Trees bring so much joy to any property. They clean the air, bear fruit, provide shade, and they can even help with noise pollution. With that said, it can be hard for any homeowner to decide to remove a tree, but sometimes it’s a necessity. After all, if you have a diseased, injured, or dead tree that has become a safety hazard, it could damage your home or someone nearby. Take due diligence to remove it or there can be major consequences. If you expect to go through the tree removal process, here is a checklist to consider before and after tree removal.
Research What Your Insurance Covers
Before and after tree removal from your property, make sure you review your homeowners’ insurance policy. Depending on the reason why you have to remove the tree, your policy may cover it. However, there is no guarantee of that. Homeowners insurance companies only cover tree removal in certain circumstances, such as an accident or a horrible storm.
Has the tree fallen somewhere on your property without causing damage? If so, you may have to pay out of your pocket to remove it. Have you not had your trees properly maintained over the years? Do you not have evidence that a local arborist regularly came to trim and prune trees, or to deal with ill or injured trees? If so, you may also be on the hook to pay for tree removal on your own, since most homeowners insurance don’t cover trees that fall due to negligence. The best thing you can do before and after tree removal is to not make assumptions about your home insurance policy. If there is a tree that’s causing problems on your property, or it has already fallen and has proven to be inconvenient, see if insurers will work with you to pay for it.
Hire a Lawyer if You Faced Personal Injuries Due to Your Trees
Have your trees already caused problems? Do you have sick or injured trees that have large branches that have fallen and hit people or damaged cars or other property? That’s one of the problems with trees that are weak, ill, or dying. Even if the tree doesn’t completely fall over, if it has weakened branches, those branches can fall on someone else and cause a lot of damage
If someone gets hurt on your property, especially due to negligence, unfortunately, you could be liable for their personal injuries and medical care. Before and after tree removal, you need to have a personal injury lawyer in this situation. Personal injury lawyers can represent either side in this case. Depending on the situation, the right lawyer may be able to help resolve the case instead of going to court. If the other party is willing to mediate, a qualified lawyer can help negotiate a settlement to help make your life easier.
While it can be scary thinking about the liability that comes with someone being hurt on your property, the best thing you can do is seek legal advice. Unless you know someone who’s been in the same situation and can give you a direct referral, begin by searching for personal injury attorneys online. Check out the sites FindLaw or Avvo.com to find a personal injury lawyer near you.
Learn What Kind of Support You Have Following a Storm
If you in your home have survived a storm, congratulations if you made it out in one piece. Of course, the result of a storm can be trees that have fallen or suffered injury. Storms can cause all sorts of damage to trees. Since trees are often the tallest structure in its surrounding area other than a building, lightning often strikes them. Contrary to popular belief, lightning can strike the same area more than one time, and tends to do so with old, tall trees.
Now that fall is here and winter is approaching, storms will become even more the norm, particularly on coastlines. During hurricane season, many homeowners will be dealing with the ravages of fierce winds that can weaken or knock down trees on their property. The snowstorms can also be just as detrimental to certain trees. While it may not completely knock a tree down, it can weaken branches and cause them to fall from the weight of the snow.
So what type of support do you have after major storm damage? Before and after tree removal, see about support from FEMA. FEMA stands for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and they can provide various grants during a nationally declared disaster. If your property has damage, but it’s still livable after the storm.FEMA may provide up to $300 in assistance. You can use this funding to either pay for supplies or to help service a cleanup such as tree removal.
Install a Gate for Your Home
Do you have a gate around your home? If not, it may be time to look into gate and entry systems before and after tree removal. A strong gate and entry system protects the perimeter of your property. In other words, anything inside of a strong high gate can be protected from intruders, animals, and anyone else that may violate your property. If you’re currently dealing with tree removal problems because somebody went on your property and damaged your tree, intentionally putting a gate up can help prevent that from happening again.
Some animals can also be destructive on your property and wreak havoc on your trees. Forming perimeters such as gate and entry systems can also keep certain animals out. Deer are vegetarians and can feast on tree leaves if they’re low enough, but a gate will only keep them out if it’s high enough, since the deer can jump very high.
Another good thing about having a quality gate and entry system before and after tree removal is you can also protect others from your tree problems. As long as trees are planted strategically if a tree is weakened and starts to fall, it’s highly unlikely to fall over on your neighbor’s property or the street with a high fence keeping it in bounds. According to fence professionals, the highest height that you can plant a fence around your home is about 7 feet.
