Tree Surgeon Kingston upon Thames

Hiring a non-qualified person for tree work or attempting to do it on your own, could cause damage to property, harm your trees, or even be life threatening. However, tree work is not even safe for expert tree surgeons, who are familiar with all the hazards involved. There are an average of three deaths and one hundred and forty serious injuries a year within the industry, making it one of the most dangerous jobs in the United Kingdom and certainly not for novices to attempt.

With around five people annually being fatally wounded by falling branches or trees in the UK, even a poorly maintained or damaged tree can also pose a risk to life. If you employ someone to do tree work and an injury, or damage to property occurs, you could be liable for any compensation to any third-party. This is why it is imperative to employ a competent tree surgeon to carry out the work on your trees. (Source - HSE UK).

There are 2 professional trade bodies that an experienced Kingston upon Thames tree surgeon should really be a signed up member of. The professional standing and membership of any tree surgeon in Kingston upon Thames can be checked on the websites of both the Arboricultural Association and the International Society of Arboriculture. This website enables you to check whether any specific local tree surgeon has recognised ARB Approved Contractor status, and has membership of either of these bodies.

If a problem develops during or after any tree work has been carried out you can contact these professional associations for assistance in arbitration and for help and advice at any stage.

If somebody offers to provide you with an estimate for any tree work and you cannot find them on this directory, you should politely decline their offer of work and find an approved contractor. Once you're reassured of their professional qualifications and memberships you should try to get at least three different quotes from various companies in the Kingston upon Thames area. There are a number of crucial questions that you must ask while you are in the process of acquiring the quotations, and because of the risks involved in the work, you should make it clear that you really need the answers. You should for instance ask:

• Do you provide quotations in writing? Verbal quotes alone are not acceptable. Always try to get a written quote.
• Can I contact some former customers to check the standard of your tree work? Doing an independent examination of any recent work is always recommended.
• Can you provide documents to show that you've got the proper qualifications, membership of the ISA or AA, and also a certificate for the use of a chainsaw from the NPTC/LANTRA? The NPTC/LANTRA certificate is required by law for any operative/tree surgeon who uses a chainsaw. A seasoned tree surgeon in Kingston upon Thames will possibly hold City and Guilds Diplomas and Certificates in Arboriculture.
• What is your level of insurance cover? Your tree surgeon should be able to produce an insurance certificate covering no less than £5 Million public liability, as stipulated by the AA and ISA.

The written quote should include easy to understand details of the work to be undertaken. It should indicate whose responsibility it is to remove debris, tree branches and stumps, and should also include details of any trees which may be protected in law, and the steps necessary to get permission to carry out work on them. Verify that VAT has also been included on the quote. It's crucial that only capable tradespeople are hired to work on your trees and property, and this is entirely your responsibility.

PRIOR TO WORK BEGINNING - Your preferred Kingston upon Thames tree surgeon should make enquiries into the possibility of any trees being protected in your area and make the appropriate steps to make sure that any work can be given the go-ahead from the local authority. Even protected trees need to be maintained in order to cut back old or dying wood and ensure public safety, so finding a tree has protected status doesn't imply that work cannot still be carried out.

If your property in Kingston upon Thames is situated within a conservation area, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) will need at least six weeks written notice of any intended tree work. This written notice is not required if the trunk of the tree is under 7.5 centimetres in diameter when measured at 1.5m above the ground. Also, if the branches of a protected tree need to be thinned or pruned in order to sustain and encourage growth, written notice will not be necessary.

Your Kingston upon Thames tree surgeon will decide on the remedial treatment required and how the required outcome can be achieved with safety in mind after conducting a full assessment of your trees health. This will include a full risk assessment of any areas that might be impacted by falling branches, such as on your property, in public areas, and on the properties of your neighbours. The amount of workforce needed and the level of protection required, will also be ascertained at this stage. This could include various safety measures together with personal protection equipment to ensure the safety of the general public and adjacent property.

ON THE DAY OF WORK - Barriers and safety measures will be put in place before any cutting of branches, climbing or tree felling commences, to keep unauthorised persons away from the area of work. If there's any risk of falling debris onto a public road, traffic may have to be temporarily stopped.

Different levels of protection will be needed by the tree surgeon subject to what tree work needs to be carried out. At the bare minimum they're going to be wearing specialist protective clothing to avoid cutting injuries to the hands, torso and legs, when doing chainsaw work. Every operative involved in the work, should at all times be wearing eye and head protection, and hi-vis clothing.

Extra staff will normally be necessary to help with the removal of high branches and pieces of tree trunk, particularly if working at height is involved, and where ladders and associated climbing equipment is being used. It is advisable to inform your neighbours of the need for easy access, as a skip or lorry for removing the waste will be parked as close as possible to the work area.

