How To Remove Trees and Stumps

Sometimes you need to remove trees and stumps from your yard. Whether its for construction purposes, safety reasons or you just want to improve the landscape of your home, having the proper tools and know-how makes the job quick and hopefully easier.

As easy as one, two, tree

Removing trees is a difficult job and the removal of very large trees requires the expertise of a professional. Smaller trees that are less than 10 inches in diameter and less than 20 feet high are removable by the average person. To start the removal process, first survey the area for obstacles surrounding the tree, paying close attention to any power lines or other cable in the area. Give at least an additional 10 feet of clearance from the trees standing height. Next, observe the natural lean of the tree. When you cut, you should aim for the tree to fall in this direction. The first cut you need to make is the undercut. This serves to guide the tree so it falls in the desired direction. To fell the tree, make the back-cut about two inches taller than the bottom of the undercut. Once the tree begins to fall, move away from it in the opposite direction. De-limb the fallen tree and cut it into smaller pieces for disposal.

When cutting down a tree, only attempt to fell trees that are less than 10 inches in diameter and less than 20 feet high; larger trees require hiring a professional tree service for removal. A tree of that size is much heavier in weight than it looks and can cause major damage if felled wrong.

Do not let these directions stump you

Once the tree is down, you need to remove the stump from the ground. There are four basic options for this. If the tree is small enough, it is possible to dig it out with a sharp spade and a pick. This can take many hours of hard work if the root system is spread out and deep. The next option is to hire an arborist or tree service to remove it for you. The simplest option is to let the stump decay naturally. No work is required, but the decay process can take upwards of 10 years for completion, allowing for its use as a substandard stool for a whole decade! Another easy option is to drill holes into the stump and pour in chemicals. This speeds up the decay process of the stump from years to months, but, as with most chemicals, they harm the plants and animals around their usage areas.

With some hard work and proper equipment, it is easy to remove smaller trees and stumps from your yard. Improve your home's looks, safety and make room for building improvements by way of safely and effectively removing unwanted trees and stumps.

The removal of very large trees requires the expertise of a professional