When you have tree stumps on your property, they prevent you from making full use of the space they occupy and detracts from the appearance of your property. Mowing around tree stumps and roots is not only dangerous, but it can cause you to damage your lawnmower, and stumps and roots are potential tripping hazards. In addition, as they dry out, the stumps attract termites, beetles, roaches and ants. Those pests can soon travel to other wooden structures in the vicinity, including your home. Raccoons, possums, squirrels, snakes and other unwelcome creatures may turn the stumps into cozy dens as well.
It is ultimately cost effective to hire a professional tree company to remove the stumps. Ridding your property of insect pests, varmints or other dangers and repairing the damages they cause can be expensive.
Do-It-Yourself
You may try to save money by removing the stumps yourself, but the process can be difficult, time-consuming and dangerous. You can try exposing as much of the stump’s root system as you can, and chop through those roots with a mattock or axe, loosening the soil as you chop. After breaking most of the roots, you can continue by striking the side of the stump with a sledgehammer to expose more roots so you can chop and break them. Expect to repeat this last step until you can push the stump over and haul it away.
Pulling stumps out with chains and a heavy truck can cause damage to the vehicle and driveways or patios that are located close to the stump.
You can use chemicals to rot tree stumps, but that method takes many months, and toxic chemicals may be harmful to the environment and family members.
Stump grinding is the most efficient and effective method of removing tree stumps from your property. Unless you happen to have a stump grinder in your garage, you will need to rent one. Some grinders are quite large, so make sure you have a truck or trailer that can handle the load, or ask the rental company to deliver it for an additional charge. Do not leave the rental office without knowing exactly how to operate the machine. Ask for a demonstration to be sure you understand all the safety precautions you should follow, and get the proper safety equipment like a hard hat, goggles, heavy work gloves and protection for your ears. Stump grinders can be dangerous if you do not use them correctly, so proceed with extreme caution and care.
Professional Stump Removal
It is best to hire a licensed, bonded and experienced stump removal specialist to remove your stumps, ensuring that quality work is performed in a safe manner. A professional company that specializes in tree trimming and removing stumps can take stumps out without damaging structures in the area or harming the surrounding landscape. Stump-removing experts use professional-grade, high-tech machines that quickly and efficiently remove stumps well below ground level by burrowing as they grind. Some of the professional grinding machines have carbide teeth on spinning wheels that do the job even faster. They quickly grind stumps into wood mulch that you can use as a natural fertilizer in your garden, in flowerbeds and under trees. The mulch also helps to control weeds and keep the soil moist.
Grinding stumps can help prevent roots from sprouting as well as help prepare your ground for planting grass, bushes, flowers or another tree. The grinders usually mulch down to about eight inches below the surface, but they can go further down if necessary. Deeper mulching helps to eliminate problems with drainage that the remaining roots can cause if you replant the area.
A nice, well-kept lawn and yard increases the value of your property. It is important to keep all of your trees disease-free and neatly trimmed, but it may be even more important to remove any tree stumps that may be spoiling the aesthetics of your yard.
