Strong gales, heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning… it’s no surprise that storms can cause devastating damage to our homes and gardens. If you have a lot of older trees on your property, or you have a tree that’s situated close to your home, you probably feel anxious every time there is a storm forecast.
Though rare, trees can fall during storms, so it’s important that you prepare for all eventualities. So, if a tree falls on your property during a storm, what should you do?
The first thing you need to do is work out who is actually responsible for the fallen tree. Unfortunately, while the tree has likely fallen down due to Mother Nature, she isn’t going to be paying her debt to you anytime soon, so it will either be you or your neighbour covering the cost.
If the tree was yours and resided on your property, the damage will be your responsibility to rectify. However, if the tree came from your neighbour’s backyard, it could be down to them to pay for its removal.
This will depend on whether the fallen tree is an ‘act of God’ or not. If your neighbour’s tree was healthy and there were no signs of damage, then they may not actually be liable for its removal. But if they knew the tree was dangerous – for example, it had started leaning or an arborist had advised them to have it removed – then they would be responsible for it.
The next, and most important, job to undertake is to have the fallen or hazardous tree removed from your property. If this is large and weighty, one option might be to have the tree cut into lots of smaller chunks and then removed piece by piece. Excavators and small cranes can be used to take away the trunk and branches.
You could also have the wood ground by a stump grinder. This breaks the tree down into a soft, fine material which resembles wood chips, which can be repurposed as mulch.
To reduce costs, you might be tempted to handle the tree removal yourself, but you should refrain from doing so. The process involved can be highly dangerous for someone who is untrained and will be safer when conducted by a professional. Cutting up trees involves sharp and powerful equipment which can cause serious injuries when mishandled, which no one wants.
This is not a situation anybody wants to find themselves in, but there are several ways in which you can prevent this from happening again.
If severe weather is forecast, you should do an inspection of your yard and see if you can spot any hazardous-looking trees. Trees that are too tall or close to your property could be a major problem and should be assessed immediately by a professional here at All Tree Solutions. If the trees are deemed unsafe, they may need to be taken down.
Here at All Tree Solutions, we specialise in tree removal, so please don’t attempt to do this yourself. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
