Trees become our old friends. They provide shade, beauty and often give shelter to our Pacific Northwest wildlife. But the older trees become, they more damage they can do. Wind storms can wreak havoc on houses and large limbs and trunks can come down on fences, houses, garages, vehicles, and people. If whole massive tree comes down, a whole house could be demolished. That would be the end of your friendship . . . and possibly your life.
Sometimes it becomes evident when trees are becoming dangerous. Improperly pruned or topped trees can comeback to haunt you. If you have trees that instead of having one main trunk rising from the ground to the top you should be fine, but if half-way up your trunk there is a “U” with two trunks towering above you there is potential for a weakening of those twin trunks. Another give away of potential problems is a limb that no longer contains healthy green leaves or needles, but instead is dry and dead . . . then that limb should be removed. Dangerous trees need to be removed.
There can also be reasons for removing healthy trees. We had a healthy cedar tree, but every time it pollinated, my wife had trouble breathing. It wasn’t the tree’s fault, my wife has allergies, but either my wife or the tree had to go. The sixty-five foot cedar’s days were numbered. Dan Folk of Apex Tree Experts came out and inspected the tree and those surrounding it. The bad news was that the cedar was protecting three birches, which over the years had grown up leaning. Without the cedar holding back strong winds they could easily come down in a snow or ice storm or a heavy wind. The good news, was that the tree, which was extremely close to the corner of the house, could be taken down in stages from the top and then the bottom half could be felled.
The biggest argument for having a professional do the work of tree removal is: chainsaws. They are dangerous.
The bigger the tree, the bigger the job. The bigger the job, the more it’s going to cost you. A large tree, unless you have a large vacant landing area, takes adjustment. Your tree like ours will be cut in sections until a large part can be felled. If you have no room for felling then the whole tree will be cut down in sections. Also, the larger the tree the more limbs will have to be trimmed. There will be a larger stump and probably a more robust root system as well.
Taking out trees is dangerous, so never take on the job yourself, unless you have more qualifications than most of us. A good tree removal firm like Apex or others can give you a bid that will be all inclusive. Or you can pick and choose what you need. For example, if you want the stump left in the ground so it becomes part of your landscaping, you can save money. If you want the big rounds of trunk to fuel your fireplace, you can save money. But believe me its so much easier to have someone chip your limbs that to do it yourself. And even if you want the wooden rounds, you’ll have to split it and saw it to your size. It’s up to you.
By hiring a professional to take on the responsibility of power lines and any damage to your home or garage, you can keep headaches to a minimum. When removing a tree, trimming a tree, or moving a tree, you should always contact a licensed and bonded company to do the work for you. Professional tree removal experts can protect your home and your trees. The more they know about trees, the better off you will be.