Tree removal always requires care and caution to make sure it's done safely. This is even more important when a tree is growing right against the house. Proper removal ensures no damage occurs to the home or foundation during or after removal.
1. Structure Protection
Even with great care, a branch can break a window or cause other damage during removal due to the close working quarters. Prior to removal, all potential hazards will be identified and protection measures will be put in place. This may mean putting plywood over nearby windows and on top of the roof to protect them. Your removal service may also lay tarps over nearby landscaping plants to help protect them from falling debris.
2. Limb Removal
Cutting off all the branches minimizes the risk of damage to the house while also making the entire process safer. The process usually starts at the bottom of the trunk, and then the limbs are removed working upwards. Lower limbs don't usually pose much of a challenge, but a pulley system and cabling may be used to safely lower large limbs without damaging the house.
3. Trunk Sectioning
Simply cutting down the trunk at its base carries the risk of it falling toward the house instead of safely away. To avoid this, your removal service will likely bring in basket trucks to lift the worker up to the top of the trunk, or climbing gear and small cranes may be necessary for exceptionally tall trees. The trunk will be cut in sections, working from the top down, and each section will be carefully lowered to the ground instead of being allowed to fall.
4. Stump Grinding
It's not a good idea to leave the stump near the house. It can attract pests, like termites, as it decomposes. In some cases, stumps will also re-sprout and begin to grow a new tree. A small stump grinder will be maneuvered into the area so that your removal technician can carefully grind away the stump to the safest depth possible that won't compromise the foundation.
5. Site Fill
The void left by the stump can lead to the ground shifting, which can cause damage to the foundation. The sawdust from stump grinding is insufficient to fill this hole, plus it will quickly decompose away. Instead, a good quality fill dirt must be brought in to fill the void as soon as possible so the foundation doesn't shift.
Contact a local tree removal service to learn more.
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