Tree Felling
Rochester Trees is professional, equipped, knowledgeable, insured, and ready to take on any tree felling challenge. Our priority is to ensure that your tree is taken care of safely and responsibly.
Trees are strong companions that give a lot of benefit to all. They give us wood, food, shade, air, and safety. They prevent erosion, pollution, and flooding.
There are some instances, however, when you need to have one cut down. Here are some of them.
• The tree might be dying, or dead
Most of the time, owners want to have their tree cut down because of its dying state. As the tree weakens its hold on the ground, it would become dangerous to surrounding property especially when storm season comes.
• The tree obstructs something important or is taking up needed space
You can’t build on something with a tree on it. Commercial or even residential properties need space, and sometimes felling a tree is needed to get that.
Some lands also need to be cleared of trees to be used for agricultural purposes.
• The tree is leaning and is becoming dangerous
A tree may be leaning because of recent storms, or something hit its trunk hard, or it grew that way until the angle has become smaller and smaller over the years.
If a tree becomes threateningly leaning towards your or your neighbor’s property and no remedial action can be done against it, cutting it down might be the only solution.
• The tree is unhealthy but eating up resources for other trees and vegetation
Before we dive into this, bear in mind that removing a single or a couple of unhealthy trees in the woods is not deforestation.
When you want your tree to grow healthier, you prune it. Removing dead branches relieves the tree of unnecessary weight and directs nutrients to the parts of the tree that need it.
It’s the same with unhealthy trees. When you want a forest or woody area to grow healthier, you have to remove a tree that’s not worth keeping.
Some old trees need to be felled in order for healthier trees and plants to grow in that area. While some may say that you are removing a precious oxygen-maker, healthier trees and plants that will grow in its stead will have a higher production of oxygen. You may also be surprised by the increase in biodiversity with the growth of new vegetation.
So in cases like these, removing the tree is better in the long run.
How Is Tree Felling Done?
1. Risk Assessment
The first step in tree felling is risk assessment. All the plans are discussed with the owner, the structures around the tree in question, required permits (if any), and all potential hazards are taken into account as it will affect how the job will be done and the time it will take.
Some of these hazards include steep locations, dead branches, structures, power lines, vines, fog, ice, proximity to roads, and other trees that might be in the way.
The amount of space to work with will also affect the job immensely. Working in the woods with a lot of clearance is a lot different from removing a huge tree in a cramped backyard. While one would need directional felling, the other might involve a crane and rigging.
Another important thing to consider would be the condition of the tree. Is it decaying? Is it hollow? Is it covered in slippery moss? Are there a lot of widow makers (or dead limbs that may fall anytime)? Will a tree worker be safe if he needs to climb it?
The sturdiness of the tree will help the worker determine what equipment and gear he needs. And the soundness of the wood provides more safety and accuracy.
The condition of the tree will also affect how the timber will fall.
Another major consideration is when the job is cutting down a leaning tree. This will be discussed later.
Depending on how heavy the tree is, limb weight distribution and wind direction should be factored in for greater felling accuracy.
Once we’ve taken into account all these, the next step would be to clear out all debris in the work site to ensure that nothing gets in the way.
And then we get right to work.
2. Tree felling
Trees are measured for their trunk diameter and height before felling. Tree workers would of course want to know if the timber would fit in the space it should fall.
Since the trunk diameter varies throughout the length of the tree, it’s usually measured at chest height.
There was a time when tree height was measured by an instrument called a clinometer where you have to walk a distance of 50 feet away from the tree, point it at an angle, and solve for the answer. Nowadays, the laser rangefinder or hypsometer can give you the tree’s height in a matter of seconds as it does the math for you.
So if the tree fits, the worker determines the right kind of notch to use to make the timber fall in the right direction.
Tree felling uses different kinds of notches with different outcomes. The technique or notch to be used mainly determines the amount of accuracy in directional felling.
Some of these are the Open Face, the Humboldt, the Conventional, and the Rope and Winch. This information is important to owners if they want to use the wood later on and for what purpose. Some of these notches cause falls that might break the timber in more than one place. So if you want to save wood, discuss this concern with the tree expert.
Caution: Felling a leaning tree is a whole class of hazard in itself as there are many things that might go wrong. Do not attempt it as a lot of different kinds of accidents can happen by cutting a leaning tree by yourself.
Tree experts find the angle and direction of lean using a plumb line to determine its natural direction of fall. Slightly leaning trees can be managed by using wedges. While making a notch and its corresponding back cut, wedges are used to counteract the lean (and to make sure the tree doesn't sit on the chainsaw bar).
Hard-leaning trees might need special notches such as the three-step stump that prevents barber chairing, and the Rope and Winch technique.
Barber chairing is where too much pressure on the timber causes more leaning and back-splitting. The split can be as high as 20 to 30 feet up in the air, making it dangerous for a tree worker. The hazard is compounded by the fact that the tree worker has a chainsaw in his hand.
Weaker wood and trees cut in winter have more tendency to barber-chair.
Tying the tree to a vehicle or another tree using a rope come a long helps pull it away from the lean, but has to give it just the right amount of tension so as not to break the tree before the cut is done.
Physical conditioning is very important for tree workers, as there will be times when the work goes on for hours especially for climbers. For a very physical, often times high-risk job like this, mistakes are not an option.
Tree felling is risky in itself. Compound that risk when felling a leaning tree.
Statistics show that logging and tree felling are the most dangerous jobs in the United States, with over 200 annual deaths caused by hits, falls, and injuries.
It isn't even a joke. Safety is first and foremost in every tree felling job, whether it involves a 10-foot or a 150-foot tree.
It's not about who's the best out there at climbing, or the most skilled with the chainsaw. In this line of work, it's about being doubly responsible. Every crew member looks out for himself and the next man.
Yes, our team is easygoing and enjoys what we do. Positivity and chemistry between workers encourage better job performance and teamwork. But we are serious and don't take chances when it comes to tree felling safety, or any work we do for that matter, no matter how simple.
Here at Rochester Trees, we don't compromise. Aside from using proper equipment and donning protective gear, each of our crew members is trained extensively in safety procedures, climbing, rigging, felling, and first aid. We are fully insured so you can put your mind at ease while we do what we do best.
Talk To A Human
You’re not going to hit a ridiculously long phone menu when you call us. Your email isn’t going to the inbox abyss, never to be seen or heard from again. With Rochester Trees, we provide the exceptional service we’d want to experience ourselves!
Rochester Trees
(248) 290-6343
