I am just wondering if it is time to say good-bye to this old tree before it comes crashing down on my deck/house, or perhaps this is normal for an old red maple. ==>>> if you are wondering.. and carp is already falling out of it.. threatening you and your property... i will yell ... WHAT IS THERE TO WONDER ABOUT????? .. lol ... get rid of it ... and there is nothing a certified tree guy can tell you ... dont waste that money .. unless he will apply the cost to removal ... [of course.. w/o a pic.. both rhiz and i are guessing ... presuming the worst ... so it is up to you.. whether an opinion would be of value .. knowledge is power.. as they say] and yes.. all trees get to this point ... but in the forest.. no one ever hears them crashing thru the deck of the house.. and crushing you in your sleep ... get rid of it.. and plant an oak ... they last longer than maples.. but it wont matter in your lifetime.. as you wont see anything mature to its decline.. like this one ... get two or three estimates ... hire a guy with insurance.. and ask to see the ins certificate.. and call the ins company to find out if its still valid ... this is important.. as they will be working above your house.. not in some field ... and if you garden .. dont let them drive away with the woodchips.. have it done.. after leaf fall ... and your chips will all be wood .. but on the other hand.. you will have to clean up leaves one more time ... and if you have a fireplace.. have them leave the GOOD WOOD ... cut to 16 inches ... they can have all the crotches that wont split ... and if the trunk is stable .. it can be carved into a design.. unless it is also rotting down below ... ken

If it was up to me, Norway maples (along with all other non-native seeding trees) would be banned. I'll never understand the fascination with these brown leaved monstrosities, they're like the Lada of the tree world. Red maples (Acer rubrum) are superior in every way (growth habit, spring colour, summer colour, fall colour, less dense, they're native etc.) I shouldn't be so hard on the layman when most nursery workers have no clue what they're talking about. Unless you fully understand growth habit, growth rate, cultural requirements, and ultimate height and spread, chances are you'll choose the wrong tree. Do your homework.

Thank you, David and Badgering. I don't see any sign of disease, but it does look like the main branch (is it called the "leader") had taken a lightening strike at some point in the past several years. The trunk, about 10 feet off the ground, looks a little charred and blackened on the south side of the tree. From that point up, for a distance of several feet, it is rather charred looking on that side. Above that, this main "branch" looks obviously dead and full of woodpecker holes. All the side branches have gorgeous, lush leaves. If you didn't go to the south side of the tree and look up, you'd never think there was anything wrong. This past spring the power company came along and removed those branches that were threatening the power lines. This revealed the main interior and the damage. I can't be sure, but I don't think it is diseased. But I'll check with the local cooperative extension to be sure. Badgering, I'm so sorry that the new owners took one of your old maples down. That's so sad. If I had bought your house that tree would still be there. I can't think of too many good reasons for taking down a mature healthy tree. I'd rather have that gorgeous tree than another dead common patio. Or, I'd build the patio around the tree. Thank you again!

A double thumbs up to Hallett's comment about the more fine print, the longer they have been in business. It sounds to me like they are sure enough about their position in the marketplace to succeed in business despite scaring some customers off with fine print. A trip charge is a technique to make sure the customer is serious about the project and getting the work completed. I suspect if they are busy, $150 doesn't completely cover the cost of tying up a crew on repeated site visits. That is more of a customer qualification policy...if the customer is scared off by the trip charge, let them go. Given the large expense of countertops, customers can have some unrealistic expectations of what they should receive for their money. A supplier who discusses expectations and responsibilities up front comes across better to me than the one saying "No problem, we offer the best prices, the best quality and the best service!"