AFTER COMPLETION OF WORK - The whole site can be cleared of any debris, and all the waste materials can be hauled away, once all of the tree work has been finished. Your tree surgeon will then sign off and provide you with a certificate of work done, particularly where the trees are under a protection order. If any safety measures were put in public areas they can now be taken down, with highways and paths being re-opened.

Problems or issues should be rectified immediately by approaching your tree surgeon directly. If your tree surgeon is a member of a professional trade body, and there is any further dispute or arbitration required, you can obtain advice and help from the International Society of Arboriculture or the Arboricultural Association so as to reach an acceptable solution.

Local Kingston upon Thames tree surgeons will likely have the dialling code 020 and the postcode KT1. They will work in Kingston upon Thames itself, in addition to nearby areas like Molesey, Teddington, Kingston Vale, Ham, New Malden, Hampton Wick, Wimbledon, Long Ditton, Hampton Court, Berrylands, Tolworth, Surbiton, Merton Park, West Barnes, Twickenham, and these postcodes: KT1 2EW, KT1 1AZ, KT1 2AG, KT1 1JS, KT1 2ER, KT1 1JT, KT1 1PS, KT1 1RE, KT1 1NN, KT1 2HP.

If you need this kind of service it is certainly advisable to hire an approved tree surgeon. Kingston upon Thames homeowners can benefit from the knowhow and skills that a fully trained professional can offer.

Chainsaws in Tree Surgery

The most common tool that Kingston upon Thames tree surgeons use is the chainsaw. It's a versatile and effective tool, but can be rather dangerous in the wrong hands. Despite the fact that battery and mains models of chainsaw are available, the most preferred by tree care professionals are powered by petrol, thanks to their ease of use and greater mobility. For heavy tree work, the only realistic choice is to use petrol chainsaws, because they are able to effortlessly slice through branches and tree limbs of any proportions, and are exceptionally powerful.

Basically, a chainsaw consists of a revolving motor-driven chain that has a series of razor-sharp teeth for cutting through bark and wood. For the various different procedures that are required, there are different types of chainsaw, rear-handled for working on the ground (two handed), pole saws for long distance pruning and hard to reach branches and top-handled for working at height (and which can be operated single handedly).

Whilst clambouring up a tree with a rapidly rotating blade in your hand is a fairly dangerous activity, you'll rarely see an experienced Kingston upon Thames tree surgeon who doesn't use a chainsaw. In order to become a member of the Arboricultural Association (AA), being fully trained in the safe use and maintenance of chainsaws is one of the main prerequisites.

Although there are countless different chainsaw brands and models available to professionals, the most popular ones used the UK are Makita, Stihl, Husqvarna and Hyundai.

Accidents Through Tree Surgery

As has been mentioned previously on this page, the work that is done by tree surgeons and tree care professionals in Kingston upon Thames can be fairly hazardous. All reasonable safety measures should be implemented when working on trees, because most tree work involves a high risk of injury to both operatives and passers-by.

According to figures gathered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls from trees, the use of chainsaws, and being hit by a falling tree or branch are responsible for a large majority of fatal and serious injuries. In actual fact, operatives that are involved in tree care work are more at risk of being seriously injured than those who are working in the construction industry.

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

This all demonstrates the importance of hiring a competent Kingston upon Thames tree surgeon when work needs doing on your trees. Inexperienced workers trying to tackle tasks that they have not been trained to do, accounts for most accidents in the tree care industry. So, try to always use a reputable and established company that's been operating in the Kingston upon Thames area for a good few years, to avoid this type of problem.

Tree Root Problems Kingston upon Thames

You may encounter issues when some large trees which have particularly intrusive root systems are growing too near to your Kingston upon Thames property. Lifting patios, blocked drains and damaged foundations, are some of the most widespread issues that you might run into. Species like willows, elms, maples and sycamores, are trees that have extremely aggressive root systems.

Keeping any new trees you grow, as far away as possible from your sewerage system, your house, patio areas and paths, is wise to avoid future challenges. If established trees are growing too near to your house and are already causing some of these issues, you must get hold of a tree surgeon in Kingston upon Thames, to see what can be done.

This isn't really the kind of job that you should try and do by yourself, and just hacking off the offending roots could kill the tree or severely threaten it's health. A professional tree care specialist in Kingston upon Thames will know which roots can be cut, and which roots should be left, so any damage to property is minimised, but the tree can still get sufficient water and food to survive and thrive.

Underground drains are highly attractive to tree and shrub roots, as they provide a continuous source of nutrients and water, and they can sometimes suffer cracks and structural damage. Minute roots can soon invade the joints of a drainage system, and once established grow into substantial root balls which can result in joint failure and an eventual blockage. Many Kingston upon Thames tree surgeons will provide high quality root removal services, which will likely include using high pressure jetting, electro-mechanical equipment or manual rod clearance. (Tags: Tree Root Problems Kingston upon Thames, Drain Root Removal Kingston upon Thames, Problematic Tree Roots Kingston upon Thames, Invasive Tree Roots Kingston upon Thames).

