Tree Surgeon Birkenhead

There's a big risk of damage to property, the trees and to life, for those in Birkenhead who try to do tree work themselves, or by hiring a non-qualified individual. However, tree work is certainly not a safe vocation, even for certified tree surgeons, who know about all the risks. On average there are three deaths and one hundred and forty major injuries annually within the industry, making it one of the most hazardous jobs in Britain and definitely not for novices to try.

There is also a threat to life from damaged or neglected trees in Birkenhead, seeing as around five people each year are killed in Britain by falling branches and trees. If there is an injury, or damage to property due to you bringing in somebody to carry out tree work, you could be liable to third-party compensation claims. This is why it is vitally important to employ a qualified tree surgeon to undertake the work on your trees. (All figures from HSE UK).

There are two major professional industry bodies, at least one of which a skilled Birkenhead tree surgeon should be an approved member of. The websites of both the Arboricultural Association and the International Society of Arboriculture allow you to view the membership and professional standing of any tree surgeon in Birkenhead. This webpage enables you to check whether any particular tree surgeon has Approved ARB Contractor status, and is a member of either of these two bodies.

You can speak to these industry associations for mediation and for advice and help, if a problem arises at any stage during the tree work, or after it has been completed.

If anyone offers you an estimate for any tree work and they are not on this directory, you should courteously decline their offer of work and find an approved contractor. As soon as their professional memberships and qualifications have been thoroughly checked, you should try to get at least three different estimates from various companies in and around Birkenhead. You should ask the questions below whilst obtaining the quotes, making it abundantly clear that you need them to provide you with the answers because of the risks involved in the work:

• Do you have documentary verification of your professional membership, qualifications and a NPTC/LANTRA certificate for the use of a chainsaw? Any operative/tree surgeon who uses a chainsaw, must by law have NPTC/LANTRA certification. Qualifications can include City & Guilds National Diplomas and Certificates in Arboriculture.
• How much insurance cover do you provide? You should not even consider a tree surgeon in Birkenhead with less than five million pounds public liability insurance as stated by the ISA and AA.
• Can you offer me a quotation in writing? You should NEVER settle for a verbal quote only. Only ever accept a written quote.
• Can I assess the standard of your tree work by contacting a person you have worked for recently? It's always advisable to do an independent check on recently completed work.

The written quotation should include clear and precise information on the work to be undertaken. Who's responsible for the removal and disposal of debris, tree branches and stumps should be stated, as should specifics of any trees which could be protected in law, and the required steps to get permission to work on them. Unless you are a commercial entity, you should also make certain that VAT has been included on the quotation. It's crucial to recognise that you've got a responsibility for hiring only competent tradespeople to work on your trees and property.

PRIOR TO WORK COMMENCING - Finding out whether any of your trees are protected, your selected Birkenhead tree surgeon should ensure that any work can get the green light from the relevant local authority. Even protected trees need maintenance so as to cut back dead or damaged wood and ensure the safety of the public, so finding a tree has protected status doesn't mean that work can't still be carried out.

If your property in Birkenhead happens to be within a conservation area, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) will require at least 6 weeks written notice of any intended tree work. However, tree stems of less than 7.5 centimetres in diameter when measured at 1.5 metres above the ground are free from this requirement. Also, if a protected tree's branches need to be thinned or pruned to promote and stimulate growth, written notice will not be necessary.

After completing a thorough assessment of your trees health, your chosen Birkenhead tree surgeon will decide on the remedial treatment needed and how best and safely to achieve the required outcome. Public areas, your property and any part of a neighbour's property that could be affected by falling branches will all be given a risk assessment. The level of protection needed and the amount of workers required, will also be determined at this stage. To keep the public and other property safe from damage or harm, this will include both personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety measures.

ON THE DAY OF WORK - Before any climbing, cutting of branches or tree felling begins, safety measures and barriers should be put in place to keep unauthorised persons and passers-by away from the area of work. When there's the chance of branches and debris crashing onto a highway, it might be necessary to stop the traffic briefly.