Rent a Stump Grinder After Cutting Down Your Trees
So have you officially cut down the tree that’s been posing a threat? If so, you still must handle the stump. Just because you cut off the main part of the tree doesn’t mean a stump is dead. Matter of fact, if you leave that stump in place, the tree itself can eventually grow back. So if that tree was a problem because of its placement or overgrown roots, those roots are still in the stump and you have to get rid of the whole thing.
Investing in a stump grinder rental before and after tree removal is also for your safety reasons. It’s simply too easy to trip over a stump, especially if it’s lowly cut. Tripping over a stump is a major safety hazard where somebody can get severely hurt, especially if they hit their head on a stump after tripping over it or on another part of your property. If you pride yourself on maintaining a beautiful landscape, an unsightly stop can ruin that appearance. Cut stumps can make it look as if your landscape is not properly tended to.
Ensure Your Home’s Siding Is In Good Shape
You may not have noticed a damaged tree or shrub could have been wreaking havoc on your home siding. Branches can often scrape the sides of your siding and wear away its protective coating. As a result, paint vinyl, and aluminum can quickly fail if it’s been damaged by trees. When trees push into your siding, it can also create cracks and other vulnerabilities that allow pests to enter through.
They can also exacerbate rot and mold to develop on your siding because if they’re too close to your home, it can prevent proper air circulation. If the tree fell anywhere near your home, it may have caused damage that you may not have noticed because you were worried about the tree. Once you have successfully removed the tree, call your local siding contractor to check things out.
They can do a thorough investigation from front to back to ensure your siding hasn’t been compromised and that your home still has the proper insulation. Certain siding materials are more vulnerable than others. You may end up having to replace part of your siding for your home to still maintain its value and protection.
Assess the Status of Your Gutters
Tall trees can also clog your gutters and damage them when too close. Your gutters need to remain clear of debris like leaves and shrubs, which can often build up in them. If you don’t regularly clean your gutters and maintain their integrity, they won’t be able to do their job, which includes ushering water away from your roof. Without functioning gutters, that moisture can build up on your roof, pool around the foundation, and cause damage to your home’s structural integrity. So call your local gutter services contractors so they can check things out and let you know if your gutters simply need to be cleaned or need replacing.
Consider Building a Deck for Your Garden
As you revamp and clean up your backyard and overall landscape, it’s the perfect time to continue to renovate your outdoor space by calling deck builders. Decks are one of the most popular features that potential home buyers look for. After all, more people are enjoying the benefits of outdoor living and understand how valuable it is to do so from the comfort of their own homes. If you were able to remove your tree, that was previously blocking that area, use that free space to build a new deck or expand upon your existing one.
Have a Pool Installed
Swimming pool installers are a handy service to have before and after tree removal. Something as simple as removing one or two trees can open up your backyard and help you see what else you can do with your property. Whether you have a few trees around your swimming pool, or none at all, having access to a pool can bring a lot of value to your home and quality of life.
Swimming is a great low-impact exercise you can do daily. It works your cardiovascular system, muscles, and ligaments. Plus if you’re dealing with the stress of a major cleanup after a storm, installing a new swimming pool on your property can be a good reward for your efforts.
Look Into Installing a Hot Tub
Speaking of relaxation and reward, why not install a hot tub? This is a useful water feature that any homeowner will love before and after tree removal. You can place a hot tub right next to your swimming pool or on any other part of your property. With a hot tub, you can further reduce stress by relaxing tense muscles due to the movement of the water. If you’re dealing with inflammation such as arthritis, relaxing in a hot tub for as little as 15 minutes can help relieve the pain.
Your hot tub installation can also help you sleep better. According to Healthline, people should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. If you’ve lost sleep over the tree damage on your property, installing a hot tub can help restore you to your regular sleep schedule.
As mentioned, having to remove a tree from your property can be a tough emotional decision, especially if you’re someone who loves the environment. However, as a responsible homeowner, you must put the safety of yourself and others first. So, if a tree has fallen, is ill, dying, or weakened, the best thing you can do for anyone nearby is to remove it promptly. By following this lawn care checklist, you can better manage your home life before and after tree removal.
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