April 1, 2019
We all love trees, but now and then one of them gets in the way. Maybe its roots are growing in a way that interferes with pipes or your foundation, or perhaps it’s dying or leaning dangerously. Maybe you need to clear space so you can build a shed or expand your home. No matter: it needs to go, and you need to figure out how to take a spruce tree down.
There are two basic choices here: you could do it yourself or you could hire a professional. In either case, there are several things you need to consider. You don’t want to end up on #FailArmy—or worse, if you can imagine something worse than being Internet famous for all the wrong reasons.
DIY: What You Need to Know
The first thing to consider is safety. Hopefully it’s obvious that a falling tree (or even just falling branches) can cause some serious damage to yourself and the surrounding property. Dust, wood chips, sharp objects, power tools, and loud noises are also considerations.
You need safety gear as well as the right tree-chopping equipment. DIY House Tips outlines a good shopping list, if you don’t happen to have these items on hand:
- Eye and Ear Protection
- Hard Hat
- Kevlar Chaps
- Steel-Toed Boots
- Work Gloves
- Chainsaw
- Ladder
- Rope
- Wedges
- A Good Helper (Not Always Available in Stores)
Step by Step: How to Take a Spruce Tree Down
After you’ve suited up, DIY House Tips and Family Handyman both offer step-by-step guides for how to take a spruce tree down. Family Handyman gives you a way to estimate how much space the tree will take up when it falls—the felling zone:
“…you can estimate where a tree will fall by using the ‘ax handle trick.’ Hold an ax handle at arm’s length, close one eye, and back away from or move toward the tree until the top of the ax is even with the treetop and the bottom is even with the base. Your feet should be about where the treetop will rest after falling. It’s just an estimate, though, so allow extra room if there’s something the tree might fall on!”
You can only choose the direction of the fall to a certain degree. If the tree is already heavily leaning in one direction, or if it has heavy branches on one side, it will be hard if not impossible to make it fall any other way. Also, ir there’s anything in the way of the felling zone, you’ll need to move those items and if those items include houses or electrical wires, you’ll need to call a professional.
You’ll need to establish escape routes so you have somewhere to go when the tree falls. From there, you make a few specific cuts, including a notch on the side of the direction you want the tree to fall. On big trees, you may need to place wedges in your felling cut to make sure the tree doesn’t fall back on the chainsaw blade and pinch it.
Your good helper, meanwhile, is watching out for falling branches and is ready to alert you to any dangers, including the moment when the tree begins to fall on its own and you need to get out of there.
Get Help: Evaluating Arborist Services Near You
Cutting down a tree can certainly be dangerous, but that is only one of several good reasons to seek professional help:
- You don’t have the necessary equipment and don’t want to spend the money on items you’ll only use once.
- There are structures around the tree; no matter which way it falls, it’s going to damage something.
- The tree is especially large.
- You’re not confident in your chainsaw skills.
- You don’t have the time to manage the clean-up.
- You would prefer to transplant the tree so it can grow where it has room to thrive.
If you’ve decided you want help, you need to evaluate arborist services near you to determine who can do the job well. Here’s what to look for:
Experience
The main problem with doing it yourself comes down to a lack of experience. You want to hire people who have taken care of lots of trees and know how to do the job safely and efficiently. Your full-service professionals will have all the equipment needed to complete the task, and they’ll be able to handle any other issues you might have with other trees and shrubs.
Safety and Certifications
Our employees are all thoroughly trained, educated, and certified. We’re committed to safety and have the certifications and associations to back it up:
- Alberta Association for Safety Partnerships SECOR (Small Enterprise Certificate of Recognition)
- ISNetworld
- ComplyWorks
- ISA (International Society or Arboriculture)
- UVMA (Utility Vegetation Management Association)
Free Quotes
You deserve to know how much the tree removal will cost and what the process will be like before you commit to it. We offer free quotes within 24 hours during the work week so you have all the information you need to make your decision.
Commitment to Customer Service
You, the customer, should be the priority. Look for the professionals who respond to you in a timely manner, are transparent about what they offer and how much it costs, and respect your wishes whether you want to transplant a tree or turn it into firewood.
Giving Back
Hopefully they’re not just cutting down trees: they’re working with nature. We always strive to put the trees we remove to good use. Often, that means transplanting them to other locations, and we love to work with the community by donating the trees to parks and other public spaces if you don’t need the firewood or want to see the tree in another location on your property.
If you need to remove a single spruce or any other tree or clear a large area for any reason, we invite you to contact us. Pevach Corp. has an impressive track record that speaks for itself, and we’re committed to your complete satisfaction, starting with your free quote until the completion of the job. We look forward to hearing from you.
