Tree Lopping In Brisbane

Keeping Your Trees Healthy

There are many reasons why you may need the services of a tree lopper.

If you plan on nurturing the healthy growth of your garden and the trees that inhabit that space for many years to come, finding a tree lopping company whose professional services you can trust to do the job to a high standard of quality will give you the right tools you need for many years to come when tree-related needs arise.

Why Would You Need a Tree Lopper?

There are many reasons why you may need to hire a tree lopper. In some cases, you may have a tree that has outgrown the space available to it, with roots that have grown so big that damage is being caused.

If roots begin to grow beyond boundaries, they can cause significant damage to underground drains and utilities. If this growth continues, water and power services can be disrupted.

Roots can also cause cracks to develop in the foundation of your home or any concrete footpaths.

This growth can also impact the utilities available to your neighbours if the roots of your tree have extended beyond your boundary to their property.

Storm season is a given throughout the Australian summer, and summer storms can come through with barely a moment’s warning, causing great damage in their wake.

If you have trees with large branches that are situated somewhere that could lead to danger – such as over a driveway where you park your car or overhanging parts of your home – you may be able to save yourself pain and damage down the track by hiring a tree lopper to do some preventative lopping before the summer storm season rolls around.

A trained tree lopper will be able to assess and evaluate the health of your trees’ branches and identify any branches that may have been weakened internally due to disease or damage.

These branches are much more susceptible to being torn down during storms, so by removing these at the first sign of potential risk, you’re saving yourself from having to deal with a larger mess further down the track.

Is Your Property Fire Ready?

Brisbane also experiences very high temperatures during summer, when there can be bans on fires in order to keep communities safe. A heavily over-grown tree brings an added risk to your property due to its ability to provide a fire with lots of fuel to stoke the flames.

This is a key consideration when it comes to these dry summer months, especially if the weather has gone through a particularly dry and hot season.

This can be easily fixed by lopping some of the excess branches and reducing the tree to a safer state.

What to Look for in a Tree Removal Service

There are many things to consider before signing on the dotted line and hiring a tree lopping company.

Too many people believe they’re qualified for the job simply because they own a tool or two and have trimmed some hedges in their own backyard.

However, tree lopping can be a dangerous job, and hiring a professional who brings many years of experience to the task, as well as an intimate knowledge with the best course of action required for each particular set of circumstances, is the best way forward.

The first thing to look for is a history of happy customers.

Tree lopping companies with a reputable history will be able to give you the name and numbers of clients they’ve worked with before.

By reading testimonials from previous customers, you’ll be able to look for any warning signs.

When looking at this information, keep an eye out for the following signs…

Do customers talk about how clean their property was when the job was done?

Do they talk about guaranteed cost and time frames?

Is there mention of above-and-beyond service?

Secondly, knowing the company you hire has the correct insurances in place is paramount.

As tree lopping requires many activities that can be dangerous when not carried out correctly, insurance can make the difference between the company being liable if anything goes wrong and liability falling on you.

Make sure you clarify with the tree lopping company you’re talking to as to how far their insurance extends – what you want to ensure is that their staff and workers are entirely covered if any of them are injured in the process and that any damage to your property as a result of an accidental branch drop or a tree falling in the wrong direction is also covered by their insurance provider.

Different states and different councils have their own sets of guidelines when it comes to prohibited tree species, which may require permission before any lopping or removal work takes place.

Living in Brisbane, the guidelines around this area are easy to access, as the Brisbane City Council has this information on their website.

The key thing to look out for as a Brisbane property owner is an understanding of any trees that hold ‘heritage tree’ status, as these are protected because of their cultural or natural heritage significance.

If you’re looking to alter a tree that is protected under these rules, you’ll need to ensure the Brisbane City Council has signed off on the work to be undertaken before it goes ahead.

This is something tree loppers would deal with on a regular basis, so enlisting their professional opinion and expertise can save you lots of time and energy in trying to hunt this information down for yourself.

Issues You Need to Discuss With Your Tree Removal Professional Before They Starts

Once you’ve hired a tree lopper, there are certain conversations to be had before work begins that will give you peace of mind and an understanding of the overall process.

Begin by asking the tree lopping team about how they will access your property. Are they able to bring in their required tools and machinery without causing damage to your garden beds and lawn?

They’ll be able to confirm with you there physical workflow and how their team will bring the necessary equipment onto your property in a way that causes the smallest impact possible.

It’s also prudent to discuss the intended tree fall direction before work commences.

A reliable tree lopping professional will carry out a detailed evaluation of the area that surrounds the tree in question, looking for anything that could be problematic should it fall in that direction. It’s their job to make sure the area is safe and secure before the lopping process begins.

They’re able to make cuts to the tree to encourage it to fall in the safest direction possible, so this is a very key part of the lopping process.

