| Trees Removal-Sometimes it will help the sale of | | | | you plan on using a manually operated saw or |
| your home. | | | | axe, please step back and consider how insane |
| Sometimes a tree gets to the point where it is | | | | that is. Chopping down a tree by hand will take |
| necessary to say goodbye to it. In the Twin | | | | you forever, and will not even begin to be as |
| Cities area of Minnesota (Minneapolis/St Paul) we | | | | accurate as using a chainsaw. If you don't have a |
| are battling Dutch Elm Disease. Recent editions of | | | | chainsaw, you shouldn't even consider doing it |
| our paper have warned us that in a few years | | | | without one. Ask around with your neighbors and |
| we could be facing the green ash borer. This | | | | see if anyone has one that you could borrow. If |
| would truly be unfortunate as we have some | | | | that doesn't work, rent or buy one from your |
| great old trees in MN. If you have a diseased | | | | local home improvement store. Renting is a good |
| tree-remove it. The seller's disclosure statement | | | | way to start. Usually you can rent a chainsaw for |
| requires you to disclose it, so it will be an issue. | | | | 1/2 day for about $75. |
| Rather than pretending it will go away, spend the | | | | Before you start chopping away at the tree, you |
| money to remove the tree and avoid an issue | | | | should wear proper eye and face protection in |
| that could prevent buyer reluctance. | | | | case any wood chips fly towards your eyes. I've |
| What about healthy trees that are possibly too | | | | had wood and limbs fly into my face while cutting |
| big? It can be a painful choice to make, but | | | | down a tree, so I hope all of my readers will take |
| sometimes the tree gets too close to the house, | | | | my advice and where protective gear. Whenever |
| gets too diseased, gets an incurable infestation of | | | | you operate a power tool, always be sure to |
| some pest, or grows too tall and gets close to a | | | | wear proper protection for any exposed parts of |
| power line. If any of these things occur, its best | | | | your body-ears, eyes, and head at a minimum. |
| to do the right thing and get rid of the tree. | | | | When making the cut, you do not want to just |
| Although you might have spent hours and hours | | | | cut a straight line into the tree. It is best to cut a |
| getting the tree to where it is today, it is almost | | | | sideways "V" into the tree. This is because if you |
| dishonorable to the tree to allow it to suffer in | | | | cut the straight line, the tree will end up rolling to |
| bad conditions. Again, the best advice is to | | | | one side or the other. If you cut in a "V", the tree |
| remove issues that will be something the next | | | | will be able to fall in the exact direction that you |
| homeowner will have to deal with. | | | | want it to fall. Occasionally it might be a few feet |
| Once you have made the choice to remove the | | | | off due to human error during the cutting |
| tree, you need to plan its removal. I can't begin to | | | | process, but if you have some strong friends pull |
| count how many windows I've seen knocked out | | | | on the ropes you tied, you can line it back up with |
| or cars I've seen crushed because of poor | | | | the path you wanted it to take. The entire |
| planning in the tree removal process. Decide what | | | | process shouldn't take more than an hour. |
| direction you want it to fall, and accurately | | | | I've used stump removal companies. Removal of |
| measure to make sure it will fall completely clear | | | | the stump can be slightly more difficult on your |
| of anything else that it could possibly cause | | | | own. You have several choices; you can rent out |
| damage to. Are you a lumber jack? Neither am | | | | a stump chipper that will completely destroy the |
| I-hire professional tree removers for the big | | | | visible section of the stump. Or you can spend |
| trees. | | | | countless hours digging it out. Digging out the |
| Once you have the falling direction planned out, | | | | stump is much more thorough, but takes forever. |
| you should climb up the tree and tie two long | | | | If you have kids this shouldn't be a problem. Kids |
| ropes near the top. Anchor them on the opposite | | | | often find the thought of digging fun, and are |
| side of the one that you want it to fall towards. | | | | excited to go outside and dig all day long with |
| This will allow you to adjust the direction the tree | | | | their friends. This was the method I used, and I |
| is being lowered in, just in case it starts leaning | | | | had the entire stump out within a week. Keep in |
| towards anything it could destroy. | | | | mind that my stump was about 1 foot in |
| Now that you've taken all the necessary | | | | diameter, and digging probably won't work for |
| precautions, you are ready to begin chopping. If | | | | stumps much larger than that. |