with plenty of water, you are essentially making sure it doesn’t dry out. This is important, especially if you are adding Christmas lights to your tree.
Third, it’s very important to keep your fresh, beautifully decorated Christmas tree away from any heat sources, like the fireplace or indoor infrared heater. A number of things can happen, like not keeping on top of the water which helps to keep your tree internally moist causing it to dry outwardly. Indoor Christmas tree fires can happen when you least expect it, but you can trust that American Restoration Water & Fire will be there to restore your home!
Finally, be sure to take your tree down before it dries! Not only will you have to deal with an absurd amount of pine needles, but these will be tracked all throughout your home, and cause additional fire concerns. Wondering what to do with your tree? You can recycle it, cut it down for firewood, or turn it into mulch! American Restoration Water & Fire wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!