One more area to cover off with your hired tree lopper is the treatment of any fragile material in the space that surrounds the tree to be lopped.

If you have any surfaces such as glass or tiles close by, it’s their job to cover these areas with a protective material designed to stop any damage should the tree fall in that direction.

Lastly, make sure the tree lopping team will remove all debris – the last thing you want to have to find a solution for is a mountain of cut-off tree branches and piles of leaves to battle with.

This is part and parcel of any professional tree lopping company’s service but is best to confirm upfront so expectations are clear around what’s included in the lopping fee.

Tree Lopping & Tree Removal Services

If you’ve got a large tree that requires a full removal, your tree lopping professional will follow a step-by-step approach. The first thing to check is the fall area, making sure nothing lies in the way in any direction the tree may come down that could be damaged. They’ll then look at the natural lean of the tree and make a decision as to whether or not the tree can fall in that direction. Although this is the best choice for the tree’s fall direction, sometimes it’s just not possible given the tree’s placement – such as if the natural fall would send the tree collapsing onto your family home or carport, which is a less than ideal outcome.

Before work begins, they’ll also check the tree for any safety hazards. Dead branches or branches that are already loosened and hanging can pose threats if they’re not dealt with before work begins. If the tree that’s being removed has a hollow or rotten core, its fall direction cannot be trusted given the lack of structural integrity in its trunk. This is something a seasoned professional will be able to observe and amend their plan of attack for the purpose of carrying the required work out in the safest manner possible.

Tree lopping professionals will create a lopping plan that lets them reduce the tree piece by piece whilst staying out of the path of falling branches. They’ll use their tools to make cuts to trees on the opposite side of the tree to where they’re standing, staying out of harm’s way. They’ll begin cutting at the base of the tree, making their way up to the top. These branches will be cleared and removed as work continues to keep the workspace clear of hazards. Once all of the tree’s branches have been removed, the tree lopper will have clear access to the tree’s trunk and can make cuts in sections so the trunk is reduced in size. This is particularly important if a tree is very tall and is towering over homes – its fall needs to be controlled, so by cutting it down piece by piece, there’s a very reduced threat to any surrounding structures as its fall reach diminishes.

This is a lengthy and involved process that requires many tools, safety precautions and involved pieces of machinery. It’s not uncommon for tree loppers to bring a cherry picker with them, particularly when it comes to taller trees. Using a ladder whilst operating a chainsaw could be a fatal decision, and you’ll be able to see their years of experience and professionalism coming through in the way they approach the tree removal and the equipment they use to complete the job safely, thoroughly and effectively.

One of the great benefits of bringing a tree lopping company in to carry out a tree removal is the wood chips you may be left with if you choose. By grinding the stump of the tree, they’re able to give you the resulting wood chips for use around your garden and landscaping. Wood chips are a great way to naturally encourage healthy plant growth and also help to keep soil in place, protecting it against exposure and against the weather elements such as rain or wind. Instead of having to purchase these chips, you’re able to recycle your old tree and put its wood to good use on your garden in a new form. Two birds, one stone!

Tree lopping for maintenance and healthy growth

Tree lopping is not just restricted to areas like tree removals or the lopping of dead branches. Trees that have branches lopped professionally can end up growing in a healthier manner, so bringing a tree lopper in to evaluate your trees could end up giving them an extended and happier lifespan. If you’ve got a number of larger trees in your garden, you may benefit from asking a tree lopper to evaluate their growth, health, positioning and how the branch growth direction will impact your yard and home as far as foliage cover.

Keep in mind that too much shade can have a negative impact on the healthy growth of the rest of your garden, as the majority of plants will require some direct sunlight over the course of a twenty-four hour day to thrive and flourish.

Tree loppers are well versed in landscaping needs and will be able to give you their professional opinion on whether or not any lopping work to your healthy trees could help with encouraged growth.

This can be a very practical area of consideration too, as often, larger trees will begin to have branches that extend across a fence into a neighbour’s yard and as a result, can drop an uninvited amount of leaves or fruits into their space.

This is something you should take action to avoid (unless, of course, they like the coverage!), so by bringing a tree lopper in and having some simple branch cuts take place, you’ll be able to keep the neighbourhood peace with your considerate and proactive actions.

Conclusion

The tree lopping process does not need to be stressful or confusing. Even though there can be a degree of emotion involved if you need to remove a tree you have loved for years, by hiring a professional tree lopping company who you trust, you’ll know you’re going to get the quality of work you need to protect your home, your yard and also to ensure the job gets done to the highest possible standard.

If you’re in doubt as to whether or not you need the services of a tree lopper, or you’re not sure how to deal with an overgrown or dying tree, make a call to your local trusted Brisbane tree lopping company. They’ll be able to take over the process for you in a friendly and professional manner which will put you at ease.