Different levels of protection will be necessary for the tree surgeon subject to what tree work needs to be executed. At the very least they need to be wearing protective clothing to avoid injuring the hands, torso and legs, when doing chainsaw work. Every operative involved in the work, must at all times be wearing high-vis clothing, together with eye and head protection.

If working at height is involved, climbing equipment and ladders will need to be used, and additional workers will be there to help with the removal of high branches and sections of tree trunk. A pickup truck or skip for removing the waste will be stationed as close to the work area as possible, so it is recommended that you inform your nearby neighbours of the need for unhindered access.

AFTER COMPLETION OF WORK - The whole area can be cleared of any debris, and all of the branches and waste can be taken away, once all tree work has been completed. Your tree surgeon should then put together and sign off a certificate of work, a copy of which will be presented to you. This is especially important where trees with TPOs are concerned. If there were any public areas that required safety measures, this protection can be taken away and paths and highways will be re-opened to the public.

Issues or problems should be put right straight away by approaching the tree surgeon directly. If any further arbitration is needed, and your tree surgeon is an approved member of a professional trade body, you can receive guidance and help from the International Society of Arboriculture or the Arboricultural Association in order to come to an acceptable conclusion.

Locally based Birkenhead tree surgeons will probably have the telephone code 0151 and the postcode CH41. They will operate in Birkenhead itself, in addition to nearby areas such as Prenton East, Claughton, Egremont, New Ferry, Upton, Poulton, Prenton, Woodhey, Liscard, Moreton, Rock Ferry, Higher Bebington, Wallasey, Seacombe, Thingwall, Oxton, Egerton Park, and these postcodes: CH30 9BE, CH25 9DY, CH32 9DN, CH25 9BG, CH25 9EP, CH41 0AW, CH25 9ES, CH32 9DZ, CH41 0BA, CH41 0AS.

If you require this type of service it is definitely best to hire a reputable local tree surgeon. Birkenhead business and home owners can benefit greatly from the expertise and knowhow that a seasoned professional can offer.

Tree Stump Removal Birkenhead

If you're in a situation where you've got to have a large tree felled and removed from your property in Birkenhead, you are perhaps going to be stuck with a tree stump, which also needs to be dealt with. In certain situations it might be feasible for you to just leave the stump where it is until such time as it rots away by itself. However, tree stumps in your garden can send out suckers in an attempt to regrow, and sizeable stumps can take a number of years to break down, during which time they can become an eyesore, a trip hazard and the perfect hiding place for unwelcome pests, bacteria and fungi.

Stump removal or stump grinding are the two primary alternatives, if you do decide to remove the stump entirely. Purely for the purposes of this piece we will be considering removal rather than grinding.

There are three main approaches that you can use to get rid of a tree stump - you can dig it out by hand, you can burn it or you can chemically treat it. If your intention is to perform the stump removal yourself, any one of these approaches could be an option. Tree surgeons themselves will most often plump for the previously mentioned stump grinding solution, although may suggest a chemical removal treatment such as eco-plugging.

Chemical Stump Treatments: A powerful chemical mixture like Resolva Xtra Tough Tree Stump Killer, Vitax SBK Stump Killer or Roundup Tree Stump Remover, will be required if you choose to go with the chemical treatment option. It's vital that you closely follow the directions when applying any of these chemical solutions, as they can be very toxic and dangerous. This is a long, rather than short term stump removal solution, since it may take several weeks or even months to completely decay, depending on its size. It will still need to be removed with an axe and a spade once it has completely rotted away.

Tree Stump Burning: Take care if you choose this method of stump removal, as burning can be quite dangerous and could be at variance with local laws. The technique comprises drilling a few holes in the tree stump and continuously filling and topping up the holes with vegetable oil and left to sit for aa few days. Logs or charcoal heaped around the stump and set alight. You or somebody will have to monitor this continually until it is safely burnt out. When the fire has finally burnt out, you must ensure that it is extinguished and cool, after which you will be able to dig out the stump remains and roots.

This is not the only way to burn a stump, you could also try shoveling out all the soil from beneath the stump and setting a fire in the cavity which has been made underneath. There are of course a number of circumstances where stump burning isn't suitable, for instance when there are buildings, fences or other trees in close proximity to the stump being removed.

