When it comes to tree maintenance and care around your home, there are many things that you can do yourself. Depending on your skill and resources, light pruning, shaping and even removing small trees may not require the services of a professional. Here are the top considerations to take into account when deciding whether to DIY or call a professional tree service company.
Equipment. Do you have the right equipment and tools for the job? This might include a chainsaw, shears, and definitely includes safety equipment. Do you have the experience and protective measures to operate the equipment? Is the equipment maintained? Using the wrong tool for the job without experience can put you into a dangerous situation.
Height. How high are the limbs you intend to cut? A common safety rule of thumb is “Never limb above your shoulders.” That is, lifting the chainsaw above your shoulder (or over your head) puts you at risk of losing control of the chainsaw and seriously injuring yourself.
Climbing. Do you need to get up on a ladder to accomplish the tree work? While using a chainsaw is dangerous, adding a ladder into the mix makes the task extremely dangerous to fatal. At this point it’s not just the chainsaw and falling branch that are risks, but also the possibility of falling from the ladder. As they like to say in the tree business “Ladders and chainsaws don’t mix.”
Size of Limbs. Once you drop a branch or limb from a tree, is it going to be too large or heavy to move? Is this wood something that you can cut up and use for firewood, or do you have to load and haul it offsite to deal with it? Do you have a chipper to handle small branches and tops of trees?
Proximity. If you plan to fell a tree yourself, how close is it to something valuable, such as your home, vehicles, parking lot, driveway, or out building? If something goes wrong, will you have personal property damaged? Would your personal insurance cover the accident?
Note, if you have any public roads, power lines or utility lines immediately nearby, we recommend you do NOT attempt to do the work yourself.
Experience. Have you ever done this before? Many home-owners have owned and operated chainsaws for years and know what they’re doing. If you’re consulting YouTube or Google to help you figure out how to cut down or trim a tree…you better consider calling a professional tree service company.
Position. In what position is the tree you plan to work on? If a tree is leaning, buckling, or wedged against another tree, it likely needs additional cabling or support to safely cut it.
If you have any doubt about accomplishing tree maintenance tasks, please give us a call, even if you’re just looking for our opinion. At the end of the day, your safety and well being is most important, and we would strongly encourage you to seek professional service if you don’t have the proper experience, equipment or safety gear.
At Manor Tree Service, we bring a full array of tree service equipment to your property so we are using the right tool for the right job. All tree maintenance will be performed safely and cleanly with proper arborist techniques.
One of our Baltimore County customers reviewed us:
“True professionals and a class act. Anyone in the area needing tree service can do no better than Manor Tree Service. I have been using them for decades.”
We would love to stop by to give you a free tree assessment. Be sure to prepare any tree questions you have. We can walk your property and identify immediate issues and provide recommendations for later and long-term tree maintenance.