Have you taken down a tree in your yard and been left with an unwanted stump? In this week’s Your Home, Ryan Peterson has tips for removing large stumps.
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Sometimes trees need to be removed, usually because they've been damaged in some way. But what's left over when the tree is cut down? A stump. Sometimes a very big stump and stumps can be tricky to remove.
Various methods of removal exist including burning them out or even blowing them up. That, however, is not recommended. Especially when there's a much easier, safer and greener option available.
Tom Torrisi, a stump removal expert said, “There's also other ways of adding chemicals to the stump or drilling holes in them and trying to insert the chemical into the hole. But, to be honest with you, the most effective method is to grind them. Grinding it out turns the stump into a mulch. The mulch can be removed and back-filled with whatever you want, topsoil, grass and seed or for a planting area you can re-mulch and plant your garden.”
While grinding a stump may seem like a one-step and done process, Torrisi warns there are still some things that need to be addressed before he fires up the grinder.
Torrisi said, “Some of the obstacles are, what's under the ground besides the roots and stump? That's a big obstacle. You have all your utilities, wires and plumbing. You need to be aware of what's under the ground besides the wood.”
Torrisi's machine makes quick work of any stump. But, again, it will all depend on the size of the stump and the amount of grinding needed to completely remove it.
Torrisi said, “The machine we have here, we have pretty modern equipment that is able to cut through stumps fairly quickly. In order to do a good job though, you want to make sure you can remove some of the mulch and look at the ground. Just to make sure there are no hotspots or anything like that. Small stumps will take only a couple of minutes apiece.
Torrisi reminds homeowners that stumps left around your yard are liability. They represent an obvious safety hazard, but could also be a detriment come resale time as well. If you don't have the means to safely remove a stump yourself, seek out a service like Torrisi's and make sure they're fully insured.
www.stump-n-grind.com/