Had a huge oak in Charlotte with a split crotch and used a 3/4 inch drill bit to make a relief hole before bolting it, which stopped the cracking sound within a week.

Has anyone else used this method on a mature white oak, and what size bolt did you pair with it?

2 comments

2 Comments

Hold up, you drilled with a three-quarter inch bit? That's massive. I've only ever gone up to a half inch for a relief hole on oak, and even that felt like a lot. A hole that big in the crotch of a mature tree makes me nervous about creating a new weak spot. What size bolt did you even use to fill that?

derek1717d ago

Buddy of mine did the same thing on a white oak in his yard. He used a 5/8 inch lag bolt with a big washer after drilling. Said the tree stopped groaning after a few days and it's been solid for years now.