Digging Out by Hand: The technique for digging out by hand is relatively self-explanatory, and requires digging out as much earth as possible from around the roots and base, sawing through any major roots with a chainsaw or handsaw, and eventually freeing up the stump so it can be lifted out and removed. The use of some form of winch might be required for the final removal of the tree stump. This is really hard graft and isn't for the faint-hearted or unfit.

Management of Vegetation

Although lots of property owners in Birkenhead will feel that tree surgeons only deal with the maintenance and removal of trees, that's simply not the truth, because the vast majority of tree surgeons will also manage overgrown gardens and land that is clogged up with proliferating plant growth. Many tree care professionals will be happy to cut down bushes, overgrown vegetation, shrubs and weeds which might be thriving near to pathways, buildings, driveways, sheds or walls, and generally causing a pain. If you are going to manage your garden correctly then all this excess growth should be taken away every few months, and if you find you've got the inclination and time this is something that you could accomplish by yourself if you are in good health, or you can book in a local tree surgeon to call every few months to keep it under control. Vegetation management is important if you are going to have easy and safe entry to every section of your garden and if this is neglected the vegetation and plants can soon get out of control and lessen the enjoyment of your garden. Apart from anything else your garden will look a picture when properly maintained.

Crown Thinning Birkenhead

So as to minimize the wind resistance of the tree, to lower the stress put on certain branches because of ice, wind, snow, or gravity, to decrease the total weight of the crown, to enable more light throughout or to reduce the chance of the tree uprooting in strong winds, a number of of the smallish incidental branches growing in the outer crown of a broad leafed (Rather than conifer) tree are clipped in a process which is known as crown thinning. The overall size and shape aren't altered by this process, and the chances are that it'll need to be carried out on a fairly regular basis, as shoots constantly sprout. A uniform foliage density encircling equally spaced branches should be the objective of crown thinning, it shouldn't change the overall structure and size of the tree. (Tags: Crown Thinning Birkenhead, Tree Crown Thinning Birkenhead, Crown Thin Birkenhead)

A Tree Surgeons's Regular Duties

• Establish hazards posed by trees.
• Deal with clients and complete administrative duties.
• Create on-site or telephone quotations with the clients.
• Cut and chip logs and branches.
• Climb trees to prune or remove branches as required.
• Produce tree survey reports for both domestic and commercial clients.
• Plant trees and vegetation.
• Be adept with power tools and powered equipment.
• Tidy up site upon completion and fulfil removal of waste product from customer's site.
• Fell and remove trees and grind stumps.
• Service equipment like chainsaws and chippers.
• Assess tree health and treatments.

Stump Grinding

It is vital to ensure that you use a company having the proper tools and knowhow, when you need to get stump grinding carried out in Birkenhead. Any self-respecting tree surgeon in Birkenhead will fully understand the need for taking out every remnant of the stump down to at least a 12 inch depth, to make sure it will not grow back. Working with the right machinery means that they'll be able to grind down roots and stumps fairly close to buildings and walls while avoiding damage. The appropriate machines will also be able to tackle any tree stumps tucked away in alleys and passageways. If you're doing away with a large tree the resulting stump may be fairly substantial and no matter what you are planning to use the empty space for, the likelihood is that the leftover stump needs to be ground down to a decent depth. (Tags: Tree Stump Removal Birkenhead, Stump Grinding Birkenhead, Stump Removal Birkenhead)

Eco-Plugging Stumps Birkenhead

Stump grinding is the conventional strategy employed by Birkenhead tree surgeons for removing large tree stumps. However, "eco-plugging" has become more popular as an easier and less expensive alternative to this technique. Not only is this option less costly, but it can also be employed where there are stump grinding accessibility problems, for example in awkward and hard-to-reach places.

An incredibly effective treatment for killing tree stumps, eco-plugging does not affect the surrounding vegetation and trees. Eco-plugs destroy the entire root system of the tree stump and can be put to use at any time of the year and in any weather. Eco-plugs contain a form of crystalline glyphosate herbicide which is suitable for a wide array of trees, and is 95-100% effective.

