Fell a Tree Away From Your Home
Fell a Tree Away From Your Home
Cutting down a tree should never be taken lightly unless of course you are taller than the tree you are removing. Property damage can skyrocket if you aren't felling a tree properly, breaking outdoor decor, tearing apart landscaping, and possibly landing on your house. If you choose to cut a small- to a medium-sized tree down yourself, then follow all the safety rules to avoid damage and injury, and direct it away from your home. However, if the tree is 12 inches or more in diameter, or you would need cut it down in sections to ensure the safety of others, then it is best to call a tree removal service.
Before cutting a tree down, you must have a plan. Look at the tree to gauge the balance of the branches, as well as any leaning. Trees tend to fall on the side that has the most branches, due to excess weight, and if it's leaning, you can bet it will want to fall in that direction. Select a general direction, or path, for the tree that avoids most landscaping and other trees, while falling in the opposite direction of the house. Base the path on your observation of lean and branch balance, if there is any. Remember to take into account the rough height of the tree, since cutting it away from your home might send it in the direction of another. If this is the case, choose a direction that aims toward the yard of your neighbor, and not the house. Although there are tricks to compensate for a leaning tree to force it to fall in the direction you would like, it is best not to attempt it without professional assistance, unless it is slanted the way you want it to fall. Leaning or heavily weighted trees often snap or fall earlier than intended, and if the weight or lean isn't headed in the proper direction, your house gets an unexpected guest.
Remove all objects that can be moved from around the tree. This includes outdoor furniture, expensive landscaping, decorations, cars and more. Do not just move things out of the planned path of the tree, but on all sides just to be safe. Once everything is out of the way, outline your planned path by spray painting or laying down the garden hose. Give yourself a wide path of at least 10 feet, with the sides of the path angling out from the tree, similar to a triangle. No one should step on this path while the tree is being cut. In addition to ground level preparation, prepare the tree as well. Trim out any dead branches to prevent them falling during the cutting process.
Safety first' is the motto when preparing to cut down a tree. While cutting a tree you should always have a spotter that has only one job -- to watch the tree. The spotter is given the responsibility of calling out to others if the tree starts leaning in the wrong direction, as well as when the tree starts to fall, no matter what direction it's going. Since he is most aware of the tree, he can also move the cutter out of the way if he sees something go wrong.
To fell a tree in the direction you want it to go, you need only follow a few guidelines for making the cuts. The overall goal is to make a V-shaped notch on the side of the tree facing the direction you want it to fall. Once cut properly, the tree will collapse on this side and fall along the correct path. The first cut is made at a 45-degree angle, cutting down and into the tree to a point that is 1/4 of the way into the trunk. This is the first of the notch cuts along the side of the tree that faces the direction you want it to fall. Repeat the cut from below, sawing up into the trunk to meet the end point of the other cut and forming the V or notch. The tree will only be standing at this point due to the back uncut portion of the truck, which is acting as a tension point holding the notched gap of trunk apart. Make the third cut to fell the tree on the opposite side of the trunk, slicing into it just above the point of the V notch. This cut releases the tension, and the tree will collapse on the notch side, landing the tree along with your chosen path, away from the house.
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