Removing Old Trees
Sometimes a tree gets to the point where it is necessary to say goodbye to it.
It can be a painful choice to make, but sometimes the tree gets too close to the house, gets too diseased, gets an incurable infestation of some pest, or grows too tall and gets close to a power line.
If any of these things occur, its best to do the right thing and get rid of the tree.
Although you might have spent hours and hours getting the tree to where it is today, it is almost dishonorable to the tree to allow it to suffer in bad conditions.
Once you have made the choice to remove the tree, you need to plan its removal.
I cant begin to count how many windows Ive seen knocked out or cars Ive seen crushed because of poor planning in the tree removal process.
Decide what direction you want it to fall, and accurately measure to make sure it will fall completely clear of anything else that it could possibly cause damage to.
Once you have the falling direction planned out, you should climb up the tree and tie two long ropes near the top.
Anchor them on the opposite side of the one that you want it to fall towards.
This will allow you to adjust the direction the tree is being lowered in, just in case it starts leaning towards anything it could destroy.
Now that youve taken all the necessary precautions, you are ready to begin chopping.
If you plan on using a manually operated saw or axe, please step back and consider how insane that is.
Chopping down a tree by hand will take you forever, and will not even begin to be as accurate as using a chainsaw.
If you dont have a chainsaw, you shouldnt even consider doing it without one.
Ask around with your neighbors and see if anyone has one that you could borrow.
If that doesnt work, rent or buy one from your local home improvement store.
Before you start chopping away at the tree, you should wear proper eye and face protection in case any wood chips fly towards your eyes.
I had a friend who blinded his right eye while cutting down a tree, so I hope all of my readers do not make the same mistake as he did.
Whenever you operate a power tool, always be sure to wear proper protection for any exposed parts of your body.
When making the cut, you do not want to just cut a straight line into the tree.
It is best to cut a sideways V
