Why do you love trees? Is it the clean air they give us to breathe, or the shade on a lazy, sunny day? Perhaps it adds value to your home, gives a friendly critter somewhere to call home, or you just love to stare at it when you sip a cup of tea. No matter why, trees are simply great – but that doesn’t mean they sometimes just have to go. And when they do, just make sure you don’t commit one of the most common tree removal mistakes.
Unfortunately, you’ll sometimes have to say goodbye to a favourite tree. They get old and unhealthy, the tree is at risk of falling on your property, they attract pests & diseases – or they become a sight for sore eyes.
Thinking about removing a tree from your garden? Sometimes, it’s more complicated to tell you how, and easier just to tell you the most common tree removal mistakes to avoid.
1. Ignoring what’s around it
If you make a direct bee-line to your tree with the chainsaw, stop right now – and look around you. What do you see? Your house? Power lines? Anything you could trip on while operating that chainsaw?
2. Underestimating a chainsaw
This one may seem obvious, but believe us: We know of plenty of people whose very first experience with a chainsaw involved immediately hacking into a tree. It goes without saying that these are incredibly powerful and dangerous tools – even for the seasoned professional. As many as 1000 chainsaw injuries are reported every year in Australia, so if you think it’s easy, you may be in for a very bad day indeed.
3. Leaving the stump
A lot of DIY tree removers are good at removing the tree … and then leaving the stump. If you think they’re not unsightly, then consider this: they attract termites, who then love the hop-skip-and-jump to your valuable home. Tree stumps also get in the way and pose tripping hazards, so if you’re going to try tree removal, brush up on your tree stump removal too.
4. Not wearing protective gear
One of the ways tree specialists and arborists avoid injury is by always wearing specialised protective gear – because working with trees is more dangerous than it seems. So if you really want to protect yourself, start shopping for the following:
- Hard hat
- Protective eyewear
- Gloves
5. Cutting down a rotting tree
You may think cutting into a rotting tree is actually a treat – because that wood will be nice and brittle. That brittleness, though, just increases your chances that it will crumble and fall before you’re ready. If in doubt, call the Gold Coast tree removal experts.
6. Doing it alone
Most handy DIY’ers actually love doing things all by themselves. But removing a tree is something you should always do with a buddy. Remember: you may be handy with a chainsaw, but working with unpredictable trees is still not something you do every day – and the last thing you want is to be laying underneath a huge branch with no one around to help.
7. Saying ‘She’ll be right!’
Those who say ‘She’ll be right’ tend to be relying on the principle that everything will turn out ok – and quite often that is the case. On other occasions, though, ‘She’ll be right’ will result in injury, property damage or a hefty fine from the council for cutting trees without a permit.
Dodge the mistakes by calling Gold Coast’s tree experts
Remember, the only people who really can go about removing a tree with true confidence is a seasoned and fully-qualified team of arborists – just like the guys at JC Tree Services! We handle everything from tree pruning to tree removal to stump grinding – and every other forms of tree work.
So whether you are in Ashmore, Benowa, Carrara, Parkwood, Southport, Nerang, Labrador or anywhere on the Gold Coast, South Brisbane, out to the scenic rim and even Northern NSW, we are the local tree experts you can trust. Give us a call today.
