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Leave Tree Removal up to a Professional Landscaping Arborist

Steve Maxwell

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:

When it comes to removing a big tree and tons of wood, Steve Maxwell recommends calling on the insured, landscaping pros to get the job done safely.

Q: There's a 75 year-old soft maple tree in my yard and it scares me. It's about 75 feet tall, 3-feet in diameter at the base, with 7-feet of clear trunk before the first branches sprout off. Four limbs have broken off over the past while, the last one crushing my back fence and wrinkling my garden shed. Do you know of anyone who will remove a large tree for free in exchange for the lumber?

A: It sounds like you've got a monster in your yard! It's too bad the tree is close enough to your house to cause worry. As for removal, you could probably find someone willing to take the wood by running an ad in the paper, but there's a real danger in that. What if they blow the job, and crush your house? There’s substantial risk here, and that’s why hiring a professional arborist is the only way to go in my book. It takes a great deal of skill, judgment and equipment to remove a large tree safely. I'd be leery of turning the job over to an amateur because of these technical concerns, and one other reason. Professional landscaping arborists carry insurance against damage they may cause to your house. People working for free can't do that. I’m all for doing things yourself, but not when 10 tons of wood and thousands of dollars of potential damage are at stake. An arborist might also be able to suggest ways of pruning to reduce the danger, preventing the loss of a good old shade tree.