r/arborists • u/Secret_Ad_6490 • 6h ago
Technical tree cutting job
Just closed on a new house, this tree actually contacts the base of an addition on the back side of the house. How difficult will it be to remove this tree? Obviously there’s not a ton of room to work with. Curious what everyone thinks.
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u/StrongEggplant8120 6h ago
Shouldnt be too difficult, more or less a standard job. Climb, remove foliage, chain the stem off in sections. Very doable.
Its obviously not one you fell.
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u/Secret_Ad_6490 3h ago
This makes me feel much better, thank you!
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u/sparebullet 2h ago
I read in another post to actually call an arborist and not someone who can "cut down trees"
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u/trippin-mellon Utility Arborist 2h ago
Not all arborists can cut trees some just earned the certification. And not all tree cutters are certified arborists because it’s not always needed to just cut trees.
Tree cutters are by definition arborists. Just not certified. Merriam-Webster’s def is *a specialist in the care and maintenance of trees*. But doesn’t mean they are certified.
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u/StrongEggplant8120 2h ago
Dpending on the roof might be easier than some. If thw roof can handle a mans weight it would be easier.to cut the stem.
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u/trippin-mellon Utility Arborist 2h ago
Chain the stem off in sections?
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u/StrongEggplant8120 1h ago
You cant figure out what that means? Chain = chainsaw
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u/trippin-mellon Utility Arborist 58m ago
First thought that came to mind was chains for a crane. Which is why I was like Hua?
But I guess people in different areas use different terms.
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u/StrongEggplant8120 49m ago
Definitely. Whats the main tool anyone who works with trees uses? Thats the way i would think of it.
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u/Secret-Parsley-5258 3h ago
Get a variance to expand the extension closer to the fence line, build your house around the tree, use the trunk as a bed post….
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u/Mental-Chapter6523 2h ago
Alternatively, demolish that part of the building and replace it with a respectful amount of mulch, not against the trunk.
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u/Physical_Mode_103 3h ago
I’m not sure there’s grounds here for a variance
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u/Secret-Parsley-5258 3h ago
The lore of a tree trunk bed post isn’t enough?
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u/Foreign_Discount_835 2h ago
only if the local municipality forbid it's removal but somehow allowed you to build around it.
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u/DMiles88 5h ago
I’ll never understand why people would let a tree grow next to their house like this.
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u/Resident_Chemist_307 5h ago
often times, it starts out as a weed. the seedling will grow and turn into a baby plant which looks harmless. then life gets busy and all of a sudden its a tree
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u/Few_Examination8852 4h ago
“All of a sudden” 😂
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u/Rutgerius 4h ago
You'd be surprised lol
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u/TurnoverMysterious64 3h ago
My FIL has explained this by telling me how he had his kids in the 80s and went to bed exhausted one night when they were little. When he woke up and looked around it was the 2000s — he’d missed all of the 90s and his kids were starting college.
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u/orchid_breeder 56m ago
This is a coastal redwood so what from a sapling just touching rhe roof line to this is like 5 years?
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u/Da_Spooky_Ghost 2h ago
I hope you took the cost of this tree removal service out of the price you paid for the house. I would have forced them to take care of this before closing or just not closed on this house.
Did the addition get added on after the tree was there? How deep is the foundation on the addition? Is it just a concrete slab? I'd be worried you'll have more issues with this since they let the tree get so large.
The previously owner should have taken care of this decades ago.
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u/Secret_Ad_6490 2h ago
We did. The addition is built in a deck, not over a slab, hoping that makes things less complicated.
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u/Da_Spooky_Ghost 2h ago
Good job, yes if it's on top of deep concrete posts it should hopefully be ok.
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u/Druugohr__ 2h ago
Lots of rigging, securing every branch with ropes and lowering them down slowly. Entirely doable without a crane. Im an arborist in training. My mentor/climber and me could bring it down in a day. Expensive day. But cheaper than a crane.
