It will come a time when you will have to remove a tree. You can hire tree removal services providers or do it by yourself if you have the skills. When removing the tree by yourself, you need to consider a number of tips:
Always wear protective gear
Things can go wrong and to protect yourself from getting hurt, you should wear the right protective gear. Some of the essential safety gear items you need include:
- A logger’s helmet to protect you from falling branches
- Earmuffs and face screen to protect your eyes and ears
- Safety glasses to keep off dust and other particles
- Kevelar chaps that help you to stop the chain in the event the bar drops against your leg.
- Hearing protection to protect your ears from the noisy saws.
Even if the tree is small and its removal seems straightforward, it’s always wise to protect yourself.
Take your time
Even if you have removed millions of trees, you should know that no two trees are the same; therefore, you should take your time on every tree that you are looking to remove. Before you go ahead and start cutting down the tree, you need to ask yourself a number of questions:
- Does the tree lean in any direction?
- Does the tree have dead or broken branches?
- Is there a clear area where the tree can fall without damaging anything?
- Are there branches from neighboring trees that are getting in the way?
You should have a quick and easy escape route. This is where you should escape in the event things don’t go as planned. Remember, the wind can come about and blow the tree away putting your life at risk. When you have an escape route, you are sure of your safety.
Have the right tree cutting equipment
There is no way that you are going to properly cut down the tree if you don’t have the right equipment. Some of the things that you should have include: protective gear, ladder, ax, wedges, first aid kit, and chainsaw.
Follow the right tree cutting procedure
While no two trees are the same, you need to follow the right procedure for you to bring it down safely. The steps you need to follow include:
Sound it out: You should knock the tree with an ax to have a feeling of how it sounds. If it sounds hollow, it might be dead or dying. On the other hand, if it sounds solid, it is live wood and it might be difficult to cut. You should knock it at different heights and with luck, you will identify an area that will make cutting easy.
Identify where the tree will fall: Where will the tree fall after cutting? You should note that the tree will fall easily and safely at an area where it naturally wants to land. You should choose an area that is level. This is to prevent the tree from rolling or bouncing.
Make the necessary cuts: Once everything is in place, you should go ahead and cut the tree. You can make three cuts on the tree: horizontal, wedge, and back cuts. The horizontal cut should be higher than your hip and it should extend no more that ½ of the tree.
When you make the wedge cut, the cut should look like a slice of an orange. The back cut determines how thick your holding wood is.
Run: After making the cuts, you should run in order to stay out of the way. Keep your eyes on the falling tree. Never turn your back on the tree.
Never force the tree
It’s common to find that the tree doesn’t want to fall in the direction of your preference. Even if you are an experienced logger, you should avoid forcing it to fall in its unnatural direction. As mentioned, trees tend to easily fall on the direction that they are leaning; therefore, when you come across an uncooperative tree, drop it and let it fall where it wants.
If you aren’t experienced on tree cutting, you should always seek the services of tree removal companies Chevy Chase. The companies will not only help you in identifying the direction the tree will fall, they also will help you in bringing down the tree.
