You may think that a dead tree should be left as it is in its place as there is no harm in it. In fact, a dead tree can actually provide benefits to small birds and animals as it provides a feeding and nesting place. But even if a dead tree is in a safe place there is a possibility of it falling down and causing severe damage and destruction to the nearby property. If it’s already posing a threat and showing signs of falling then you should immediately cut it down with the help of emergency tree services.

Cutting down a dead tree is an easy task and anyone can do it right? No, wrong. Cutting down a tree surely is not easy but nothing impossible. You will need certain tools and safety measures and you are good to go.

Things You Will Need

  • Protection pants
  • Chainsaw
  • Gas
  • Safety gloves
  • Helmet or hard hat
  • Steel boots
  • Ear protection
  • Safety glasses
  • Chainsaw oil
  • Maintenance tools for chainsaw
  • Marker
  • Helping hands

Protection and Measures

  • Wear your protection gear which includes your protection pants, your glasses, your gloves and helmet.
  • Helmet provides more protection than a hard hat as it saves your head from hurting if big branches or wood fall on top of you.
  • Your steel boots and protection pants are very important to save you from sudden accidents if your chainsaw goes wild or you may get careless.
  • Oil and gas your chainsaw properly. Make sure the chain is properly fixed and aligned in your chainsaw.
  • Remove and trim down the small branches of the tree so they do not hurt anyone or anything when the tree falls.
  • Remove any tree debris, weeds, leaves, twigs or any other things that have fallen from the tree.
  • Clear the area around the tree and make sure no one is nearby when you are cutting. Make sure no being is nearby or else he or she could get hurt during the process of tree cutting.

Planning for The Fall

Once you have taken all the protective measures, now it is time to plan the fall of the tree. Remove small trees, shrubs and plants in the surrounding area of the fall. Mark a spot measuring where the tree would fall. The mark would be approximate taking into account the lean of the tree. Make sure you have cut all the extra branches as according to many professional services, the tree tends to fall on the side where there are more branches even if you have planned it on the other side. This would cause you to get hurt and there will be no escape route for you as well. Plan the escape route as well.

  • The target fall should be measured by approximately measuring the highest point of the tree and drawing a straight line on the ground. Do it for the other side as well.
  • Make sure the area is clear as you will need to escape when the tree begins to fall off.
  • Next you will need to make a wedge or a cut in the bottom trunk of the tree.
  • The wedge is important as it will predict the direction of the fall of the tree.
  • You will need to cut downwards initially. Then you will need to cut perpendicular to the angle you have just cut making 90 degrees on both sides of the first cut. Make another cut 2 to 3 inches below the second cut. This will cause the wedge to protrude out. Take out the wedge with your hands.
  • This is the tie when you should turn away to a safe distance and let the tree fall.
  • If the tree does not fall then you should make the wedge a little deeper.
  • This is the point when the tree will surely fall and remember a tree is heavy so run away please.
  • Turn off the chainsaw quickly as a chainsaw is a dangerous tool and only be handled carefully with precautions.

Professional Tree Cutting Services

Tree removal or tree cutting is a lengthy and risky process. If you are not skilled enough to do this, you should never try it and hire tree removal companies Maryland who have their ways to minimize the risk and complete the job safely.