Stump Removal – How To Do It The Easy Way
If you own a home, chances are you’ve had to deal with decisions relating to stump removal. Some people decide to leave tree stumps alone while others have them removed. Most of the time, the choice is up to the home owner. There are however, occasions when removing the stump is necessary, and there are many options available. In the following article, reasons for stump removal will be discussed as well as removal options and costs.
In many cases, removing a tree stump from a yard is not always necessary. Many home owners choose to remove stumps because they look bad, are tricky to mow around or take up room in a garden bed or other area. Sometimes, stump removal becomes necessary if the roots of the stump extend under the home or other building. Tree stumps left to rot naturally often attract unwanted pests such as termites and can take decades to decompose completely.
There are times when removing a tree stump is not recommended. If the stump is too close to the walls or foundation of a building or when underground utility wires are too close to the stump, it is not wise to remove the stump.
Effective stump removal methods
Once you’ve decided to remove an unwanted tree stump, the next step is to decide how it’s to be done. There are many options ranging from doing it yourself to hiring a professional arborist. Let’s examine a few of these options.
1.) Many home owners choose to dig the stump up themselves. This is a difficult and often back breaking method that does not always do the job. Depending on the size of the stump, it may be impossible for the home owner to reach all of the underground roots. In the long run, this method may end up costing a lot of time and money.
2.) Using chemicals to kill the stump is another do-it-yourself method that some home owners may try. This basically involves drilling holes in the stump and pouring a stump removal chemical into the holes. Although this particular method costs only about $10, it can take months until the stump is gone. Like the digging method, the deep roots of the stump may not be properly removed.
3.) Burning is another method that is used by some home owners. A fire is started on the stump and is kept burning until the stump is gone. The local fire department needs to be consulted before attempting this removal method.
4.) Many home owners opt to rent a stump grinder. Stump grinding is a good way to ensure that all of the roots, including deep root flares, are properly ground. After being ground, pieces of the tree stump can easily be removed by hand. Renting a stump grinder often costs around $250 and can be quite heavy to manage.
5.) In many cases, hiring a professional arborist to properly remove the stump seems to be the best option. It is often cheaper in the long run, saves time and sweat, and an arborist can ensure that the job is being done safely and effectively. For example, an arborist will call local utilities to make sure that there will be no damage to underground utility cables.
What are typical stump removal costs?
As stated above, the costs of removing a tree stump yourself can range from $10 on up. If you try to do the job yourself, you need to be prepared for hidden costs such as the purchasing of extra tools that you may need.
Hiring a professional arborist may at first seem to be the most expensive option, but may actually turn out to be the most cost effective. Many arborists charge around $1.50 per inch of stump which often comes to between $30 and $50 per stump.
Stump removal can be managed in a safe and cost effective way, and a little research beforehand can make the whole process relatively easy and stress-free.