7 Mistakes to Avoid When Removing Trees for New Homeowners

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Removing Trees for New Homeowners

Finding your ideal home consisted of the perfect amount of square footage, the best neighborhood, and the right number of rooms and bathrooms. What wasn’t a factor in your final home-buying decision was the number of trees on the property and their location. 

Now that you have the home of your dreams, you want to make all those small fixes until you have your home and yard exactly how you want it. Removing trees isn’t always necessary, as they bring plenty of benefits including shade. Some trees, however, pose dangers or certain types of trees can create problems for homeowners.

If you have a tree or two in your yard that needs to be removed, then continue reading our guide below. Removing trees isn’t a simple task, and you need to know all of the worst mistakes to avoid when doing so. 

Here are the top 7 mistakes to make when removing your yard’s trees. 

  1. Not Staying Safe

The first and biggest mistake that homeowners can make is not following proper safety precautions. Working up high on a ladder or at an elevated height in any way comes with dangers. You need to make sure you’re completely comfortable using power tools at such a height. 

Professional arborists use certain safety equipment to prevent falls or accidents from happening. 

You need to have a clear area to work in and someone by your side to spot you. You also need to have all the proper safety gear before you begin working. You need gloves to protect your hands from the tree trunks and wood pieces.

To protect your eyes from dust and falling debris, you need safety goggles. You also need a hard hat to protect your head in case a branch or other debris falls on it. All of these items are essential. 

  1. Using the Wrong Tools

Removing a tree from your yard can’t be done with any old power tool you might have stored in your shed, as much as you’d like to be able to use it. A good-quality chainsaw will need to be used to cut the tree down. If you don’t have much experience using a chainsaw, then it’s not ideal to do this on your own. 

It’s also important that the tools being used are well maintained. If not, they could cause issues while you’re trying to work with it. Seeing as removing a tree is already a dangerous job, you don’t want to add any other obstacles into the mix. 

  1. Failing to Remove the Stump

Let’s say you’ve followed all the safety precautions and used your chainsaw with experience. You’ve cut down your tree, and you head in for the night. Another mistake many homeowners make when removing their own trees is leaving the stump behind. 

It’s okay to tackle it another day, but you need to tackle it sooner than later. Leaving a stump in the ground is the root of many future problems. Tree stumps left in the ground can easily become infested with termites and other pests that can then make their way into your home. 

They’re also potential safety hazards as you, your family, and guests can accidentally trip over them. 

  1. Not Checking for Rot

A rotten tree is quite dangerous and although it needs to be removed, it makes the process much more hazardous. One of the main reasons why a rotten tree needs removal is because the branches and the tree itself can break and fall at any given time. 

This is also true when you’re removing it. As you cut through the tree to start the process, you have to be extremely cautious of falling branches or of the tree itself falling. A rotten tree doesn’t have much holding it together, so once you start cutting into it, there’s no telling how it’ll come down. 

  1. Not Creating a Clear Path

Before you cut a tree down, you need to clear a path for it. Do you know how to cut a tree at a certain angle to ensure it falls where intended? You need to be sure you know how to do this. 

You should also plan for a what-if scenario. What if the tree doesn’t fall in the direction you planned it to? If it falls in any other direction, is it possible it could cause damage to your home or other property? 

Be sure there’s a clear path in all directions. 

  1. Cutting Only the Top

If you believe cutting only the top of the tree will solve your problems, then this is another mistake to keep in mind. If you want to cut only the top of a tree to keep it from covering your roof or tangling in an electric line, then you must know that it’ll only grow back.

If you want a permanent solution, you need to speak with a professional who can cut the branches in certain ways to prevent the tree from growing in the same direction.

  1. Not Asking for Help

If you’ve never cut down a tree before or haven’t had any training in tree removal, then you’re making a mistake by not asking for help. It’s okay to ask for help, as homeowners aren’t expected to know how to do something only a trained professional knows how to do. 

Finding the right company to come out and help you might take some time, but knowing what to ask when hiring a tree removal service is a sure way to help you find a reputable service. Create a list of these questions and then narrow down your top 3 picks based on their answers.

Make Removing Trees Easy: Call the Professionals

Removing trees from your yard doesn’t have to be such a dangerous chore. Call the professionals who have experience and knowledge of removing trees so it can get done the right way. You won’t have to worry about injuries or damaging property.

For more general posts and home topics, Port Orange tree removal services visit our page regularly!