Feeling guilty about what the morning holds...

[flashpuppy]

Arborist and his crew are coming in the morning. I have a couple of Poplar trees that are just way too close to the house, less than 10 feet, and a nasty lean over the roof. Feel so bad about cutting them though. 45 inches at breast height and 130-140 feet tall. Really hate dropping healthy trees like this for the sake of safety.

I got another one that is precariously close to some power transmission lines that has to come down soon. Previous owners let some goats chew on it and really hurt it. That one is even bigger. Arborist said it was one of the largest Poplars he has seen. I told him that was nothing and to come for a ride on the gator. Showed him the second largest tree in the county. lol.

Anywho, just kinda rambling. Wish they could stay. Maybe I should find someone to saw them and build some furniture from them or something.

 

[Tompet]

I like trees, always have (closet tree hugger I guess!) but too close to the house they can cause problems from physical threat to root problems to being an ant highway with limbs touching the roof/house. Been there done that in removing or having trees removed for others when too close to the house.

Having said that I spent quite a bit of time planning where to put a pole barn on the property in part to see how few large maples I needed to take out. Wound up taking five large and a few smaller ones out. Other than seeing the summer sky for the first time in one area, I don't miss them as there are many more around. And leaves this time of year!

Tulip poplars that large should have someone wanting them to mill. It's a nice wood to work.

Once gone and the guilt recedes, you may find you like the result?!? But I get your musings. If you're on a property for a time, some trees can become quite familiar and part of "home" or once gone another memory.

 

[Sigarms]

When we bought our place the first thing we had to do was hire someone to take down a bunch of river birches that were hanging over the house (no way did I even want to try it myself).

The guys that came out were good. All climbing and ropes, every limb pretty much lowered by rope. Didn't realize the skill set.

 

[fishheadbob]

I like trees, always have (closet tree hugger I guess!) but too close to the house they can cause problems from physical threat to root problems to being an ant highway with limbs touching the roof/house.
Tulip poplars that large should have someone wanting them to mill. It's a nice wood to work.

My woods had some huge tulips taking up a lot of space I thought would be better served with more desirable species. A neighbor wanted them for framing, building inspector said they'd be OK, so we did a nice selective cutting. win-win.

 

[mcfarmall]

The danger to people and property outweigh the aesthetic value of the trees in this case. Also keep in mind that trees, just like all living things, have a finite life span. It would truly be a shame for those nice trees to end up as fuel for somebodies outdoor wood boiler or chipped for decorative mulch.

Find someone who has a sawmill big enough to handle the logs, buck them to ten feet and make them into lumber. This will put them to good use and the trees can live on for many more years as a piece of furniture or a structure. Even if you have to give away the logs, it's still better than just burning them.

 

[Dftodd]

I had to do similar to a red oak that was about 6" off my house. Tree shaded it really well, but was a danger in a storm.

Also, the roots were causing the concrete apron for the garage to break up. My tree was about 40" at chest high.

Tree service had to come in with a boom truck and take it down.

 

[Diggin It]

I took down everything that could hit the house if it fell.

In areas away from the house, I've let a few saplings grow to take down for firewood sometime in the next few years, some Oak, some 'other'.

Took a couple of some kind of Cherry down a few years ago (not a fruit bearing type that don't even bloom) and had some boards cut for possible craft use someday. In the process of taking a few more down. They're ugly and twisted and causing a problem for a neighbor.

They want $800 or more to take down an old dead 60' Oak next door that is over wide open ground, not endangering anything. I can't image the price for a 120' live tree over a house.

 

[300UGUY]

I took down everything that could hit the house if it fell.

In areas away from the house, I've let a few saplings grow to take down for firewood sometime in the next few years, some Oak, some 'other'.

Took a couple of some kind of Cherry down a few years ago (not a fruit bearing type that don't even bloom) and had some boards cut for possible craft use someday. In the process of taking a few more down. They're ugly and twisted and causing a problem for a neighbor.

They want $800 or more to take down an old dead 60' Oak next door that is over wide open ground, not endangering anything. I can't image the price for a 120' live tree over a house.

Not sure where you’re at, but the going rate around here is 3 to 4 hundred, it’s more expensive if you want it chipped.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I took down everything that could hit the house if it fell.

In areas away from the house, I've let a few saplings grow to take down for firewood sometime in the next few years, some Oak, some 'other'.

Took a couple of some kind of Cherry down a few years ago (not a fruit bearing type that don't even bloom) and had some boards cut for possible craft use someday. In the process of taking a few more down. They're ugly and twisted and causing a problem for a neighbor.

They want $800 or more to take down an old dead 60' Oak next door that is over wide open ground, not endangering anything. I can't image the price for a 120' live tree over a house.

I wish I knew 40 years ago what I know today. I have spent probably $5000 in the last 10 years having trees removed and stumps ground..trees that I though were pretty and provided shade at the time. I had one Cottonwood that was about 10 feet from the house, about 38 or 40" in diameter and probably 90 feet tall. It also had a huge limb that was above my neighbor's house. It cost me $1400 to have it removed; took one guy three days, with a lift, one limb at a time. He cut it up in furnace size pieces, ran an ad in the paper and a guy carried it all off for free.

Our builder planted a row of Poplar on the property line; most of them simply blew over, eaten off at the base by insects.

 

[Diggin It]

Not sure where you’re at, but the going rate around here is 3 to 4 hundred, it’s more expensive if you want it chipped.

Really? For something that will probably have to be climbed and taken down a bit at a time?

I have a couple of Poplar trees that are just way too close to the house, less than 10 feet, and a nasty lean over the roof.

45 inches at breast height and 130-140 feet tall.