How to Properly Dispose of a Fallen Tree

properly dispose of a fallen tree

A fallen tree is a big safety hazard. It can damage anything beneath it and block your access to the driveway. Learn how to properly dispose of a fallen tree with this handy guide.

When a tree falls, the first order of business is to properly dispose of it. Leaving a fallen tree on your property can be dangerous and inconvenient, so it’s important to take care of it as soon as possible. In this blog post, we’ll outline the steps you need to take to safely and properly dispose of a fallen tree.

What to Do When a Tree Falls on Your Property

First, you need to assess the situation carefully and determine responsibility. Is the tree yours, or is it a tree maintained by the city? Often in the city or suburbs, city or county programs maintain trees in the right of way near the street or sidewalk. These trees may fall due to age, poor maintenance, severe weather, or other reasons, and it’s important to know who is responsible for removal before you begin taking action.

Once you’ve determined who is responsible for removal, take these steps:

  • If there is a danger of electric lines being damaged, call 911 and your power company right away.
  • If the tree is blocking a road or sidewalk, call your city’s non-emergency number to have it removed as soon as possible.
  • If the tree is on your property and poses no immediate danger, start planning for its removal. You will need to decide whether you want to remove it yourself or hire a professional tree removal company. (We highly recommend the latter.)

Properly Dispose of a Fallen Tree

Once the tree has been removed, you will need to properly dispose of the debris. This can be a time-consuming and difficult task, so we recommend hiring professional tree services with experience in removing fallen trees. First, the tree services will chop the tree into smaller pieces that can be easily hauled away.

Tip: Reuse parts of the tree! If the tree is in good condition, you can use the wood for firewood, lumber, or other projects. For example, if you have a fireplace or woodburning stove, properly cure the wood and use it for firewood. You can also use the trunk and larger limbs for natural landscaping, like creating a tree stump table.

Stump Removal

After the tree has been chopped up and removed, you will need to deal with the stump. People often don’t realize just how deep a tree’s roots can go, and removing the stump and roots can be a difficult and dangerous task. Professional tree services have the equipment and experience to properly grind down the stump and remove the root system.

Tip: If you’re planning to replant a tree in the same spot, save some of the wood chips for a natural mulch that will help the new tree get established.

Sexy Trees Has Your Back

If you need to properly dispose of a fallen tree ASAP, contact us at Sexy Trees. At Sexy Trees, our wide range of services and care will keep your trees healthy and beautiful for decades to come. We believe in supporting our communities of trees through evidence-based techniques that you can depend on. 

Give us a call at 925-233-6877 for an estimate, or email us at [email protected] anytime with questions!

Best Berkeley Tree Service for Fallen Trees

best berkeley tree service

If you own a property with trees, fallen trees are something that you need to be prepared for. A Bay Area storm or strong winds could knock down one of your trees suddenly. Sometimes, trees decay and fall on their own. Either way, an unstable tree needs to be removed quickly so that it doesn’t damage other things on your property such as landscaping and buildings. Sexy Trees has offered the best Berkeley tree service since 2012. Here’s how we quickly and affordably remove fallen trees from your property!

When To Remove a Tree

You may wish to remove a tree for a number of reasons. Sometimes, the reason is obvious. For example, when it has already fallen, when the trunk has broken in half, or when part of it has split off and fallen to the ground. Other times, there are more subtle signs that you might need to remove your tree sooner rather than later:

  • Sagging branches with gaps between them
  • Rotting roots
  • Withering leaves and branches that are dying
  • Leaning trunk

Once you’ve established that the tree has to go, get your tree service company on the line.

Removing a Fallen Tree

If the tree has already fallen, removing it is a much simpler process than if the tree is still upright. Fallen trees can often be chopped up and hauled away in smaller pieces. This way, there is less debris to clean up. This is especially true if the tree fell as a result of rot or disease. In that case, there might not be much left to remove anyway! If you’re worried about the damage from heavy machinery, don’t worry; our Best Berkeley tree service takes care of everything for you and leaves your landscaping intact.

Removing an Upright Tree

If the tree is still standing, it presents a greater risk to those removing it. Not only is there a danger of the tree falling in an unexpected direction, but also of damaging property or people with its branches and roots. This is why it’s always your best bet to hire a professional Berkeley tree service for removal. An experienced company with the proper equipment can ensure that your property is safe and undamaged throughout removal.

When you’re faced with a fallen tree, calling Sexy Trees is always the best option! We’ll remove it quickly and affordably, without damaging anything else on your property or leaving behind debris to clean up afterward.

Contact The Best Berkeley Tree Service

If you need trees removed from your property ASAP, contact us at Sexy Trees. At Sexy Trees, our wide range of services and care will keep your trees healthy and beautiful for decades to come. We believe in supporting our communities of trees through evidence-based techniques that you can depend on. 

Give us a call at 925-233-6877 for an estimate, or email us at [email protected] anytime with questions!

What Should You Do With A Fallen Tree?

 

Trees can fall due to adverse weather, damage or underlying disease or pest infestation. A fallen tree needs to be dealt with and removed to prevent wood rotting, spreading of tree diseases and pests as well as the negative aesthetic and safety effects. So what is the right thing to do with a fallen tree?

Analyze The Causes And Responsibility

If a tree has fallen in or near your property, it’s important to ascertain the cause of the fallen tree, as well as who is responsible for its removal. Municipalities can offer aid in removal of trees that fall due to widespread cause or natural disasters. If a tree from the street or a park on public property falls in your yard, it will likely be the responsibility of local authorities to remove it.

However, if a tree rots or becomes diseased on your own property, it will be your responsibility to remove it or pay for it to be removed. If the cause of the fallen tree is disease or pest infestation, it’s advisable to remove the tree rapidly to prevent cross-infection with other trees.

fallen tree, tree removal, dead tree

Can You Use The Tree?

When a tree falls, the wood is often able to be recycled and used for some purpose, including firewood, mulch, landscaping or lumber. It’s important for you or an arborist to analyze the type of tree and wood as this can inform you as to its potential purpose. If the wood is damaged, it can still be used or sold as firewood or mulch (as long as it isn’t diseased). Quality wood can be turned into furniture or outdoor furniture, and valuable wood like mature walnut, cherry, redwood can be taken to a mill and cut into lumber.

Plan The Removal

Once you know what you want to do with your fallen tree, you can plan the removal. The type and size of tree and the hardness of wood will influence how difficult this is. Most tree removals require chainsaw work and other heavy machinery, so it’s important that the operator has the knowledge and experience to use these tools, and proper insurance and coverage is in place. Otherwise, call an arborist for professional removal.

Keep Safety In Mind

Because the process of analyzing, sawing and removing a fallen tree can be so difficult, bringing in a skilled arborist for the job is recommended. This ensures that the work done on your fallen tree is safe and insured, and you can get the best use out of the fallen tree’s wood. A professional arborist can guide you through the process of identifying the tree’s type and condition as well as inspect it for disease or pests. Then they can safely cut and remove your fallen tree, recycling the wood for its best purpose.

While a fallen tree in or around your property can be a nuisance or a hazard, finding the right way to deal with a fallen tree can turn it into a positive. For expert advice to help you make the right decision, contact your local arborist for professional tree removal.