Damaged, diseased, or decaying trees can pose a serious hazard to your property. Removing these trees protects your land, your home, and anyone who might happen to be nearby if the tree comes crashing down. However, removing a tree often only addresses the immediate hazard. You're often still left with an unsightly stump that can ruin the appearance of your lawn or even create a tripping hazard.
Many homeowners want to remove these stumps on their own, but stump grinding is a far more challenging task than it may appear initially. If you're still not convinced, here are three reasons you should bring in a pro to grind down those stumps.
1. Equipment Selection
If you're reading this article, there's a good chance you don't already own a stump grinder. These highly specialized machines aren't one-size-fits-all. Instead, you'll need an appropriate grinder for your stump's size and material. The latter point is particularly important since some wood types can be harder to grind than others.
Professionals know what's necessary to accomplish a job and have the right equipment to handle many types and sizes of stumps. Unfortunately, finding a rental for the appropriate equipment to handle your stump may be trickier than you expect. You may end up paying more for the right gear, if you can find it at all.
2. Landscape Damage
Stump grinders come in many sizes, but most use tracks to travel across the ground. These tracks can cause significant damage to your lawn and landscaping if used inappropriately. Likewise, the chips ejected from the grinder can scatter across your lawn. Due to the relatively high velocity with which they exit the grinder, these chips can even cause damage to your home or hardscaping features.
Professionals know how to protect their clients' property by understanding how their machine works and by setting up appropriate protective equipment. Attempting to operate one of these machines without experience can potentially make your lawn and property look much worse than before you started.
3. Efficiency
There's more to stump grinding than getting the machine into position and grinding away. It's necessary to prepare the stump for grinding by clearing the surrounding area and, in some cases, excavating to reveal more of the stump. If you don't know how to prepare your work area properly, you may find yourself frustrated or even operating the machine in a dangerous way.
Professionals can handle this preparation quickly, ensuring stump grinding proceeds smoothly and efficiently. In the long run, this will save you money and time, allowing you to get rid of those stumps without the hassle, stress, and risk of doing it yourself.
Contact a stump grinding service when you are ready to remove it from your property.