A Guide to Tree Felling

Although the priority is to preserve trees and to ensure they are healthy and happy, sometimes, the time comes when a tree needs to be cut down. Whether it has become damaged or diseased, or it has become and obstruction, tree surgeons can be called to fell a tree in a safe and efficient manner. In their latest blog post, Treesaw outline the universal method of tree felling, used by tree surgeons all over the world.

Safety

As is the case with most tree surgery tasks, a tree surgeon’s work is always carried out with safety at the forefront of their mind. This mantra is especially true for tree felling. When chopping down a tree, there are a number of safety procedures that must be adhered to in order to ensure the safety of everyone in the surrounding areas.

Firstly, a tree surgeon will survey the area in which a tree resides and choose a suitable direction for the tree to fall in. If a tree has grown in a populated area, then tree felling may not be the safest or most efficient way of removing a tree. If, however, the area is suitable, then the team of tree surgeons will notify everyone in the vicinity and be sure to keep the space free as the cut takes place. Ensuring the safety of those in the surrounding areas is as important a part of tree felling as the actual cut itself.

Cutting

The process of tree felling is actually a relatively straightforward one. It varies from tree to tree but, typically, the process consists of making 3 cuts into the base of the tree. Firstly, a tree surgeon will use a chainsaw to cut into the base of the tree, sawing into around 20-25 percent of the tree’s diameter. The surgeon will then use the saw to cut down into the initial cut at about a 60-degree angle. This is what is known as the wedge cut.

Once the wedge cut has been sawn, the tree surgeon will then cut into the other side, slightly above the base of the wedge cut. Again, the surgeon will cut into around 25 percent of the tree’s diameter. This should create a hinge, which will allow the tree to fall to the side of the wedge cut and into the designated space created for the tree to fall into.

A wedge can be inserted into the final cuts to aid the tree felling process and to ensure the tree falls in the right direction. If the tree is particularly stubborn, insert another wedge to accelerate the process.

Contact Treesaw

Although the process of tree felling may seem straightforward, it takes a team of experienced and professional surgeons to fell a tree safely and securely. Do not attempt to fell a tree by yourself if you have no experience and, instead, enlist a team of professional tree surgeons to take care of it for you. Contact Treesaw today by calling us on 0113 239 1271 or leave us a message via our online contact form.