Two ways down
Every tree removal is one of two approaches. Either the tree is felled whole, or it is dismantled in sections from the top. Which one applies is decided by what is underneath it, not by the size of the tree.
Felling is faster and cheaper but needs a drop zone at least as long as the tree is tall, clear of structures, fences, services and anything else that matters. On a Sunshine Coast suburban block that almost never exists. On acreage at Beerwah or Maleny, it often does.
The felling notch
The notch is a wedge cut into the side of the trunk facing the intended direction of fall. It is made with two cuts - typically a horizontal cut and an angled one above or below it - that meet exactly, without overcutting.
The notch does two things. It sets the direction. And it gives the trunk somewhere to close into as the tree goes over, so the stem does not split upward, which is the failure known as a barber chair and is genuinely dangerous.
The notch is usually cut a fifth to a quarter of the way through the diameter.
Hinge wood
Behind the notch, the back cut is made slightly above the notch's horizontal cut. Crucially, it does not go all the way through. The strip of uncut wood left between the back cut and the notch is the hinge, and it steers the tree the entire way to the ground.
A hinge of around a tenth of the trunk diameter, kept even in thickness across its width, gives control. Cut through it and the tree is free to go wherever its weight distribution takes it - and a leaning tree's weight distribution is rarely where you want it.
Wedges driven into the back cut lift the tree against a slight back lean. A rope high in the canopy under tension does the same job with more authority.
Sectional dismantling
Where there is no drop zone, the tree is taken apart from the top.
A climber ascends on rope and harness or is placed by an elevated work platform, then removes limbs in sections working downward. Small material can be dropped into a cleared zone. Anything heavy is rigged: tied off above the cut, cut free, and lowered under friction so it never free-falls.
Then the stem comes down in rounds, each one either dropped or rigged, until only the stump remains.
It is slow. That slowness is the reason a backyard removal costs several times what the same tree would cost in open ground, as the cost guide explains.
Difficult trees
Dead trees are the hardest. Nothing in them can be trusted with a climber's weight, so the work moves to a platform or a crane. Leaning trees need the hinge weighted asymmetrically to steer against the lean. Hung-up trees - one that has fallen into another - are the most dangerous situation in the whole trade and should never be tackled by an untrained person.
Safety, briefly
Two clear escape routes at 45 degrees behind the tree, cleared before the cut. Nobody within two tree-lengths. Helmet, eye and hearing protection, cut-resistant trousers, boots. No work in gusting wind or an electrical storm. And for anything within reach of a power line, Energex on 13 19 62 - not you.
For work on a real tree, ring (07) 5408 6029, or read what tree removal involves.
Frequently asked questions
What is a felling notch?
A wedge cut into the side of the trunk facing the intended fall direction, made with a horizontal cut and an angled cut that meet cleanly. It sets the direction and lets the tree fall without the trunk splitting. A notch is usually cut about a fifth to a quarter of the way through the diameter.
What is hinge wood and why does it matter?
The strip of uncut wood left between the notch and the back cut. It steers the tree as it falls, like a hinge on a door. Cut through it and the tree is free to go anywhere, which is how felling accidents happen. Typical hinge thickness is about a tenth of the trunk diameter, kept even across its width.
What is sectional dismantling?
Taking a tree down in pieces from the top instead of felling it whole. A climber works up on rope and harness, cuts limbs in manageable sections and lowers them on a rigging line. It is the standard method wherever there is no clear drop zone, which on a suburban block is nearly always.
Can I fell a tree myself?
A small tree in open ground, with training and the right gear, yes. Anything taller than about twice its clear drop zone, anything leaning towards a structure, anything with dead or hung-up material, and anything near power lines is professional work. Tree felling injures and kills people in Australia every year, most often on their own land.