Cutting Down Your Own Small Trees
If you want to figure out how to cut down a small tree on your real estate, it’s key to note that this work can be done by a home owner in many cases, but only by having the correct hardware and safety procedures in place. It’s likewise essential to know when you really should leave this work to tree trimming professionals!
Homeowners may possibly also think of when it’s time to get rid of any tree from their property, including indications that it’s unhealthy and decayed or simply won’t develop. You might also consider some tips on how to ensure your property looks its best after you’ve cut down that small tree and what to do with all that timber as well!
Safety First Long Before You Learn How to Chop Down a Small Tree!
Regardless if you’re considering chopping a small tree down with no a saw or you have a large axe in the basement ready to go, it’s essential to remember safety first! Even light-weight chainsaws can cause serious damage if handled incorrectly, and splintered wood often flies in any and all directions, also presenting the chance for accidental injury.
Before you start, secure young children and family pets far away from your worksite and check for unforeseen visitors frequently whilst getting the job done. Know your settings; look for overhead wires and other obstructions as well as uneven ground. Take away stones, dropped branches and twigs, and other hazards; cover holes and openings in the ground as required.
Choose what’s called an escape route; this should be two different directions in which you can run if the tree should start to drop or move towards you. Pause often while working to double-check your surroundings and make sure that you and any assistants are safe and avoiding distraction, and that your escape routes are always clear.
Next, consider your clothes. Wear clothes made of thick, durable cotton, flannel, or wool so that they repel small wood chips and fragments. Pick a button-up shirt with long sleeves and keep everything buttoned all the way, to cover as much skin as possible!
Also, wear heavy, resilient cotton or denim jeans and steel-toe work boots with ankle protection. Buy 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 earplugs 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 severe property damage, avoid parking your car near that tree and dispose of items near your work areas, like a lawnmower and other similar tools. You might even cover a nearby fence and landscaping features with a thick tarp, to help lessen damage from falling branches.
Before chopping 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, in bad condition, or otherwise damaged. Check your axe or saw on a small stump or log before taking care of a tree that needs cutting, so you know every little thing is in good condition and ready for use.
Planning for How to Cut Down a Small Tree
Your primary step in actually cutting down a small tree with an axe or chainsaw is to pick out the target, or the chosen direction of the fall. Keep in mind 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 need to avoid this bad side at the time of the final or felling cut.
Start cutting the tree with a face cut, lined up with the target and perpendicular to the ground. Doing 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. Afterward, you’ll want to add in a hinge cut; this is a wedge cut, ordinarily 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 need to extract 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 that nobody remains in the way before you make the final release cut and get rid of 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 any a chainsaw; it requires more physical labor but this is how trees were cut down for centuries before chainsaws were invented! First, purchase felling wedges. These wedges are inserted into your cuts as you make them, preventing your axe blade from becoming pinched in the process. They also put added strain on the cut trunk, encouraging the tree to fall.
Before you start cutting a small tree down without any a saw, inspect it thoroughly. The vibrations created by chopping at a tree loosen dead and decaying branches, which can easily fall on you or any assistants nearby! Start felling your tree by cutting off any loose or obviously damaged branches. Use heavy-duty pruning shears for small branches if it’s unmanageable to operate an axe around the tree’s top.
You additionally need to note if the tree is leaning heavily is loaded down with large limbs along one side. No matter your endeavours, that tree is most 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, tapping them in with the backside of the axe head. Similar to using a chainsaw, don’t cut through that hinge but allow the weight of the tree do the work in felling it for you!
When Is It Time to Cut Down a Small Tree?
Both matured and smaller landscaping trees add lots of aesthetic interest to any property; sometimes, they may even boost your property’s overall value. Trees also offer shade to the ground, keeping it from getting scorched in the summertime, along with a nesting location for birds that might just eat otherwise troublesome insect pests all over your yard.
While trees offer lots of positive aspects for your residential or commercial property, there are times when it’s better to dispose of them! An arborist can advise you if a tree is atrophied beyond recovery and repair; occasionally, however, a tree might be so rotted within that its bark starts to pull off and branches dry out, both of which are signs that it’s time to cut it down. Trees infested with termites and other damaging bugs might also need purging, to protect the rest of your real estate.
If you have a tree on your property that just refuses to grow no matter how often you have it trimmed or otherwise supported, it may not be native to your area! Like flowers and other greenery, trees often grow best in their native habitat; trees that thrive in cold weather may wilt under the scorching, tropical sun, as one good example. If your property’s tree is struggling and not native, it’s not likely to ever flourish and should be taken away.
There is also nothing against eliminating a tree merely 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 away, so you enjoy your property and your view from both indoors and out!
How to Enhance Your Property After Removing a Tree
Your might find your outdoor area looks a bit bare and far less lush once you cut 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 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 exterior walls now seem a bit dull 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 fabulous touch and help break up long, boring exterior walls.
For more aesthetic interest along your real estate, 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 real property from excess moisture or erosion, but can also be attractive, providing a bit of height and depth to your space. Stacked brick perimeters and edging also add lots of visual interest and even some separation between your landscaping and lawn.
What to Do With That Wood After Cutting Down a Small Tree
After you’ve chopped down that tree, what to do with all that wood? One particular critical tip is to be certain that the tree was healthy and free of health conditions and pests before you burn that wood or place it in your household rubbish. Relocating infested wood can mean transporting those harmful pests with it so they simply move on to another tree!
Your neck of the woods may also have building codes or other policies that dictate what you can do with timber cut from your property, to contain dangerous smoke and fumes. Some softwoods also do not burn very well; you may notice that your planned bonfire produces more smoke than flames, or that you have a hard time for hours to try to keep the fire going.
If you’re uncertain the condition of the tree you just felled or have no way of disposing of that lumber, call a tree trimming expert or tree removal service. They will effectively identify the wood species, health condition of the tree, and if the wood is salvageable. They will also know with local codes and regulations that have a bearing on how to dispose of that wood!
If the wood is safe for disposal, you might look into renting a wood chipper. This makes easy work of breaking down that wood so you are able to bag it up and put it in the trash or take it to a local dumping site. Use extreme caution when using a wood chipper and make sure 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 chop 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 removing infested trees, ensuring your property is protected.
A tree removal company can also recommend 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 phone call if you’re not sure how to chop down a small tree in your lawn.