When Should You Consider Tree Removal on Your Residential Property?

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Residential tree removal is not always an easy decision for homeowners and not one to take lightly! Mature trees add lots of beauty to a yard while providing shade for your lawn and landscaping features, a roost for colorful birds, and sometimes even a place for kids to climb and play. However, there are a few reasons to consider a tree removal service for your property even if you love the appearance of a certain tree or trees behind or in front of your home.

Consider tree removal on your residential property:

• If the tree’s roots are causing persistent problems with plumbing pipes or are growing dangerously close to underground fixtures or the home’s foundation
• If a particularly large tree is offering too much shade for your property so that grass and flowers struggle to grow
• When you’ve trimmed back branches but they grow back quickly and hang over the house, damaging its roof or blocking the view from the inside windows
• When a tree is diseased or decayed and especially if it’s already on the verge of falling or losing branches, or has attracted vermin, termites, and other such pests
• If the tree struggles to grow and thrive
• When a tree simply doesn’t fit your yard’s appearance for any reason

Because tree removal affects the overall appearance of your yard perhaps more so than any other landscaping decision, you might note some added details about when and why it’s still recommended you choose this service. It’s also good to note a few precautions against DIY tree trimming and removal!

A homeowner might also discuss any other concerns with a tree removal company and decide if removal, trimming, or another such service is the right choice for a property. You’ll then end up with a beautiful lawn or yard that you love but which is also healthy and free of potential damage.

When to Consider Tree Removal on a Residential Property

While removing an otherwise beautiful, mature tree is not an easy decision for any homeowner, there are times when this is the best decision for you and your property. Note some added details about a tree removal service and when it’s the right choice, or should at least be discussed with an arborist or landscaper near you!

• Tree roots are notorious for wrapping themselves around underground plumbing pipes and, as they grow, putting undue pressure on those pipes. While some buried pipes are strong enough to resist this pressure, others might eventually crack, break, or split, allowing dirt and sediment to fall through those cracks. That sediment interferes with proper water flow, leading to clogs along a home’s interior plumbing fixtures.
• Tree roots might also start to grow and spread along a home’s foundation. As with plumbing pipes, the roots then put pressure on that concrete, potentially leading to cracks and other damage. A cracked foundation often means interior water leaks as well as a home shifting and settling, risking interior cracks along walls and ceilings and other such damage.
• While mature trees offer the shade needed to protect a lawn and landscaping features from scorching sunlight, they can sometimes offer too much shade or shade in areas you preferred were a bit sunnier! Tree removal might be needed in these cases if your home is in an area that doesn’t get much sun to begin with or if you have so many mature trees on your property that it feels overly dark.
• Some landscaping flowers and shrubs also need lots of strong sunlight to grow and mature; this includes lavender, yarrow, certain sage varieties, and some daisies! If you prefer a certain species of flower, border shrub, or other landscaping feature that struggles to grow underneath a large shade tree, it might be time to consider a tree removal service.
• Tree branches hanging over a house risk roof damage! As branches scrape against shingles, they strip away granules, weakening those materials. Branches also drop leaves, twigs, moss, sap, and other residues that wedge themselves under and between shingles, tiles, and flashing, loosening them.
• Tree branches also provide a roosting place for birds! Bird droppings are caustic and damage shingles while nest residues also get lodged between shingles and other materials, risking damage. If you’ve trimmed back those branches but they grow too quickly to manage, consider a tree removal service.
• Some trees become so diseased or decayed that trimming and other such tree services simply won’t return them to health. In those cases, the tree risks becoming an attraction to vermin and insects, including termites that then might make their way to your home.
• A diseased and decaying tree also risks losing branches or toppling over, creating a hazard for your property and anyone standing in the vicinity! If a tree is beyond salvaging, it’s time to consider a tree removal service.
• As with flowers and landscaping, trees grow best in their native environment, or one that provides the best weather, soil conditions, and sunlight for their needs. A nonnative tree might struggle to thrive, always looking brown and wilted. In that case it might be best to simply have the tree removed altogether.
• While mature shade trees enhance a property, they can also get in the way! Too many mature trees create a cluttered look and might not coordinate with a manicured lawn and shrubs, while a poorly placed tree can block your view from a patio or interior room. Your property should be a restful retreat that you enjoy so if there is a troublesome tree in the way of your view, landscaping plans, or anything else, consider a tree removal service!

Why Avoid DIY Tree Trimming and Removal

Before you decide on its removal, you might try tree trimming. Trimming back branches can provide your lawn and landscaping the light it needs to thrive while also improving your view and protecting your home’s roof. However, tree trimming and especially removal are not DIY jobs!

One reason to call an arborist, landscaper, or tree trimming service is that branches must be cut in a particular fashion to avoid “bruising” or damaging them and the tree itself. Trees rely on branches for sunlight, oxygen, and hydration, and cutting those branches incorrectly can cut off that nourishment from the tree so that it begins to wilt and wither.

Tree trimming is also more difficult and dangerous than homeowners realize! Even if you should tie off a branch or tree trunk before cutting, they can still pull and fall in a completely different direction than expected. The internet abounds with videos of homeowners trimming branches or cutting down trees that then landed on their car, garage, fence, or home!

While such videos might be entertaining, property damage might then run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Your homeowner’s insurance policy also might not cover damage caused by your own actions or negligence! Branches and trees falling in an unexpected direction are also dangerous if not downright deadly for anyone in the vicinity.

Note, too, that tree roots wrapped around a property’s outdoor plumbing pipes or home’s foundation won’t simply pull away when you remove that tree. If you don’t cut those roots properly, you can cause even more damage to pipes, concrete foundations, and the like. To avoid risk of injury and property damage, leave tree trimming and removal to the professionals.

What to Do Before Deciding on Tree Removal Services

If you’re still hesitant about tree removal services for your property, you might consult with an arborist about relocating that tree so you have sunlight where needed and shade where it’s appreciated! In some cases a tree service professional might be able to redirect a tree’s roots away from underground pipes and other such materials so that you can keep the tree while protecting your property.

An arborist or tree trimming service might also be able to trim the top of a tree and thin its branches, allowing more sunlight to pass through. If a tree fails to thrive due to poor soil conditions, a tree service might suggest ways of improving the property’s drainage or retaining moisture so that the tree grows healthy and strong.

If a certain tree on your property simply won’t thrive or is already decaying or dead, you can also speak to an arborist or tree service about replacing that tree! A native tree that thrives naturally in your area can mean all the shade and visual interest you need on your property without having to worry about that tree’s health and condition over the years.

You can also consider some added landscaping or other feature on your property after tree removal, as that space might look a bit emptier than you imagined once that tree is gone. A landscaper can help you decide on the best choice of shrubs or even a pergola and other such fixture, to ensure your property still looks welcoming and restful after a tree removal service.