In your quest to save, it could cost you more in terms of injuries and property damage. Trying the DIY route is not uncommon for many people who want to remove trees from their property. But they do so at significant risk to their safety and property.

In this post, we discuss some situations where you may feel the need to remove a tree. Then we discuss the tools and consent you may need to do so. Finally, we outline the risks you take when taking on DIY tree removal and why calling Long Island Lumberjack, and its team of tree professionals might be your best choice.

Why Cut A Tree Down?

Often, trimming the tree is all that is necessary. For example, thinning the tree’s canopy by trimming may be satisfactory if you wish to introduce more light into your yard. Even for dropping dead branches, trimming may be all that is required. However, in some situations, nothing other than removing the tree will be sufficient. If a tree at your home creates a safety hazard you cannot resolve with trimming, you need tree removal. This suggestion may be especially valid if the tree is prone to dropping branches unpredictably. If you have children playing on your property, a hazard like falling branches is essential.

Sometimes roots can cause sewer blockages or other structural issues to your residence. Here, you may need help to remove a tree rather than simply tree trimming services. Perhaps you are renovating your home and need to get rid of a tree because you will need to build in that spot. Or maybe you don’t like the location of a tree because of the negative aesthetic effect on your garden or home. It might be the case that a neighbor has objected to your tree’s overhanging branches along the fence line. Think about a tree extending over your home, and the tree is structurally unsound. In that case, hiring a professional tree care company like Long Island Lumberjack is a good idea.

We can assess the situation and do a tree trimming or removal, as required. Another reason for tree elimination is if the tree in question absorbs all the moisture from the ground, making it difficult for other plants to thrive. Or, if the tree drops leaf litter everywhere, that tree is creating too much extra work in the garden and may not be worth keeping.

What Do You Need Before Starting Tree Removal?

You first need to know whether you need permission from local zoning authorities, your condo board, or Homeowners Association. One benefit of calling Long Island Lumberjack is that we will be on top of all the regulations for you. There are rules around cutting back a neighbor’s tree with branches that reach over and into your yard. You may need to request that they cut back the tree formally, and you may need legal permission before you can do it yourself. Then there is the matter of machinery and other equipment.

A tree specialist will have all the equipment to remove trees safely. But do you already have any equipment to expedite safety while extracting a tree? And while it’s one thing to have the equipment, it is entirely different whether you know how to use it properly. By hiring a professional for removing a tree or even tree trimming, you are paying for their proficiency and skill. That skill allows them to do the job safely–preventing harm to themselves and others and damage to your property. The risk of personal injury and property damage is not to be taken lightly.

The Principal Risks Of DIY Tree Removals

The first risk of DIY attempts to remove trees is personal injury, whether to yourself, a family member, or a passerby. If you are not a tree specialist, you won’t have the experience of knowing how to manage a tree removal safely. Removing a tree is a significant risk; even pros occasionally get it wrong. Tree felling is an occupation with one of the highest mortality rates in the world. If it’s dangerous for even the experts, it is doubtless too risky for you to DIY it.

In the following series of pictures from the New York Daily News, we see a professional lumberjack being knocked from his ladder by a falling branch. Despite taking all appropriate safety precautions, a wayward branch sent the man flying from a height of several feet. Fortunately, he didn’t sustain serious injuries during the event, but he could have. Someone with less experience would probably not fare as well.

Don’t take the chance. Hire a reputable company like Long Island Lumberjack to do the job for you at a much lower risk. Suppose you don’t hurt yourself or someone else while conducting DIY tree removal. There is still the possibility that you may damage your house or another part of your property, like a fence. Then you argue with your neighbor about compensation for the damaged fence. Or a limb of the tree you are removing might land on that prized heirloom rose bush, and you’ll never hear the end of that. There are many potential adverse effects from DIY tree removals, some more significant than others. The most serious, of course, is your injury or even death, especially when working at dangerous heights with dangerous tools.

Your Safest Option For Tree Removal

When you need to remove a tree, your best option is to hire a professional for the job. We’ve been in the business for a long time at Long Island Lumberjack. We know what we’re doing regarding tree trimming and removal. We can help assure that your garden and yard are safe for yourself, your family, and your neighbors. Contact us at (631) 212-8250 to arrange tree removal on your property today.