Cutting Down a Small Tree On Your Own

If you want to understand how to cut down a small tree on your property, it’s essential to note that this work can be done by a homeowner in most cases, but only by using the suitable hardware and safety methods in place. It’s also necessary to know when you ought to leave this work to tree cutting specialists!

Homeowners may possibly also take into consideration when it’s time to remove any tree from their property, including indications that it’s unhealthy and decayed or simply won’t thrive. You might also consider some tips on how to ensure your property appears its best after you’ve cut down that small tree and what to do with all that wood as well!

Safety First Long Before You Learn How to Chop Down a Small Tree!

Regardless if you’re planning on cutting a small tree down with no a saw or you have a large axe in the garage all set to go, it’s vital to consider safety first! Even lightweight chainsaws can cause major damage if handled incorrectly, and splintered timber often flies in any and all trajectories, also risking accident.

Before you commence, secure young children and pets far away from your worksite and look for unanticipated visitors frequently while doing the job. Know your surroundings; look for overhead wires and other interferences as well as uneven ground. Take away rocks, dropped limbs and sprigs, and other hazards; cover holes and openings in the ground as required.

Choose what’s called an escape route; this should be two different directions in which you can run if the tree shall start to fall or slip towards you. Break often while working to double-check your surroundings and make sure you and any assistants are safe and avoiding interference, and that your escape routes are always clear.

Next, note your clothing. Wear clothes made of thick, durable cotton, flannel, or wool so they repel small wood chips and bits. Select a button-up shirt with long sleeves and keep everything buttoned all the way, to cover as much skin as possible!

Also, wear heavy, heavy-duty cotton or denim trousers and steel-toe work boots with ankle protection. Acquire thick cotton work gloves and heavy-duty eye protection, and a construction helmet! When using a chainsaw or any power tools, protect your hearing with proper earplugs or coverings, and wear chainsaw chaps or leg protection. Long hair should be drawn back neatly and kept out of your face and eyes.

As even a small tree can cause extreme property damage, avoid parking your motor vehicle near that tree and get rid of items near your work spaces, like a lawnmower and other similar tools. You might even cover a nearby fence and landscaping features with a thick tarp, to help lessen damage from falling branches.

Before cutting a small tree down with a chainsaw, check the chain brake and throttle. If using an axe, be sure the axe head is secure and the handle in good condition, without splitting. Never use any tools that look aged, worn-down, in shabby condition, or otherwise damaged. Check your axe or saw on a small stump or log before tending to a tree that needs cutting, so you know everything is in good condition and ready for use.

Planning for How to Cut Down a Small Tree

Your primary step in actually cutting down a small tree with an axe or chainsaw is to choose the target, or the desired direction of the fall. Keep in mind if the tree has a side or back lean; typically a lean, in addition to overhead hazards, determine the tree’s “bad side.” You’ll want to avoid this bad side at the time of the final or felling cut.

Start cutting the tree with a face cut, lined up with the target and perpendicular to the ground. Doing this face cut decides how the tree will fall once cut entirely and should work about 1/3 of the way through the tree trunk. Next off, you’ll want to add a hinge cut; this is a wedge cut, in most cases at a 45-degree to 70-degree angle downward, toward the face cut.

These cuts should start little and get bigger as you work through them, but don’t cut through that hinge! You’ll need to take out that wedge when it’s large enough to weaken the tree. As you create this wedge, you might need to make a small cut on the side of the tree opposite the face cut and insert a wedge or shim. This reduces the risk of the tree falling opposite the target.

Look around for hazards and be certain that nobody remains in the way before you make the final release cut and take out the wedge you’ve created. If the tree doesn’t fall as expected, continue to make small cuts along that wedge so you keep weakening the trunk.

Tips for Cutting a Small Tree Down Without a Saw

You can cut down a small tree without needing a chainsaw; it requires more physical labor but this is how trees were felled for centuries before chainsaws were invented! First, get felling wedges. These wedges are inserted into your cuts as you make them, preventing your axe blade from getting pinched in the process. They also put added pressure on the cut trunk, encouraging the tree to fall.

Before you start cutting a small tree down without any a saw, inspect it meticulously. The vibrations created by cutting at a tree loosen dead and decaying branches, which can easily fall on you or any assistants nearby! Start felling your tree by removing any loosened or obviously damaged branches. Use heavy-duty pruning shears for small branches if it’s unmanageable to operate an axe around the tree’s top.

