Cutting Down a Small Tree
If you need to understand how to cut down a small tree on your real estate, it’s valuable to note that this work can be done by a home owner usually, but only by having the suitable equipment and safety techniques in place. It’s additionally key to know when you ought to leave this job to tree cutting experts!
Household owners could also consider when it’s time to remove any tree from their property, including indications that it’s diseased and decayed or simply won’t survive. You might also consider some tips on how to ensure your property appears its best after you’ve chopped down that small tree as well as what to do with all that timber as well!
Safety First Before You Learn How to Cut Down a Small Tree!
Whether you’re thinking of cutting a small tree down with no a saw or you have a large axe in the garage all ready to go, it’s essential to remember safety first! Even compact chainsaws can cause major trauma if handled incorrectly, and splintered material often flies in any and all trajectories, also risking accidental injury.
Before you get going, protect little ones and household pets far away from your worksite and look for unanticipated visitors often while working. Know your surroundings; look for overhead wires and other obstructions as well as uneven ground. Remove stones, dropped limbs and sprigs, and other hazards; cover holes and openings in the ground as required.
Choose what’s called an escape route; which should be two different directions in which you can run if the tree should start to fall or move towards you. Pause often while working to double-check your settings and be certain that you and any helpers are safe and avoiding distraction, and that your escape routes are at all times clear.
Next, note your clothes. Wear clothes constructed from thick, durable cotton, flannel, or wool so that they repel small wood chips and fragments. Go for a button-up shirt with long sleeves and keep every little thing buttoned all the way, to shield as much skin as possible!
Also, wear heavy, high quality cotton or denim trousers and steel-toe work boots with ankle protection. Get thick cotton work gloves and heavy-duty eye protection, and a construction helmet! When using a chainsaw or any power tools, protect your hearing with proper inserts or coverings, and wear chainsaw chaps or leg protection. Long hair should be pulled back neatly and kept out of your face and eyes.
As even a small tree can cause major property damage, avoid parking your vehicle near that tree and dispose of items near your work areas, for instance, a lawnmower and other similar tools. You might even cover a nearby fence and landscape design features with a thick tarp, to help minimize damage from falling branches.
Before cutting a small tree down with a chainsaw, check the chain brake and throttle. If using an axe, ensure the axe head is secure and the handle in good condition, without splitting. Never use any tools that look old, worn out, in poor condition, or otherwise damaged. Evaluate your axe or saw on a small stump or log before tending to a tree that needs cutting, so you know everything is in good condition and ready for use.
Planning for How to Cut Down a Small Tree
Your first step in actually cutting down a small tree with an axe or chainsaw is to pick the target, or the chosen direction of the fall. Note if the tree has a side or back lean; typically a lean, in addition to overhead hazards, determine the tree’s “bad side.” You’ll want to avoid this bad side at the time of the last or felling cut.
Start cutting the tree with a face cut, lined up with the target and perpendicular to the ground. This face cut decides how the tree will fall once cut entirely and should work about 1/3 of the way through the tree trunk. Next off, you’ll want to add in a hinge cut; this is a wedge cut, commonly at a 45-degree to 70-degree angle downward, toward the face cut.
These cuts should start little and get bigger as you progress through them, but don’t cut through that hinge! You’ll want to take out that wedge once it’s large enough to weaken the tree. As you create this wedge, you might need to make a small cut on the side of the tree opposite the face cut and insert a wedge or shim. This reduces the risk of the tree falling opposite the target.
Look around for dangers and make sure nobody remains in the way before you make the final release cut and take away the wedge you’ve created. If the tree doesn’t fall as expected, continue to make small cuts along that wedge so you keep weakening the trunk.
Tips for Cutting a Small Tree Down Without a Saw
You can cut down a small tree without needing a chainsaw; it requires more physical labor but this is how trees were cut down for centuries before chainsaws were invented! First, invest in felling wedges. These wedges are inserted into your cuts as you make them, preventing your axe blade from getting pinched in the process. They also put added pressure on the cut trunk, encouraging the tree to fall.
Before you start cutting a small tree down with no a saw, inspect it very carefully. The vibrations created by cutting at a tree loosen dead and decaying branches, which can easily fall on you or any helpers nearby! Start felling your tree by trimming any loosened or obviously damaged branches. Use heavy-duty pruning shears on small branches if it’s awkward to operate an axe around the tree’s top.
