Never Do This When Cutting Down a Tree

If your tree is dead, diseased, or damaged, it may pose a threat to the safety of your family and home. Severely damaged trees should be removed by a professional with extensive experience in safe tree removal. Tree removal requires the use of heavy equipment and tools that could cause injury or property damage when not used properly. Trying to cut down a tree yourself could cause injury to you or your family and damage to your property. Here is a look at the dangers of trying to remove a tree yourself and a list of the things you should never do when cutting down trees.

Why Cutting Down Trees Requires Careful Planning

Tree removal requires the use of heavy machinery and specialized tools and equipment. If you don’t have experience using these tools, you risk injuring yourself and damaging your property, a neighbor’s property, or city structures like water or sewer lines, streets, or sidewalks. When you hire a professional, they will take the time to assess the tree and its root structure to determine the safest and most effective way to completely remove the tree. They will evaluate the size, location, age, and type of tree and its overall health and then formulate a specific plan for removal. Without a plan, you risk:

• An unpredictable fall path that allows the falling tree to damage homes, cars, fences, power lines, sidewalks, and other structures
• Injury or death from falling trees, limbs, or branches
• Contact with power lines, causing damage or electrical hazards
• Damage to neighboring property or nearby structures like fences, sheds, garages, and vehicles
• Improper techniques that destabilize the tree and make its fall path more unpredictable
• Malfunction of equipment or unsafe handling of equipment, leading to injury or death
• Environmental damage
• Damage to city or municipal property like water or sewer lines, sidewalks, or streets

Equipment and Tools Used When Cutting Down a Tree

Your tree specialist will use heavy equipment and specialized tools to cut down your tree and remove the stump and root structures. If you don’t have experience using these types of tools, you should leave the job to the professionals. These tools and equipment have the potential to cause major injury as well as damage to property:

• Chainsaw – A chainsaw may be used to make primary cuts in tree branches, limbs, and trunks.
• Felling Wedges – Felling wedges are used to control the direction of the falling tree.
• Crane – Crane services may be needed to access the top of the tree to begin trimming or cutting away limbs and branches.
• Axe or Hatchet – An axe or hatchet may be used to drive felling wedges into the tree and to make smaller cuts.
• Hand Saw – A hand saw may be used for smaller branches or to make initial cuts.
• Rigging Equipment – Rigging equipment, such as ropes, pulleys, and slings, may be used to lower large branches and limbs safely.
• Bucket Truck – A bucket truck allows the team to safely access high branches.
• Stump Grinder – A stump grinder may be used to safely remove the remaining stump and tree root system after the tree is removed.
• Climbing Gear – Climbing gear like ropes, harnesses, and ascenders are used to access high areas of a tree when a truck or crane doesn’t fit.

What You Should NEVER Do When Cutting Down a Tree

Professionals understand how to remove a tree safely. These are the things they will never do when cutting down a tree:

• Ignoring safety regulations and rules
• Not using proper safety gear or protective equipment
• Not properly assessing the condition, size, health, age, and location of the tree
• Not properly assessing the surrounding area
• Using incorrect cutting techniques
• Not using the proper equipment or the right number of professionals
• Using a chainsaw near power lines
• Disregarding weather conditions
• Being unaware of nearby hazards like power lines and buildings
• Not planning the tree’s fall path

When to Call in the Professionals

You should always hire professionals for cutting down trees on your property. Even if you think you know how to do the job safely, you could encounter an unexpected challenge or hazard. Hiring a professional ensures your safety, as well as the safety of your neighbors and property, is protected. So many things can go wrong when removing trees, especially if they are old, large, have extensive root systems, and are already damaged or diseased. It’s best to be cautious and leave the job to a team of professionals who have the necessary training, experience, tools, and equipment.

Request an Estimate for Cutting Down a Tree

At Amen Trees, we have a team of certified arborists who have decades of experience in safe, effective tree and stump removal. We can assess the age, health, size, and location of your tree and determine the best method of removal. We handle each job with care and precision to ensure your safety and the protection of your property. Once your tree is removed, we provide stump removal and root removal services and will haul away all debris and mess. Call us now or contact us online to request an estimate or set up a consultation for cutting down a tree in Salt Lake County.