Tree Felling in Purley, Croydon & Surrey | Safety-Conscious Tree Removal
Here at WJ Kent Tree Surgeons Ltd, we take every measure possible to protect trees and keep them healthy. As specialists in arboricultural work and tree care services, we see ourselves as working with nature, not against it. However, in some cases, tree removal becomes inevitable. We usually encounter these situations in the aftermath of storms that have inflicted serious damage on trees, or in species evidently suffering from the symptoms of disease, rot, decay or old age. When these trees pose a risk to the safety of the public and property in the Surrey area, we operate quickly to carry out our tree felling services.
Located in Coulsdon, WJ Kent Tree Surgeons carries out hazardous tree removal work in all surrounding locations, including Croydon, Banstead, Caterham and Purley. We strongly advise our clients to never underestimate the potential risks that a damaged tree holds. If one or more trees on your property has become weak or unstable, please don’t hesitate to contact us. WJ Kent Tree Surgeons tends to the arboricultural needs of customers in all areas close to Coulsdon, and we now have a stronger presence than ever before in the key locations of Epsom, Redhill and Sutton.
As a specialist in all kinds of tree care and arboricultural work, we conduct an inspection of the tree at hand and the surrounding site in order to draw up a plan of action. If we cannot avoid tree felling, we recommend one of the following:
- Directional Felling
- Sectional Dismantling
What is Directional Felling?
Quite simply, directional felling is a form of tree removal that brings down an entire tree in a meticulously planned direction. We only perform this type of tree felling with an absolute guarantee of safety to the general public and any surrounding property. This includes managing access points of public areas during the felling process.
As time-served, NPTC certified tree surgeons, we conduct directional tree felling using methods known as the directional notch and the felling cut.
The directional notch differs depending on the condition of the tree itself and the surrounding terrain of sites in Croydon and the neighbouring Surrey areas. As such, we utilise either an open-face or inverse directional notch as the circumstances dictate.
However, we never exceed 15 to 20% of the breast height diameter when making this cut, and we always make it as close to the ground as possible.
Having completed the directional notch, we then saw the felling cut on the opposing side of the tree, towards the directional notch itself. This process creates the ‘hinge’, the unsawn part of the tree between the felling cut and the directional notch. As the name suggests, it acts like a normal hinge, guiding the tree safely down to the ground in the planned direction.
In order to perform as intended, the hinge has to have a uniform thickness and must have a length of at least 80% of the tree’s diameter at breast height. In addition, the width of the hinge should be 10% of the tree’s diameter.
When these criteria have been met, tree felling commences swiftly and safely.
What is Sectional Dismantling?
As a proven expert in arboricultural work and tree care services, we have the ability to adapt to any kind of location. For tree removal in built-up areas of Croydon, Banstead, Caterham, Purley and across the Surrey area, we undertake sectional dismantling. With buildings and transport infrastructure in close proximity to hazardous trees, directional felling simply isn’t an option. In order to carry out tree felling in these cases, our tree surgeons climb the tree, removing branches, limbs and segments in a top-to-bottom process. We lower these pieces safely to the ground with a controlled descent through the use of specially designed rigging equipment. If a tree doesn’t have the strength to support climbing, we use an MEWP (mobile elevated work platform) in order to safely access the crown.
For the ultimate peace of mind, the equipment used by our tree surgeons during this tree removal work, including safety helmets, eye protection, gloves, harnesses and ropes, meets all current safety standards. If you’d like to view examples of our arboricultural work and tree care services in Croydon, Banstead, Caterham, Purley and the wider Surrey area, please visit the previous work page. Don’t forget that we are also spending more time than ever before in other areas close to Coulsdon, including Epsom, Redhill and Sutton.