Tree Removal
Tree removal should be executed by an experience arborist. Sydney Tree Removals only employs professional qualified arborists for tree removal who can work at height, in confined spaces, near power line, over houses, and near roads. Sydney Tree Removals will accomplish tree removal in a safe and skilled manner as not to damage surrounding property.
When an assessment is made for tree removal over a house or electrical wires, Sydney Tree Removals has advanced tree removal techniques to first prioritise safety for the arborist as well as ensuring tree removal is safe without damage to surrounding property or electrical wires. Trees may be removed manually using climbing equipment and chainsaws – one branch at a time, or they may require dismantling through use of similar tools and cherry pickers or cranes. It all depends on the size of the tree and its location. Rarely, in an urban environment would a tree be felled. However, land clearing for development may well include felling, bulldozing and use of other heavy machinery for a more efficient result.
Tree Loppers
In the tree removal industry there is a great misconception that tree lopping and tree removal are synonyms of each other. This is simply untrue.
Tree lopping, lopping, or hat-racking are terms that describe the process of removing the entire top half of a tree, or the removal of the main stem(s) of the tree. Tree lopping was a common practice in the tree industry prior to 1983 due to a lack of standards, training, and certification. The process involves cross-cutting the main stem or leaders and leaving behind the rest of the tree. The problem with tree lopping is that it will leave large malformed stubs where the cross-cutting occurred and leaves the tree vulnerable to a whole spectrum of problems. Lopped trees are susceptible to pest penetration, pathogen intrusion, internal decay, and persistent but weakly jointed re-growth.
On the other hand, tree removal is the process of removing an entire tree. Tree felling is the only correct synonym for tree removal. The process of tree removal varies based on the size of the tree, the amount of space required the ‘drop’ the tree, nearby power lines, and of course the arborist’s preference. The easiest way to remove a tree is to cut it at the base, and then cut it into pieces after is has fallen to the ground. However, in residential and commercial areas a piece by piece approach if often adopted to reduce damage risks to buildings and infrastructure.
These two terms clearly describe completely different tree work, so why do people tend to use them interchangeably? The obvious reasons is that it is from a lack of understanding on this topic and that the term tree lopping has been ingrained into people’s vocabularies through tradition. But it could also come from people being unable to find the right words to describe the tree work they are after. The right terms to describe removing part of a tree selectively would be tree pruning, tree trimming, or tree surgery. The term for the person who carries out the tree work (assuming they are qualified) is an arborist, but they are known colloquially as a “tree doctor” or “tree surgeon”.
So next time you are thinking of having a tree removed or pruned, you should make sure you don’t accidently ask for it to be lopped. You might end up with a disfigured tree that dies due to disease, pests or decay. You should always contact a qualified arborist like Sydney Tree Removals to carry out the work in a safe and professional manner.
10/50 Scheme
There is a 10/50 scheme in NSW which provides for the removal of trees within 10 metres of a home, and clearing underlying vegetation within 50 metres of a home without approval if the home is in a designated bushfire risk zone. Details of this scheme can be found on the NSW Rural Fire Service website. Use the online tool to determine whether your property is eligible under this rule. More information on the scheme can be found at our 10/50 scheme FAQ page.