Swansea Tree Surgeons (SA1) Wales: Trees are a vital feature of many gardens and properties in Swansea, and they will often transform an otherwise two dimensional landscape by adding structure, style and substance. But issues may develop when trees have been neglected or are affected by extreme weather events like gales or flooding. Before any work commences, the safest option is to consult with an experienced tree surgeon in Swansea, when your trees need attention.
There's a major risk of damaging trees, property or even life, for folks in Swansea who try to do tree work on their own, or by employing a non-qualified person. However, tree work is not a safe vocation, even for qualified tree surgeons, who are familiar with all the risks. Tree surgery is certainly not a task for novices, and on average there are three deaths and a hundred and forty severe injuries each year within the profession, making it one of the most dangerous jobs in Britain.
With falling branches and trees causing around 5 fatalities each year in the UK, a threat to life can even be posed by a neglected or damaged tree. If you bring in someone to carry out tree work and subsequently an injury, or damage to property occurs, you could be liable for any compensation to any third-party. These are just some of the reasons why employing a competent Swansea tree surgeon to undertake the work on your trees is very important. (The source of the above figures was HSE).
PICKING A TREE SURGEON IN SWANSEA - A decent Swansea tree surgeon will likely be a member of at least one of the two principal professional bodies. Both the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Arboricultural Association (AA) offers a website where you can check up on the professional standing and membership of any tree surgeon. To determine whether any specific tree surgeon has recognised ARB Approved Contractor status and has membership of either of these two organisations, you can check on this webpage.
You will be able to communicate with these professional organisations for mediation and for help and advice, if an issue emerges at any point during the tree work, or after it has been accomplished.
If somebody offers you an estimate for any tree work and they're not on this directory, you should respectfully decline their offer and continue your search for an approved contractor. You should try to get at least three different estimates from various companies in and around Swansea once you are reassured of their professional associations and qualifications. There are a number of crucial questions that you should ask whilst you're gathering these quotations, and because of the risks involved in the work, you should make it abundantly clear that you need the answers. You should for example ask:
- What insurance cover do you provide? Your tree surgeon ought to be able to produce an insurance certificate covering no less than five million pounds public liability, as stated by the ISA and AA.
- Can you give me a quotation in writing? Verbal quotes alone aren't sufficient. Always get a quote in writing.
- Have you got documents to show that you've got the correct qualifications, membership of the AA or ISA, and also a certificate for the use of a chainsaw from the NPTC/LANTRA? Any tree surgeon using a chainsaw, must by law have gained a NPTC/LANTRA certificate. Qualifications may include National Diplomas and Certificates in Arboriculture.
- Can I assess the quality of your workmanship by contacting a person you have worked for recently? It's advisable to perform an independent examination of any recent work.
On the written quotation that you receive, you'll need there to be easy to follow specifics of all the tree work that is to be undertaken. It should mention whose responsibility it is to remove debris, tree branches and stumps, and should also include information on any trees which might be protected in law, and the steps needed to obtain permission to work on them. You should also make certain that VAT is included on the quote unless you're a commercial business. Realising that you've got a responsibility to hire only qualified tradespeople to work on your property and trees, is extremely important. This is stated by the "Common law duty of care responsibilities and sometimes liabilities under the Occupier's Liability Acts of 1957 and 1984."
PRIOR TO WORK COMMENCING - Making enquiries into the possibility of any trees being protected, your preferred Swansea tree surgeon should ensure that any tree work can get the go-ahead from the relevant local authority department. Finding that a tree has protected status doesn't imply that work cannot be carried out, because even protected trees need to be maintained in order to cut back old or damaged wood and ensure the safety of the public.
If your property in Swansea is situated in a conservation area then at least 6 weeks written notice must be given to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) before any tree work can be undertaken. However, tree stems of under 75 millimetres in diameter when measured at 1.5m from ground level are exempt from this requirement. Written notice is also not required if pruning or thinning of a protected tree's branches is essential in order to promote and sustain growth.
After carrying out a full assessment of your trees health, your chosen Swansea tree surgeon will determine the necessary remedial treatment and how best and safely to achieve the required outcome. This will involve completing a full risk assessment to include public spaces, your property and any parts of a neighbour's property that could be impacted by falling debris. At this point, the level of protection required and the amount of workforce needed will also be established. This is both PPE (personal protective equipment) together with other safety measures to keep property and the general public safe from damage or harm.
ON THE DAY OF WORK - Barriers and safety measures will be put in place before any cutting of branches, climbing or tree felling commences, to keep unauthorised persons and passers-by away from the area of work. It might at some point be necessary to halt the traffic temporarily, if there is any danger of debris falling onto the highway.
Different levels of protection will be necessary for the tree surgeon subject to what tree work needs to be carried out. When doing basic work with a chainsaw, to prevent serious cutting injuries to the hands, legs and torso, they will as a bare minimum be wearing protective clothing. Every operative involved in the work, must at all times be wearing high-vis clothing, together with eye and head protection.
Extra operatives will normally be needed to help with the safe removal of high branches and sections of tree trunk, particularly if working at height is involved, and where ladders and associated climbing equipment is being used. A skip or other means of transporting the waste materials away will be stationed as close to the work area as possible, so it is a good idea to inform your next door neighbours of the need for access.