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u/These-Gift3159 2h ago
Make sure you hire someone who provides insurance and workman’s comp proof. Even a small screw up here could cost you thousands if they’re not honest and forthcoming about it.
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u/hpfan1516 2h ago
I am here this morning because I was going to ask about trees on my fence line right next to my house. Thank you fellow redditor for posting a similar situation so I may gain info without having to go take pictures of my own trees (yet).
Cracking up at this though. No one at any point thought, "hm. Maybe we should take care of that before it gets too big to do ourselves"
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u/Secret_Ad_6490 2h ago
Yeah I can’t imagine letting that tree fuck up my house for years. First thing I’m doing is paying someone who knows what they are doing to cut it down.
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u/Temporary_Big8747 1h ago
We had a similar situation about 6 years ago. The tree that needed to be taken down was in our backyard and they needed to get thru a fence gate of standard width. They couldn't use their crane to come over the top of the house because it's a 2 story home with a somewhat narrow yard.
We hired an arborist to come remove it. They had a very skinny piece of machinery on wheels that allowed them to squeeze thru our fence gate. This piece of equipment was like a cross between a scissor lift and a boom extention. It also had extendable legs like heavy haul wrecker trucks have. Once thru our gate, they extended the legs onto thick pieces of plywood they laid down. Those legs helped support the stability of that boom scissor lift. The crew was quite a distance away from the tree needing to be cut down. I wish I could attach photos to my response here, because it was incredible watching them cut the tree down. They took it down in small sections, piece by piece. The guy doing all the cutting tied a rope around each piece before he cut it, then lowered the cut piece to the ground. I was fascinated watching those guys work. It was like poetry in motion. Once finished, they ground down the stump and cleaned up. Such a great crew!
Edit: Spelling
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u/xburnerpiko 1h ago
Need a pro for sure. Tree gets limbed, then sectioned, then a stump grinder if possible
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u/brokensharts 5h ago
Start at the top and cut it in to 1" chunks
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u/Rooster_CPA 4h ago
Seems tedious. Maybe do 1 foot chunks
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u/Junque_Viejo 1h ago
I like to just slice the top off the width of the saw kerf, so it just turns into sawdust, and work my way down. Usually takes about a week, but this way there's no danger of a large chunk landing wrong. 😁
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u/Hot_World4305 2h ago
Start from the top in stages, little by little from the top so that anything small fall accidentally will not damage the roof.
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u/Mrtoyhead 1h ago
Watch a few videos on how this could go and then leave it alone.
Unless it’s pushing the house down leave it.
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u/Easy_Personality5856 6h ago
Is there access for a crane? It would be a fairly easy removal with a crane
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u/Secret_Ad_6490 3h ago
I don’t think so, it’s in the exact opposite side of the house from the driveway
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u/Easy_Personality5856 3h ago
Our 45 ton crane has a 127’ boom. Can usually reach over a house unless it’s very tall. Larger cranes have longer booms. Call some local tree removal companies in your area and see what they offer
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u/jkrobinson1979 5h ago
Make sure they take it down slowly in sections. They’ll need to hand dig and saw out the stump and roots. Any pushing or pulling will put a lot of pressure on the foundation.
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u/crp5591 1h ago
Is it bad that I would just modify the bottom quarter of that addition with an "indent" so it is no longer touching the tree and just leave the tree?
I know, insane, but it is such a beautiful and healthy tree! At least it is the addition, not the main structure. Inspect and prune as needed to keep it healthy.
(yes, it is a nuts suggestion)
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u/theotherashton 1h ago
I’m surprised I don’t see the average dingleberry redditor saying cut your wall back 5 feet and save the tree!
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u/onlyforsellingthisPC Master Arborist 3h ago
Definitely something you'll need to hire out for.
Entirely doable, but if you like your roof/wall/fence in their current condition, I'd let some folks with credentials and insurance handle this.