Cutting A Small Tree on Your Property

If you need to understand how to chop down a small tree on your property, it’s very important to note that this work can be done by a home-owner usually, but only by using the suitable equipment and safety procedures in place. It’s additionally valuable to know when you should leave this job to tree cutting specialists!

Household owners may also consider when it’s time to take down any kind of tree from their property, including indications that it’s unhealthy and decayed or simply won’t grow. 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 wood as well!

Safety First Before You Learn How to Cut Down a Small Tree!

Whether you’re thinking of chopping a small tree down without having a saw or you have a large axe in the basement available to go, it’s essential to consider safety first! Even light-weight chainsaws can cause major trauma if handled incorrectly, and splintered lumber often flies in any and all directions, also presenting the chance for harm.

Before you begin, protect children and pets far away from your worksite and look for unforeseen guests often while getting the job done. Know your surroundings; look for overhead wires and other obstructions as well as uneven ground. Get rid of stones, fallen limbs and sprigs, 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 fall or slide towards you. Break often while working to double-check your settings and make certain you and any assistants are safe and avoiding interruption, and that your escape routes are at all times clear.

Next, consider your clothing. Wear clothes constructed from thick, durable cotton, flannel, or wool so that they repel small wood chips and bits. Choose a button-up shirt with long sleeves and keep every little thing 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. Obtain 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 drawn back neatly and kept out of your face and eyes.

As even a small tree can cause extreme property harm, avoid parking your car near that tree and take away items near your work areas, for instance, a lawnmower and other such tools. You might also cover a nearby fence and landscape design features with a thick tarp, to help decrease damage from falling branches.

Before chopping a small tree down with a chainsaw, check the chain brake and throttle. If using an axe, make sure the axe head is secure and the handle in good condition, without splitting. Never use any tools that look old, worn-down, in shabby condition, or otherwise damaged. Check out your axe or saw on a small stump or log before taking care of 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 primary step in actually chopping down a small tree with an axe or chainsaw is to select the target, or the desired direction of the fall. Keep in mind if the tree has a side or back lean; typically a lean, and also overhead hazards, determine the tree’s “bad side.” You’ll want to avoid this bad side during the last 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 determines how the tree will fall once cut entirely and should work about 1/3 of the way through the tree trunk. Subsequently, you’ll want to add 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 small and get bigger as you work through them, but don’t cut through that hinge! You’ll want to get rid of 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.

Search for dangers and make certain that no one is in the way before you make the final release cut and take off 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 chop down a small tree with no a chainsaw; it requires more physical labor but this is how trees were cut down for centuries before chainsaws were invented! First, buy 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 pressure on the cut trunk, encouraging the tree to fall.

Before you start cutting a small tree down without any a saw, inspect it with care. The vibrations created by chopping at a tree loosen dead and decaying branches, which can quickly fall on you or any assistants nearby! Start felling your tree by removing any loosened or obviously damaged branches. Use heavy-duty pruning shears on small branches if it’s unwieldy to operate an axe around the tree’s top.

You additionally want to note if the tree is leaning heavily is loaded down with large limbs along one side. No matter your attempts, that tree is very 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 damage.

Once you’ve shortened the tree and removed it off as many branches as needed, you can make the same face and hinge cuts you would with a chainsaw. Incorporate your felling wedges to the face cut as you go, tapping them in with the backside of the axe head. Just like using a chainsaw, don’t cut through that hinge but let the weight of the tree do the work in felling it for you!

When Is It Time to Chop Down a Small Tree?

Both matured and smaller landscaping trees add lots of aesthetic interest to any property; sometimes, they can even enhance your property’s overall value. Trees also offer shade to the ground, keeping it from getting burnt in the summer, along with a nesting spot for birds that may well eat typically annoying insects around your yard.

While trees offer loads of positive aspects for your real estate, there are times when it’s better to get rid of them! An arborist can advise you if a tree is blighted beyond recovery and repair; sometimes, however, a tree might be so rotted within that its bark begins to peel off and branches dry out, both of which are signs that it’s time to cut it down. Trees plagued with termites and other harmful pests might also need removing, to protect the rest of your property.

If you have a tree on your real estate that just refuses to thrive no matter how frequently you have it pruned or otherwise supported, it might not be native to your area! Like florals and other vegetation, trees often grow best in their native habitat; trees that thrive in cold weather may wither under the blazing, tropical sun, as one good example. If your property’s tree is having a hard time and not native, it’s not likely to ever thrive and should be taken out.

There is also nothing wrong with taking out a tree just because you do not like its aesthetics or position on your real estate. A tree in the way of your building plans, view of the horizon, or an exterior window should be taken down, 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 outside area looks a bit exposed 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 out the view is by flowering shrubs; try lilac bushes or honeysuckle for both color and a lovely aroma in your backyard.

If your home’s exterior wall surfaces now seem a bit dull and lackluster 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 remarkable touch and help break up long, boring outside walls.

For more aesthetic attraction 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, such as brick, concrete, and stone. Retaining walls protect 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 and also some separation between your landscaping and lawn.

What to Do With That Wood When You Finish Cutting Down a Small Tree

After you’ve chopped down that tree, what to do with all that wood? One fundamental pointer is to make sure the tree was healthy and free of health conditions and pests before you burn that wood or put it in your household rubbish. Relocating infested wood can mean ferrying those harmful parasites with it so they simply move on to another tree!

Your area may also have building regulations or other policies that determine what you can do with wood cut from your residential or commercial property, to contain harmful smoke and fumes. Some softwoods also don’t burn very well; you may discover that your planned bonfire creates more smoke than flames, or that you battle for several hours to keep the fire going.

If you’re unsure the condition of the tree you just felled or have no way of taking care of that lumber, call a tree trimming expert or tree removal service.  Click here to find one in your area. They will quickly identify the wood species, health condition of the tree, and if the wood is salvageable. They will also be familiar with local standards and guidelines that affect how to dispose of that wood!

If the wood is safe for disposal, you might think about renting a wood chipper. This makes quick work of breaking down that lumber so you can easily bag it up and put it in the trash or take it to a local disposal site. Use extreme caution when working with 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, utilize the services of a tree removal company near you! Keep in mind 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 know how to contain termites and pests when getting rid of infested trees, ensuring your property is protected.

A tree removal company can additionally recommend a native tree that might flourish on your real estate or a more desirable 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 yard.