Tree Felling
There may be occasions when a tree needs to be removed altogether (felled) for safety reasons or to help reduce overcrowding. Safety reasons may include infection, rot, or if the tree is leaning dangerously near to cables, highways, buildings or rail tracks.
There are many factors that affect tree felling. Two of the main aspects are whether there are major obstacles in the area (overhead lines, roads, buildings) and if the area is accessible to the public.
There are many steps, safety considerations and precautionary measures which should always be adhered to for the safe and successful felling of a tree.
If the tree were to fall in an unplanned direction, it could cause damage to other trees, as well as your home and surrounding structures. For this reason, tree felling should always be undertaken by fully qualified, experienced and insured professionals and before the tree becomes dangerous.
Tree felling can be carried out in a number of ways:
- Straight felling is the removal of trees in a single unit. This can only be carried out where there is sufficient space to fell the trees without risking damage to nearby property. The felling is controlled using appropriate wedges and guide ropes to ensure that the trees fall in a contained and safe way.
- Sectional felling is required when a tree cannot be straight felled due to limited space in the surrounding area. It is used to carefully bring the tree down in small sections, so to avoid any obstacles such as buildings, roads or cables. Ropes can also be used to lower parts of the tree making sure it does not come into contact with anything on the way done.
- If the tree is decayed or diseased an access platform may be needed to safely dismantle it in sections.
Public safety is of upmost importance when tree felling therefore extra ground staff may be used along with signage and traffic management systems.