Skills and Knowledge Necessary for Tree Surgeons in Kingston upon Thames

• Have a good understanding of public security and safety.
• Be alert to the complexities and dangers involved in all areas of work.
• Patience and the ability to stay calm and focused in times of stress.
• Be able to work with your hands.
• Be capable of repairing, using and maintaining tools and machines.
• Have a methodical and systematic approach to work.
• The capacity to work alongside other folks.
• Good customer skills.
• Physical skills such as co-ordination and movement.
• To be able to undertake common tasks on a hand-held device or computer.
• Be professional and capable of completing tasks within a given timeframe.

Tree Surveys Kingston upon Thames

There are a number of times when tree surveys may be required, property extension and land development being the most commonplace. If, for instance, you are clearing a piece of land in Kingston upon Thames to make space for a new home or an extension to an existing property, and trees exist on that land, you may need to arrange a professional tree survey to British Standards BS5837 (2012). Tree surveys in Kingston upon Thames should be carried out by a qualified tree surveyor or tree surgeon, and this applies whether the tree survey is being performed on either a private or public property.

For the area in question, a number of details will be gathered about the trees within it. For instance:

• The number of trees.
• Guidelines for tree management.
• The height of each tree in metres.
• The existence of any TPOs (Tree Preservation Orders).
• The health of the trees.
• The diameter of each tree (taken 1.5m above the ground).
• The ages of the trees (i.e. young, semi-mature, mature, over-mature and veteran).
• The predicted life expectancy of the trees.
• The allocation of a unique reference number for every tree.
• The spread of the branches towards the West, East, North and South.
• The species of each tree (either scientific or common).

A tree survey will most likely not be required if you are not increasing the property's footprint and are not changing the access points or service lines of an existing property in Kingston upon Thames. (Tags: Kingston upon Thames Tree Surveys, Tree Surveys Kingston upon Thames, Arboricultural Surveyors Kingston upon Thames, Tree Survey Kingston upon Thames).

Woodland Clearance Kingston upon Thames

The clearance of woodlands in the Kingston upon Thames area should only be started after the appropriate regulatory measures and restrictions have been established and observed. A certified tree surgeon contractor in Kingston upon Thames will offer you a comprehensive service that will comply with all covenants and laws on the land, and also do the clearance in an environmentally friendly manner.

A tree surgeon will establish if there are any ecological constraints, special planning permissions or felling restrictions by conducting a full habitat survey and liaising with local authorities. It could be that the land in question has protected plant species or reptiles on it, which will need to be relocated to another protected site, or other mitigation strategies might need to be employed.

The specialist felling, chipping and mulching equipment used in woodland clearances means that it is much more cost effective and efficient to hire a specialist tree surgeon to tackle the project.

Pollarding Trees Kingston upon Thames

Where a tree has noticeably got too large for its current surroundings, it must be considerably reduced in size through a technique known as pollarding. This technique is also on occasion employed for aesthetic reasons to mould a tree into an especially attractive shape. You will regularly see trees which have been pollarded beside roads in Kingston upon Thames, and also quite typically in hedgerows Because pollarded trees have got such a harsh and naked visual appearance, and will probably never go back to their earlier shape, this process is not usually popular with those who adore trees. However, in spite of the somewhat unsightly appearance of pollarded trees such as horse chestnuts, limes, beeches, planes, oaks, maples and sycamores, there is a positive feature to this process, in that these trees can be conserved when they'd otherwise need to be cut down.

Crown Thinning Kingston upon Thames

When you want to decrease the tree's wind resistance, to decrease the overall weight of the crown of the tree, to permit more light to pass through, to prevent the tree from being uprooted in strong winds or to ease the stress put on particular branches because of snow, ice, wind, or gravity, a number of of the little branches that grow on the outer crown of a broad leafed (Rather than conifer) tree are cut in a process that's referred to as crown thinning. The overall shape and dimensions aren't changed by this, and the likelihood is that it will need to be done on a regular schedule, as shoots constantly develop. A uniform thickness of foliage encircling equally distributed branches should be the aim of crown thinning, it shouldn't change the general shape and size of the tree. It should be possible to find crown thinning services in Molesey, Teddington, Kingston Vale, Ham, New Malden, Hampton Wick, Wimbledon, Long Ditton, Hampton Court, Berrylands, Tolworth, Surbiton, Merton Park, West Barnes, Twickenham, and in Kingston upon Thames.

