Serving the Naperville Community and the surrounding suburbs
When Beauty Becomes a Burden: Removing a Tree from Your Garden
Trees are important natural resources for the city of Chicago and its suburbs (Aurora, Naperville and Oswego, to name a few) but they do much more than absorbing carbon dioxide and providing shade. These living sculptures are key to designing memorable landscapes as they can add beauty and interest to your yard, and value to your home. In a way, trees are much like wedding bouquets – they dictate the style of bride’s attire and are the perfect accessory to make a bold statement.
Sadly, even though tough as the Terminator, trees too are prone to disease. Predisposing factors, such as Chicago’s harsh winters, can make them even more susceptible to pests and disease. Hence even if you’ve done everything right to protect your tree’s vigor – from watering to protecting bark, trunk and roots – it could succumb to disease.
Moreover, because ecosystems have no solid-wall boundaries, meaning air and organisms can move in and out of them, the tree in your yard could easily become infected if nearby park or street trees are diseased. Take ash trees for example. Chicago suburbs Aurora, Naperville and Oswego have been waging a war against the emerald ash borer in the recent years. If your tree has been infested with EAB, caring for it is a bad bet. Even if it could stand for years.
Infested and dying or already dead tree is a safety hazard. Because it’s brittle, limbs can break and cause serious damage to your property or neighbor’s car and even endanger passers-by. Hence, it must not be left standing. The decision to remove a tree is a difficult one, but should not be given a second thought. Since infested tree is dangerous, it’s wise to hire professional tree removal services to do the job. Beside being well-versed in the process, an experienced company has the equipment and tools needed to get the job done safely.
A power chainsaw for example, is useful for cutting up branches or felling small trees, but if not handled properly it could cut not only tree limbs but yours as well. Professionals know how to safely start and operate a chainsaw. Do you? Few YouTube tutorial videos are not enough to develop skills and safe working practice. Hands-on training is required. Hence, by trying to remove a tree yourself without previous experience, you run the risk of being seriously injured. Professionals are trained for such job, plus they wear protective wear and follow tree removal regulations to ensure safety.
Then there’s the issue of the tree itself. Is the tree stable in the ground? Is it leaning heavily to one side? Are there any large branches broken or hanging? Assessing these and similar factors will minimize the risk of the likelihood of someone being harmed. Experience landscapers know how to carry out a risk assessment to identify how removal work will be carried out and to ensure no one is injured.
Postponing tree removal for whichever reason is not a wise idea. You not only risk your safety and the safety of your family, but falling branches may injure and even kill passers-by. This can lead to a lawsuit being filed against you due to negligent property maintenance. Also, the delay could cost you additional thousands of dollars. Certain boroughs have the exclusive right to remove a tree from private property in case it poses a threat to public safety, and bill you for the cost. If you fail to pay, the city can place a lien against your property to recover payment on a debt.
Therefore don’t delay nor DIY – hire qualified professionals.