Trimming and removing trees is often much more difficult and involved than homeowners realize. Many property owners assume they can simply handle their own lopping work or dig up a tree they have in their yard and be done with the problem, but it's always good to call a professional for this type of job. Consider why that is, if you have trees on your property that need attention.

1. Incorrect Lopping Can Actually Kill a Tree

Tree branches provide them with oxygen and moisture, and cutting them improperly can mean killing the tree. If you want to keep the tree and are just looking to remove some branches, poor lopping can cause them to wither away. In turn you may need to have the tree removed altogether.

2. Lopping Is More Dangerous than You May Realize

Being on a ladder is dangerous enough, but using a ladder for tree lopping and trimming can be incredibly risky. A fall can cause a serious injury and especially if you're holding a saw of any sort. A professional will know how to secure a ladder to the tree and keep himself or herself secured to the ladder as well.

Note too that tree branches and trunks don't always fall where you expect once they're cut. A trunk can slide backwards rather than falling forward, and branches can bounce off other branches on their way down and land in any area. This is risky for anyone on a ladder and those on the ground. A professional will be skilled in how to secure the trunk or branches before they're cut so their fall can be controlled and contained.

3. Removing a Tree Altogether Is Dangerous and Difficult

Removing a tree from your yard doesn't mean just digging up a stump. You need to ensure you work around any buried power lines or water mains underneath the ground, and may need to remove the tree roots from plumbing pipes as well. When digging you also need to ensure the ground doesn't collapse underneath or around the areas in which you've already dug, as this can be dangerous and also make the work more difficult.

A professional tree removal service (such as Heritage Tree Care) will know how to mark the buried lines and mains and how to work around them carefully so as to not disrupt or cause damage to anything. They can also brace up the trench as they dig so it doesn't collapse. This in turn will make the dig safer and easier.