Tree Removal

Trees are an integral part in most areas and neighborhoods, as they provide shade, fresh air, and visual beauty. In fact, there are neighborhoods specifically designed to have a theme that centered mostly on having trees and greenery, because of the benefits listed above, and more. However, sometimes, trees get in the way of things like construction, landscaping, and other infrastructural development, which happens most of the time in major cities expanding outward, or suburban areas looking to build more homes, establishments, and other buildings. This is when removal is necessary, a process that eliminates the problems posed by unwanted trees.

Removing trees is not something many people who care about the environment may not be comfortable with, but this process is needed for many good reasons. Some trees will have limbs that are hitting power lines, telephone lines, or hitting the walls and windows of a nearby house or building. These branches will then cause damage to property. Others have roots that are digging into the sewer system, or breaking into the basement. Some trees are already dead, but still standing, and risk toppling over unexpectedly, which can be quite frightening, and worse, could cause serious injury to people if left unchecked. And others are just simply in the way of construction projects, projects which could improve the community as a whole.

When a tree needs to be removed or have its branches trimmed, there are many methods that can be employed, some remove the tree in pieces, others remove the trees without killing them. Tree stump removalcan be done using a stump grinder, which grinds any leftover tree stumps from cutting down a tree.

It’s important to get rid of tree stumps after a tree is removed for a couple of reasons, like freeing up soil for other trees to grow in, or to avoid the disease found in the cut tree from re-spreading to other vegetation. Then there’s also the fact that tree stumps can also cause injuries to the unwary; imagine walking in your lawn while talking on the phone, and forgetting there is a tree stump in your path. Ouch! So unless you’re willing to use the stump as part of your lawn décor, like a makeshift table or seat, removing the tree stump is important.

Tree branch trimmers can use chain saws for large branches, and manual saws for smaller and easier limbs; this process is used in order to keep the length of the branches in check, and make sure they don’t hit anything else like the sides of the house, or power lines. For example, a tree’s branch may be hitting the side of a building, or hitting power lines, but the tree itself is planted in a convenient place and is not harming anything else. When this happens, only the branches need to be removed, and not the whole tree.

And sometimes, trees have to be removed, but not killed, and in these cases, a tree spade is used.

A tree spade is a specialized machine that allows the excavation of trees without destroying them. This is very important in cases wherein a tree needs to be removed, but not killed, due to any number of reasons; the tree could be quite important sentimentally to the owner, or the tree could be rare and must be moved to a place where it could grow safely, or the tree could be something that was mistakenly planted in an area in the past, and the owner simply wants to relocate it to a better place.

The machine operates by digging multiple blades that wrap around the tree into the soil. This allows the tree to be lifted, including the roots, out of the ground, and then moved to a different location, without much stress to the tree that is moved. This machine is employed when young and precious trees need to be moved for the reasons stated earlier, whose owners range from corporations that which to move a piece of flora from one area of their property to another, to simple home owners that wish to relocate an important tree in their gardens to another part of the lawn, to tree conservationists who wish to preserve a particular species of tree by moving a living specimen to a more suitable environment.

Whatever the method, or for whatever purpose, tree removal cost will vary depending on a number of factors.

Tree size is one of the biggest factors determining the cost of the removal. Of course, the smaller the tree, the least effort required to remove (or move) it, the smaller the cost, and the bigger the trees, the more difficult to remove or move, and the more more money is needed. Small trees, which are ¼ to 1 foot around, and as much as 25 feet high, would normally cost around $8.00 per foot. A medium tree, which is 1-2 feet around and up to 50 feet tall would cost around $9.00 per foot, and a large tree which is 2-4 feet around and up to 90 feet tall would cost around $10.00 per foot. These prices are subject to change depending on the local economy in the area.

There are also other considerations when removing trees, special cases that could affect the reasons, and the costs, in removing the tree. For example, reasons like like if the tree is hazardous, and can potentially cause damage to people and property. Hazardous trees are those that are entangled with power lines, trees infested with dangerous insects, diseased trees that can potentially infect other plant life, or dead trees that can fall or topple over at any moment. All of these affect the cost of tree removal, but did you know that in some places, there are alternatives?

Sometimes, removing trees can be free, or very low-cost, depending on the scenario and the location. For example, in some places, power companies can cut down trees that are entangled with their customers’ power lines, in order to avoid any future inconvenience, and potentially more costly repercussions, whether in property or people’s injuries, should the power lines become severed. And some local governments can remove trees for free, especially if the tree is in an area that the local government owns. Also, there might be people who are willing to cut down the tree in exchange for being able to take the leftover wood for free. For this scenario however, it is important to make sure that the people who would do the cutting for free, actually know what they are doing, in order to avoid potentially disastrous results.

These are all important tidbits of information people should remember when deciding to have a tree removed. Keep all of these in mind to make the most out of your money, and to ensure proper tree removal!