Most garden owners choose to plant trees to enhance the beauty of their garden space. Trees can bloom attractive and colourful foliage and flowers that could make passersby in awe. Furthermore, they can act as a boundary mark and security for your place – also known as hedge trees.
However, there are times when trees are potential threats to the safety of your property and the neighbourhood. They are prone to fall when heavy winds and storms come or when vehicular accidents happen. That is why tree felling is crucial to avoid injuries and damage to properties as much as possible.
What is Tree Felling?
Tree felling is the method of removing or cutting trees through its base trunk for creating products or preventing accidents in the community. Note that it is not a DIY task and requires professional arborists for a safe procedure. Moreover, the factors to consider are landing area, wind direction, species type, leaning position, terrain, and local laws and regulations.
In NSW, at least 150 workers suffer due to tree work every year. So, careful planning and execution are essential to do the job explicitly and without faults. Today, Trees Down Under is here to teach advanced tree felling techniques used by pros to avoid improper cutting and accidents from happening.
Traditional Method of Tree Felling
Before learning advanced tricks, it is vital to grasp the basic knowledge of tree felling. The traditional method involves a notch and a back cut on opposite sides. The angled chop, which is the notch, is the direction where the tree would fall. Meanwhile, the back cut eases the stress on the back part of the tree during felling.
The traditional method requires fellers to cut in the bottom portion of the trunk. While some might be comfortable with this procedure as it is the practice for many years, it could lead to the so-called barber chair. It means that before the fellers cut the hinge thin enough for the tree to bend, it divides vertically. That would mean, the direction of fall would not be controlled and may soon cause accidents.
Advanced Tree Felling Techniques
In tree felling procedure, we don’t want to cause injuries to anyone. That’s why it is essential to know the right techniques. However, depending on the circumstance and environment, fellers need to know some advanced tree felling techniques. Here are some of them:
Bore Cut
One way to prevent the barber chair is through a bore cut. It uses a chainsaw to penetrate a cut through the centre of the trunk at right angles. In this way, the back part of the trunk would be more intact to hold the tree upright.
Just a friendly reminder in using a bore cut, lead the saw with the bottom of the bar tip instead of the top. Then, when the bar tip is covered by wood, rotate the saw and plunge it through the tree.
Tree Driving
Tree driving is like hitting two birds with one stone. It involves knocking down one tree to take down another. Both trees require partial cuts, or the second tree could have fallen and caught up in branches.
The driving tree should be tall and heavy enough to take down the second tree. Also, it should ideally have a natural lean to make the other trees fall, suitably. But, note that fellers should take extra precaution and planning as it involves felling several trees.
Felling Aids
After a standard notch and back cut, felling aids help trees to fall carefully and securely. Metal breaking bars can slip into the back cut and help fellers leverage the tree in its direction of fall. Furthermore, wedges, also placed in the back cut, can hold the tree and stop it from sitting back. Lastly, a sledgehammer can knock down a tree in its right direction, safely.
Piece-By-Piece Removal
In cases of residential or commercial properties, professionals fell a tree piece by piece. After they secure the largest portion of the tree with a crane, they begin cutting branches and trunks. In this way, they can avoid damages to properties and the risk of hitting passersby.
Back Pulling
Back pulling uses a winch system to pull a tree against its natural lean. In this way, dropping trees can avoid buildings and power lines. Moreover, it positions the tree better for the felling procedure. Professionals set the winch up as high as possible to control better the direction of the fall.
Conclusion
Tree felling is the process of knocking and cutting down trees. Note that it is not as easy as it seems. Careful planning and the right methods are essential to do the job without accidents and damages to properties. But basic knowledge is not enough. Pros should practice advanced tree felling techniques for a more efficient and safe manner of handling tree removal.
Here at Trees Down Under, we are your one call away friend for advanced tree felling procedures. Our team of professional arborists and fellers have years of experience to bring quality and top-notch tree services.
We understand the hazards of tree felling. So, we make sure to do the job following the standard procedure and local regulations of the council. Moreover, we gear ourselves with the right tools and equipment to ensure the safety of the workers.
Expect us to deliver top-rate and affordable tree felling services. Contact us now at 0475 463 597, or send us your enquiries via email.
