Why Tree Removal is Too Dangerous to DIY
Being a homeowner means that there are lots of different expenses that pop up and finding ways to save money is helpful for your wallet. While the do-it-yourself method works for many different home repairs or home maintenance, it should not be attempted with tree removal. Just because you could probably get the job done on your own doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good or safe idea. Tree removal should be left to professionals that have the training and experience to do it safely. It could be a matter of life and death.
Here are some of the potential risks involved with removing a tree:
Emergency room visit
Unfortunately, it’s very common for people emergency room staff to see people who have had an accident in their home. It’s not unusual to see people in the hospital because they climbed ladder to get to a tree or on the roof to trim a tree. There’s a reason that this reason listed as the number one cause of injury and dismemberment in the United States. Even seasoned and highly trained professionals who take all safety precautions and do this daily, are frequently injured. If professionals still get hurt, then that should be an indicator as to why a homeowner without the proper gears, training or materials should not be up high trying to work on a tree.
Trees can be deceiving
The branches may look perfectly healthy from the outside, but they could be totally rotten inside and could snap with any additional weight. Some trees aren’t safe to climb, so to avoid injury, professionals use specialized equipment to cut them down.
Tools can be dangerous
The tools used to remove trees are powerful and can easily become a hazard if you are not trained on how to properly use them. Chain saws and hand saws can obviously inflict terrible harm, but so can ladders. People slip and fall from ladders every day, and one distraction or misstep could end in serious injury or death. Certified arborists use these tools every day all year long and have specialized safety equipment to keep them protected.
Trees don’t always fall where you expect them to
YouTube is full of videos showing average folks cutting down trees that end up falling on their homes, their cars, and everything else. You might plan on it falling one way, but a simple miscalculation of the angle or underestimating the height of the tree could not only damage your property or someone else’s. Even if you get it all right, the tree trunk could come back and hit you at the base.
A recent news report from KATU talked about a man in Crescent Lake, Oregon that was cutting down a tree when it fell on him, killing him. His method was to tie a rope to the tree and use his all-terrain vehicle to put tension on the line and direct its fall. However, later that night, his wife found his body pinned under the tree, 20 feet from the base. It’s important to remember these stories and take note to leave cutting down trees and grinding stumps to a Certified Arborist with liability insurance.
Many trained, experienced professional tree workers die or are injured on the job. Tree work is dangerous work, and your life and property are more important than saving a little money. Let us help! Call Inexpensive Tree Care today at 503-679-1410.