You also need to note if the tree is bending heavily is loaded down with large limbs along one side. No matter your efforts, that tree is most likely to fall in the direction of its lean. Plan accordingly and begin by removing the treetop rather than felling it at the trunk, to avoid property destruction.

Once you’ve shortened the tree and stripped it off as many branches as needed, you can make the same face and hinge cuts you might with a chainsaw. Add your felling wedges to the face cut as you go, driving them in with the back end of the axe head. Just like using a chainsaw, don’t cut through that hinge but let the weight of the tree do the work in felling it for you!

When Is It Time to Cut Down a Small Tree?

Both matured and modest landscaping trees add lots of aesthetic interest to any property; in some cases, they can even improve your property’s overall value. Trees also offer shade to the ground, keeping it from getting burnt in the summer season, in addition to a nesting location for birds that might eat typically irritating insects all around your yard.

While trees offer tons of advantages for your property, there are times when it’s better to remove them! An arborist can advise you if a tree is decayed beyond healing and repair; occasionally, however, a tree might be so rotted within that its bark starts to peel and limbs dry out, both of which are signs that it’s time to cut it down. Trees plagued with termites and other damaging bugs might also need purging, to protect the rest of your property.

If you have a tree on your residential or commercial property that just refuses to thrive no matter how frequently you have it trimmed or otherwise nurtured, it may not be native to your area! Like florals and other vegetation, trees often grow best in their native habitat; trees that thrive in cold weather might wither under the scorching, tropical sun, as one good example. If your property’s tree is having a hard time and not native, it’s not likely to ever flourish and should be taken out.

There is also nothing against extracting a tree just because you do not like its aesthetics or location on your real estate. A tree in the way of your building plans, view of the horizon, or an exterior window should be extracted, so you appreciate your property and your view from both indoors and out!

How to Enhance Your Property After Removing a Tree

Your might notice your outdoor space looks a bit bare and far less lush once you chopped down a small tree, and especially if you remove any large, mature trees or other landscaping features! One way to add lots of aesthetic interest without blocking out the view is by flowering shrubs; try lilac bushes or honeysuckle for both color and a lovely aroma in your backyard.

If your home’s outside surfaces now seem to be a bit barren and drab once you remove trees near the house, add flower boxes under the windows and paint the home’s trim a crisp white. Decorative shutters also add a fabulous touch and help break up long, boring outside surfaces.

For more aesthetic interest along your real estate, consider some hardscape elements. Landscaping refers to items that grow such as flowers and shrubs, whereas hardscaping includes items that don’t grow, like brick, concrete, and rock. Retaining walls protect residential or commercial property from excess moisture or erosion, but can also be appealing, providing a bit of height and depth to your space. Stacked brick perimeters and edging also add lots of visual interest as well as some separation between your landscaping and lawn.

What to Do With That Wood When You Finish Cutting Down a Small Tree

After you’ve chopped down that tree, what to do with all that wood? One vital idea is to make sure the tree was healthy and free of ailments and parasites before you burn that lumber or put it in your household rubbish. Transporting infested wood can mean ferrying those harmful insects with it so they just move on to another tree!

Your neck of the woods may also have building regulations or other regulations that determine what you can do with wood cut from your residential or commercial property, to contain hazardous smoke and fumes. Some softwoods also do not burn effectively; you might discover that your planned bonfire creates more smoke than flames, or that you struggle for hours to keep the fire going.

If you’re not sure the condition of the tree you just felled or have no way of taking care of that wood, call a tree trimming expert or tree removal service. They will quickly identify the wood species, health condition of the tree, and if the timber is salvageable. They will also be familiar with local standards and policies that have a bearing on how to dispose of that lumber!

If the wood is safe for disposal, you might look at renting a wood chipper. This makes easy work of breaking down that timber so you are able to bag it up and put it in the rubbish or take it to a local disposal site. Use extreme caution when using a wood chipper and ensure you break down that tree into manageable pieces before feeding it into the chipper.

When You Don’t Know How to Cut Down a Small Tree

If you’re uncertain how to cut down a small tree, utilize the services of a tree removal company near you! Keep in mind that tree trimmers specialize in removing trees of all sizes and varieties, not just mature trees. They can make quick work of trimming and digging up landscaping trees and understand how to contain termites and pests when removing infested trees, ensuring your property is protected.

A tree removal company can additionally suggest a native tree that might thrive on your real estate or a more appealing tree species. Their advice ensures your property looks its best and you’re happy with the end result for years to come, so give them a telephone call if you’re uncertain how to chop down a small tree in your yard.