Vegetation Control

Although a lot of householders in Kingston upon Thames will think that tree surgeons only deal with the maintenance and removal of trees, that's simply not the case, as most tree surgeons will also manage overgrown land and gardens that are clogged up with unchecked plant growth. Some tree surgeons will be prepared to clear away weeds, shrubs, bushes and overgrown vegetation that might be growing close to buildings, walkways, sheds, walls or drives, and being a hassle. If you're to maintain your garden correctly then all this accumulating growth must be cut down every few months, and if you find you have the time and inclination then this is something that you could accomplish on your own if you are fit enough, or you might ask a tree surgeon to call in now and again to keep it in check. The control of vegetation is a must if you're to keep easy and safe access to every section of your property and if this isn't done the plants and vegetation can pretty quickly get out of control and take away the enjoyment of your garden. Aside from anything else your garden will also look a lot better when properly maintained.

Deadwooding Kingston upon Thames

A necessary element of tree care and upkeep, the procedure of dead-wooding will be carried out by all experienced tree surgeons in Kingston upon Thames. When there's a risk of dead or rotting branches falling on pedestrians, vehicles or buildings, dead-wooding will be undertaken to carefully remove the offending tree limbs. Some of a tree's branches can die due to a number of reasons, the most typical being damage to the root system, disease, excessive shading or attack by pests.

Even though the objective of safety is the usual reason for dead-wooding, the task can also be done for aesthetic reasons and for the overall benefit of the tree itself. Infestation by insects and the spread of disease can be encouraged by an excessive amount of dying, damaged and dead branches, therefore the tree's health can be radically improved by eliminating these dead branches. Trees that have a lot of dead wood also look unsightly, so to improve its appearance, this could all be cut off.

Only larger and more substantial dead branches will typically be taken off, because in most instances the small ones will not pose much of a risk. Nevertheless, it may be advisable to cut out and remove any dead branches that are over fifty millimetres in diameter, where trees in Kingston upon Thames overhang a road, a garden, a park, a public space or a property.

Tree Surgery Tasks Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames tree surgeons will likely help you with drop crotching Kingston upon Thames, woodchipping, woodland clearances Kingston upon Thames, tree maintenance in Kingston upon Thames, landscaping Kingston upon Thames, tree lopping in Kingston upon Thames, shrub maintenance in Kingston upon Thames, tree removal in Kingston upon Thames, tree topping, commercial tree surgery, hedge planting, tree felling in Kingston upon Thames, fruit tree pruning, tree pruning, waste removal, dead-wooding, tree waste removal, site clearance, stump removal, tree work in Kingston upon Thames, crown cleaning in Kingston upon Thames, tree watering, crown removal in Kingston upon Thames, tree transplanting, tree reduction Kingston upon Thames, tree cutting, root decompaction, formative pruning, root flare exposure, staking and other tree surgeon services in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. These are just some of the tasks that are handled by a tree surgeon. Kingston upon Thames specialists will tell you about their entire range of services.

Tree Surgeons Nearby

Also find: Hampton Wick tree surgeon, Ham tree surgeon, West Barnes tree surgeon, Tolworth tree surgeon, Copse Hill tree surgeon, Kingston Vale tree surgeon, Hampton Court tree surgeon, Berrylands tree surgeon, Merton Park tree surgeon, Long Ditton tree surgeon and more. All these villages and towns are serviced by tree care companies. Property owners in these localities can get estimates for tree surgery by clicking here.

Tree Care Services Kingston upon Thames

Find a Tree Surgeon in Kingston upon Thames Here

• Kingston upon Thames Tree Pollarding
• Kingston upon Thames Cable Bracing
• Kingston upon Thames Eco-Plugging
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Topping
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Reduction
• Kingston upon Thames Soil Terraventing
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Pruning
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Inspections
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Removal
• Kingston upon Thames Stump Removal
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Surveys
• Kingston upon Thames Root Grinding
• Kingston upon Thames Hedge Reduction
• Kingston upon Thames Tree Care

More Kingston upon Thames Trades: Obviously, when you are having tree surgery done in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, you will likely need other garden related services, and aside from a tree surgeon in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, you may also need landscape gardeners in Kingston upon Thames, waste removal in Kingston upon Thames, pond maintenance in Kingston upon Thames, weeding in Kingston upon Thames, lawn mowing services in Kingston upon Thames, garden clearances in Kingston upon Thames, artificial grass installation in Kingston upon Thames, garden wall construction in Kingston upon Thames, garden sheds in Kingston upon Thames, garden design and planning in Kingston upon Thames, patio layers in Kingston upon Thames, decking specialists in Kingston upon Thames, local SKIP HIRE in Kingston upon Thames, hedge cutting in Kingston upon Thames, gate fitters in Kingston upon Thames, driveway specialists in Kingston upon Thames, and other different Kingston upon Thames tradespeople.

To find out local Kingston upon Thames info click here

Tree Surgery KT1 area, and dialling code 020.

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