Need to Remove Some Stubborn Trees? What Are Your Best Options?

If you find yourself flinching at each creak and crack during a thunderstorm for fear that some of your largest trees may come crashing down on your home, you may be mulling over your removal options. Although there are experienced loggers and arborists throughout the country who can help you identify and correct your tree problems, you might be reluctant to spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars to remove these trees; on the other hand, battling with your insurance company to cover the costs after one of these trees causes damage can be an even more expensive prospect. Read on to learn more about some of the safest and most economical ways to remove some large trees from your yard. 

Crane removal

One sometimes-overlooked tree-removal option involves the use of a heavy-duty crane. This crane can serve two main purposes—carefully guiding the tree to the ground after it's been cut to prevent injuries or property damage or forcefully uprooting the tree from the ground if cutting efforts haven't been successful. A crane operator will first carefully secure some chains to the tree to prevent it from slipping out of the crane's grasp; then a logger will begin making cuts in the trunk with a chainsaw. After the trunk has been completely sawed away from the stump, the crane can then lift the tree and move it to another truck so that it can be hauled to a sawmill (or wood chipper). Alternatively, you may opt to have the tree placed in another part of your yard so that you can cut it up and dispose of it later.

Although using a crane to remove a tree will require you to either rent a crane on your own or hire a driver who can operate a crane, this can still be a less expensive prospect than paying any uninsured expenses after a tree causes damage. You'll also have the protection of the contractor's insurance policy (although it's important to ensure that anyone you use to remove your tree is licensed and insured, as this can protect you from being sued at a later date and provide you with some recourse if any damage does occur). 

Top-down removal with chainsaw 

Certain types of trees are well-suited for a "top-down" removal process—particularly those that have relatively few branches or that tend to grow directly out rather than up. Top-down removal will require you (or your hired hand) to climb the tree with a ladder and begin cutting branches from the top of the tree, slowly working your way down the trunk. You may opt to tie ropes to these branches before cutting them loose to provide yourself with control over where they land; however, you'll likely need a few strong helpers for this process. Eventually, you'll be left with only a trunk and stump, which you'll be able to remove through the use of a stump grinder or dissolving solution. 

This can be an ideal removal method for a crowded subdivision, as top-down trimming with rope-controlled falls tends to limit the risk of an errant branch or tree trunk crashing onto your neighbor's roof or car. In addition, if a good portion of the tree you'd like to cut down is already dead and brittle, you may have a better chance of removing it without incident by cutting off the top parts slowly rather than trying to grab it with a crane and potentially breaking it in half. Top-down removal is also more of a DIY project than crane removal, although removing anything but the smallest branch on your own can carry some risk.

Talk to a company such as A C Jones Trucking Inc for professional help with a crane. 

Share