You additionally want to note if the tree is bending heavily is loaded down with large limbs along one side. No matter your endeavours, that tree is more than likely to fall in the direction of its lean. Plan accordingly and begin by removing the treetop rather than felling it at the trunk, to avoid property destruction.
Once you’ve shortened the tree and stripped it off as many branches as needed, you can make the same face and hinge cuts you might with a chainsaw. Add your felling wedges to the face cut as you go, driving them in with the back end of the axe head. Similar to using a chainsaw, don’t cut through that hinge but permit the weight of the tree do the work in felling it for you!
When Is It Time to Cut Down a Small Tree?
Both older and small-sized landscaping trees add lots of visual interest to any property; in many cases, they may even boost your property’s overall value. Trees also offer shade to the ground, keeping it from getting scorched in the summer, in addition to a nesting spot for birds that might eat typically annoying insect pests around your yard.
While trees offer tons of perks for your residential or commercial property, there are times when it’s better to eliminate them! An arborist can tell you if a tree is blighted beyond treatment and repair; in some cases, however, a tree might be so rotted within that its bark starts to flake and limbs dry out, both of which are signs that it’s time to cut it down. Trees infested with termites and other damaging insects might also need eliminating, to protect the rest of your property.
If you have a tree on your property that just refuses to develop no matter how often you have it trimmed or otherwise nurtured, it may not be native to your area! Like flowers and other vegetation, trees often grow best in their native habitat; trees that thrive in cold weather might wilt under the blazing, tropical sun, as one good example. If your property’s tree is struggling and not native, it’s not likely to ever do well and should be extracted.
There is also nothing wrong with extracting a tree just because you don’t like its appearance or location on your property. A tree in the way of your building plans, view of the horizon, or an exterior window should be taken out, so you appreciate your property and your view from both indoors and out!
How to Enhance Your Property After Removing a Tree
Your might notice your outside area looks a bit bare and far less lush once you chopped down a small tree, and especially if you remove any large, mature trees or other landscaping features! One way to add lots of visual interest without blocking out the view is by flowering shrubs; try lilac bushes or honeysuckle for both color and an attractive aroma in your backyard.
If your home’s outside walls now seem to be a bit barren and drab once you remove trees near the house, add flower boxes under the windows and paint the home’s trim a crisp white. Decorative shutters also add a magnificent touch and help break up long, boring exterior walls.
For more visual attraction along your property, consider some hardscape elements. Landscaping refers to items that grow such as flowers and shrubs, whereas hardscaping includes items that don’t grow, like brick, concrete, and stone. Retaining walls protect residential or commercial property from excess moisture or erosion, but can also be ornamental, providing a bit of height and depth to your space. Stacked brick borderlines and edging also add lots of visual interest as well as some separation between your landscaping and lawn.
What to Do With That Wood Following Cutting Down a Small Tree
After you’ve chopped down that tree, what to do with all that wood? One particular important recommendation is to be sure that the tree was healthy and free of health conditions and pests before you burn that wood or add it in your household rubbish. Moving infested wood can mean moving those harmful insects with it so they simply move on to another tree!
Your city might also have building regulations or other laws that dictate what you can do with timber cut from your real estate, to contain dangerous smoke and fumes. Some softwoods also don’t burn very well; you might discover that your planned bonfire generates more smoke than flames, or that you have a hard time for hours to try to keep the flames going.
If you’re uncertain the condition of the tree you just felled or have no other way of disposing of that lumber, call a tree trimming expert or tree removal service. They will readily identify the wood types, health condition of the tree, and if the wood is salvageable. They will also be familiar with local regulations and guidelines that affect how to dispose of that timber!
If the wood is safe for disposal, you might think about renting a wood chipper. This makes easy work of breaking down that wood so you can bag it up and put it in the trash or take it to a local dumping site. Use extreme caution when working with a wood chipper and make certain you break down that tree into manageable pieces before feeding it into the chipper.
When You Don’t Know How to Cut Down a Small Tree
If you’re not sure how to cut down a small tree, trust in the services of a tree removal company near you! Remember that tree trimmers specialize in removing trees of all sizes and varieties, not just mature trees. They can make quick work of trimming and digging up landscaping trees and understand how to contain termites and pests when getting rid of infested trees, ensuring your property is protected.
A tree removal company can also suggest a native tree that might flourish on your real estate or a more eye-catching tree species. Their advice ensures your property looks its best and you’re happy with the end result for years to come, so give them a call if you’re unsure how to cut down a small tree in your lawn.