Cable Bracing Trees Birkenhead

Cable bracing is a method that's used to provide support for a tree when it shows signs of decay, damage, or poses a risk to nearby property. When highly valued or older trees in Birkenhead are concerned, cable bracing is used where it is unsatisfactory to fell a tree or cut out large sections that are unstable.

A cable bracing system can be implemented for supporting defective joints, V-shaped forks and weak tree limbs. Through the installation of cables and rods most Birkenhead tree surgeons will be equipped to alleviate structural tension and extend the life of veteran trees using various types of bracing work.

A non-invasive method, that will not damage the tree (as is the case when drilling and bolting the problematic branches), cable bracing provides both flexible and shock-absorbing support. Before any actual work can proceed, a risk risk assessment should be undertaken to guarantee the safety of the tree and adjacent areas. (Tags: Cable Bracing Birkenhead, Tree Cable Bracing Birkenhead, Cable Bracing Methods Birkenhead, Cable Bracing Trees Birkenhead).

Accidents Through Tree Surgery

The work that is tackled by tree surgeons and tree care professionals in Birkenhead can be rather hazardous. With a high risk of injury to both operatives and those on the ground, all possible safety measures must be implemented when working on trees.

As reported by figures gathered by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the use of chainsaws, falls from trees, and being hit by a falling branch or tree are responsible for a large majority of major and fatal injuries. In actual fact, tree surgeons and arborists are more at risk of serious injury than workers involved in the construction industry.

The most commonplace tree care accidents are slipping from ladders, lifting injuries and being struck by objects (trees, grapple hooks, cranes, branches, ropes etc), when it comes to insurance claims.

When work needs to be done on your trees, this all underlines the importance of choosing a seasoned Birkenhead tree surgeon. Inexperienced workers attempting tasks that they haven't been trained to do, accounts for many accidents in the tree care industry. Therefore, using an established and trustworthy Birkenhead company that has been trading in the local area for several years, is the simplest way to sidestep such issues.

Wood Chipping Birkenhead

Since large volumes of vegetation, branches and tree limbs are generated by the tree surgery process, the majority of Birkenhead tree surgeons will use wood chipping machines to reduce this material into manageable pieces. Although it depends on what equipment is being used, these impressive wood chipping machines can munch up as much as 40 tons of material each hour, and even the more frequently used machines can process around 5 tons every hour, or essentially as much as you can feed into them.

Chipping down the tree branches in this way makes them far easier to transport and also generates a valuable by-product that can be used for various purposes including, biomass fuel, landscaping, ecosystem restoration, weed prevention, garden walkways, cultivating mushrooms, wood pulp and woody mulch.

If you have a good use for the wood chippings that are generated during your tree surgery work, most tree surgeons in Birkenhead will be happy to let you have however much you need, and they'll cart away the rest to use on other projects, or dispose of as they see fit. Tree surgeons are a reliable source for wood chippings that you can use for various purposes in your garden, even if you do not need any tree surgery work doing on your property in Birkenhead. If you need wood chips to be delivered then most tree surgeons will charge a fee for this service, others let you take them without cost.

Timberwolf, T-Mech, Forest Master and Crytec, are among the best known makes of wood chipping equipment. (Tags: Wood Chips Birkenhead, Wood Chipping Services Birkenhead, Wood Chipping Equipment Birkenhead, Wood Chipping Birkenhead).

Ash Dieback (Hymenoscyphus Fraxineus)

A destructive fungal disease affecting ash trees, that was first reported in Britain in 2012, ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is likely to wipe out approximately eighty percent of the current ash trees. Having a similarly damaging impact on the British countryside as Dutch Elm Disease (DED), ash dieback is just another blow to the UK's tree stocks.

Ash dieback has a particularly disastrous effect on the native Fraxinus excelsior (common ash), British Fraxinus excelsior (common ash), although it actually affects the entire Fraxinus genus of trees, with varying levels of tolerance. Originally coming from Asia, the fungus which causes the disease is called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus.

Ash dieback (or chalara ash dieback) has now spread to most regions of Britain, and is dispersed by wind blown spores which can travel for tens of miles, accelerating the process.

