DIY (Do It Yourself) Guide – Guide to Removing Trees

Safely Removing Trees On Your Yard

You may probably be thinking about getting a chainsaw and yelling timber as the old tree balances from its axes and starts to fall. Well! That’s one method to do away if a tree that has been blocking the view in the front yard of has just become too big. But, cutting tree is a much more delicate operation and needs to be done appropriately. You must be reminded that some trees are considered public property especially if they are located in an area just outside your home which is regarded as public domain. Removing such trees may require obtaining the necessary permission from the neighbourhood authorities. But it could be a totally different situation if you have a tree in your from yard or back yard that has become too cumbersome. If the tree is quite small removing can be quite a simple task but if the is full grown and quite big, proper care must be taken.

Steps to follow

The primary concern when to removing tree of very big size is safety. You do not want the tree to fall and damage your property neither do you want to become liable for damages that may be caused on third party properties if the tree fall badly. To have peace of mind when many things could be at risk, best call a professional to do the work efficiently. But if you are the type of person who likes to make some savings and often take control of DIY jobs than start considering a couple of things.

• You would like to examine the natural angle of the tree to determine which way it might fall. The natural inclination is the best way for having the tree fall
• Look and see anything that might be on the tree path as it falls; if the tree is likely to hit your property or a neighbor’s property you may want it to fall in another direction. If the tree is just too big, you could consider taking the tree down gradually by chopping away branches
• Look if the tree interferes with public cables; in that circumstance you will need to call the proper company before proceeding with the process.
• Verify the trunk of the tree to see if there are any opening wounds. This could be a sign that the center of the tree is either rotten or hollow and the tree could fall in any direction and not necessarily in its natural inclination
• Make certain that you have an escape route away from the direction that the tree is anticipated to fall

Start by cutting any branches that are just too big and may cause a danger. The size of the tree matters. If there are only branches that could be a danger and the tree itself has enough open space to fall safely without causing much damage; if you’re a very good climber (using latter and wearing safety equipment like a safety hat and boots) removing the branches using a chainsaw is necessary.  Once all the branches that could pose a hazard are removed, tie a cord about half way in the middle of the tree which much longer than the tree itself. The cord should hold the tree and prevent it from falling in the opposite direction.

Having your escape route well prepare (two different routes to be certain), using a chainsaw, make an initial cut the trunk in a slight angle as if you would want to cut a triangle. Of course how big and deep is the initial cut does depend on the size of the circumference of the trunk. You should have opened the trunk with your chainsaw like a triangle in the direction that the tree would fall.  Use your chainsaw to remove the triangle bit from the trunk slowly. If the tree is still standing once the triangle bit has been removed, start cutting from the lower part of the triangle. Once the tree starts to lean toward the angle, it’s time to make your escape. If the tree is just too big to fall safely in an open space, calling a professional is most recommended as it might be needed to chop the tree to pieces to assure safety.

Removing the stump

You may want to arrange your yard to plant a beautiful lawn or a flower garden but the tree that you have just cut may still have that stump on the ground.

• Start by digging around the tree discarding the soil and making the roots of the tree visible
• You would want to get of all of the roots so if the tree was not of considerable size, you should be able to dig the stump out. This is a strenuous exercise
• When your tree had been of considerable size, digging around the stump may not be enough and you might want to use your chainsaw to cut the roots at areas where they are most thin.
• You might quite be surprise that some roots may be quite long that is why it is necessary to cut accordingly the roots as you dig around the tree.
• Once you dug and cut the roots has best you can, and you can start to feel the stump loosening, you have an indication that you have cut most of the roots; you might need the help of grinder so that you can grind the stump down. In other occasion if you are a farmer and the tree is well off any properties, you may use a tractor to pull the stump out.

Retrieving the stump of a tree can be a very hard work to undertake; in any eventuality, some tree can really anchor their roots into the ground; cutting the roots at a reasonable depth can assure that you are able to landscape the plot accordingly and transform the yard into your intended purpose.

You must always consider the safety of yourself and how secure it is for cutting a tree in the neighbourhood.  Legal concerns also should be taken into consideration when a tree is public property. You definitely do not want to have to foot the bill if damages are caused to third party properties therefore careful assessment must be given as to how best to remove a tree safely

With trees that are very big proper safety equipment must be worn that includes safety helmet, gloves and safety boots.

There are many reasons why you may want to remove a tree from the yard to make your field a lot more attractive, obtain a wider a better view of the surrounding, or to accommodate some other gardening projects.

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