Ash dieback strikes trees of all ages and has symptoms such as:

• The formation of diamond shaped, dark brown lesions where limbs join the trunk.
• Dying leaves and shoots are visible in summer.
• Leaves that wilt, turn black and fall prematurely.
• New epicormic growth appears from previously dormant buds.
• Dark patches on leaves during the summertime.

To a certain degree, ash trees have the ability to fight the infection, but they eventually perish as they're repeatedly attacked year-on-year. At this moment in time there's no obvious technique for stopping the spread of aash dieback, and there is no effective treatment.

Although the Forestry Commission's "Tree Alert Service" is currently only interested in reports of cases in new areas where ash dieback hasn't previously been reported, if you are concerned about an ash tree on your property in Birkenhead, you should call in a local tree surgeon or tree specialist to verify that you are correct and suggest an effective solution.

Trees of the genus Fraxinus are affected.

Health and Safety

The health and safety issue is one of the most important challenges when you are having tree surgery done, since if carried out improperly it can definitely be a risky and dangerous enterprise. Incapable or inexperienced "tree surgeons" in Birkenhead are liable to take shortcuts and just ignore accepted safety guidelines, which means that there may be not putting on hearing or eye protection, falling timber and branches, no fall protection, in the shape of ropes, harnesses and platforms, failure to wear cut resistant apparel (in particular leggings and safety boots), neglecting to cordon-off the area to protect the public and vehicles and a lack of head protection. What may be vulnerable because of these inadequacies are the property or home, the home owners, the actual tree itself, the tree surgeon himself (up the tree), stationary and passing vehicles, fencing and garden features, the street facilities, workers at ground level, passing pedestrians.

Tree Surgery Tasks Birkenhead

Birkenhead tree surgeons will likely help with the protection of trees from grazing animals Birkenhead, dead wooding, woodland clearance Birkenhead, tree felling, crown removal, coppicing, woodland management Birkenhead, arboriculture, tree maintenance, air spading in Birkenhead, fruit tree pruning Birkenhead, hazard assessments, damage restoration Birkenhead, tree topping in Birkenhead, tree cutting, soil terravention, retrenchment pruning, tree removal in Birkenhead, stump treatment, forestry management, safety inspections Birkenhead, drop crotching, tree planting, hedge trimming, vegetation management, tree surveys in Birkenhead, waste removal, tree care services in Birkenhead, damaged tree removal Birkenhead, crown raising and other tree surgeon services in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Listed are just an example of the activities that are handled by a local tree surgeon. Birkenhead professionals will be happy to inform you of their full range of services.

Tree Surgeons Nearby

Also find: New Ferry tree surgeon, Egerton Park tree surgeon, Liscard tree surgeon, Moreton tree surgeon, Thingwall tree surgeon, Prenton East tree surgeon, Seacombe tree surgeon, Claughton tree surgeon, Woodhey tree surgeon, Oxton tree surgeon, Prenton tree surgeon, Rock Ferry tree surgeon, Upton tree surgeon and more. Practically all of these localities are catered for by tree care companies. Property owners in the area can obtain tree surgery price quotes by going here.

Tree Care Services Birkenhead

Find a Tree Surgeon in Birkenhead Here

• Birkenhead Crown Cleaning
• Birkenhead Hedge Reduction
• Birkenhead Root Removal
• Birkenhead Soil Terravention
• Birkenhead Tree Reduction
• Birkenhead Tree Lopping
• Birkenhead Tree Topping
• Birkenhead Crown Raising
• Birkenhead Tree Felling
• Birkenhead Woodland Management
• Birkenhead Tree Cutting
• Birkenhead Woodland Clearance
• Birkenhead Eco-Plugging
• Birkenhead Root Decompaction

Tree Surgeon Jobs Birkenhead: Find Birkenhead tree surgeon jobs here: Birkenhead Tree Surgeon Jobs

For the latest local information on Birkenhead, Merseyside check here

Tree Surgery CH41 area, (dialling code 0151).

0151 - Forest Management Birkenhead - Tree Pruning Birkenhead - CH41 - Tree Surgeon Birkenhead - Arboriculture Birkenhead - Crown Thinning Birkenhead - Tree Removal Birkenhead - Tree Surgery Birkenhead