UPON COMPLETION OF WORK - All of the waste materials will be taken away and the whole site cleared of any debris, once all tree work has been accomplished. Especially in the case of any protected trees, a certificate of work should then be created by your tree surgeon, which will be signed off and a copy presented to you. Any safety measures that were put in public spaces can then be removed, with pathways and roads being re-opened to the public.
If you've got any complaints about the work, you should get them rectified straight away by firstly taking them up with the tree surgeon. If your tree surgeon is a member of a trade body, and there's any further dispute or arbitration needed, you can get guidance and help from the AA or the ISA so as to reach an acceptable conclusion.
Skills Necessary for a Tree Surgeon in Swansea
- Be able to work with your hands.
- Have good customer service skills.
- Have the ability to repair, maintain and use tools and equipment.
- Be mindful of the complexities and dangers involved in all areas of the work.
- Being able to work happily with other folks.
- Have a good understanding of public safety and security.
- Physical skills such as coordination and movement.
- Be professional and able to complete work within the set time frame.
- Have a methodical and organised approach to work.
- Have necessary computer skills and know how to complete tasks on handheld devices.
- Be patient and have the ability to remain calm in stressful circumstances.
Storm Damaged Trees Swansea
To most people, trees seem sturdy, strong and capable of withstanding just about anything that Mother Nature can chuck at them. Certain tree varieties can continue to grow without any issues for many hundreds of years, in particular yews, oaks and sweet chestnuts.
Even so, when faced with certain conditions they can be very susceptible to the elements, and it is not just falling branches or limbs that can be a consequence, but the entire tree can topple over in extreme circumstances. Trees have one main weather related enemy, and that is wind. As severe storms and extreme weather events become more common with climate change, this form of damage will occur with greater regularity in Swansea. Saturated soil during prolonged periods of rain or floods can be another issue, as can heavy snowfall in winter.
So as to be prepared for any problems that might occur during severe weather conditions, it's a good idea to have a qualified Swansea tree surgeon trim and remove any dead, dying or excessively long branches, and check for any additional problems.
It's also recommended to fit bigger trees with lightning rods, copper conductors, or other lightning protection systems, to prevent them getting struck by lightning, and to safeguard surrounding buildings and property which could be affected by side-flashes ("arcs"). A lightning strike can easily kill a tree completely, or severely weaken it, rendering it more vulnerable to pest attacks or disease. Lightning is more common than you might imagine, and there are approximately 300 thousand lightning strikes annually in the UK.
Ask your local Swansea tree care specialist what they can do to protect your trees from storm damage and lessen the risk of serious consequences should an unsound tree topple over as a result of bad weather. (Tags: Storm Damaged Trees Swansea, Storm Damage Prevention Swansea, Storm Damage Swansea).
Woodland Clearance Swansea
The clearance of woodlands in the Swansea area is a delicate process that can be affected by various regulations and restrictions. Calling on the skills of an experienced Swansea tree surgeon for woodland clearance, will see them applying for any relevant permits, follow applicable protection orders and covenants, and using eco-friendly techniques for conduction the clearance.
A good tree surgeon will verify if there are any special planning permissions, felling restrictions or ecological constraints by conducting a full site survey and having discussions with the local council. It might be that the land has protected species of tree or wildlife on it, which will require relocation to another protected site, or other mitigation procedures might need to be used.
The specialized and extremely expensive gear that's employed in woodland clearance, means that it is more cost effective to hire an accredited tree surgeon contractor to handle your clearance project.
Crown Thinning Swansea
If you need to minimize the stress on specific limbs caused by wind, gravity, ice, or snow, to decrease the total weight of the crown of the tree, to prevent the tree from uprooting in blustery weather, to minimize the tree's wind resistance or to enable more light to pass through, a lot of the smallest branches that are growing on the outer crown of a broad leafed tree are cut in a procedure which is often known as crown thinning. The dimensions and shape of the tree are not altered by this, and the chances are it will have to be done on a pretty regular basis, as more shoots grow. Crown thinning should never alter the general form and size of the tree, but should create a uniform density of foliage around evenly spaced limbs.
Tree Preservation Orders Swansea
Before you do any serious work on your trees in Swansea, you should make sure none of them have TPO's (Tree Preservation Orders) You need to check with your local planning authority to find out if any of the trees within the boundaries of your property are protected by TPOs. You cannot undertake removal, wilful destruction, wilful damage, topping, lopping, uprooting or cutting down, without written consent from the local authority, if a tree on your property is subject to a TPO. Your tree surgeon should be able to explain the process and help with any checks.
Also, if you intend to perform any work on a tree with a diameter of seventy five millimetres or more (1.5 metres from ground level), and you live within a conservation area in Swansea, you need to give your local council at least 6 weeks written notice of the work.
Tree Pollarding Swansea
Pollarding is mostly done for health and safety reasons and is a procedure for greatly decreasing the size of trees which have outgrown their existing surroundings. This approach is from time to time employed for visual reasons to transform a tree into a particularly appealing form or shape. You'll commonly witness trees which have been pollarded growing alongside streets in Swansea, and also quite frequently in managed hedgerows Because pollarded trees have got such a stark and naked appearance, and will probably never return to their earlier shape, the method isn't very popular with those who appreciate trees. The positive side of pollarding, is that trees that may otherwise need to be cut down can be retained in-situ. Pollarding is commonly used on broad-leafed tree species like limes, horse chestnuts, sycamores, beeches, maples, oaks and planes.
Wood Chipping Swansea
In order to process the large quantities of branches, vegetation and tree limbs that result from their work, most Swansea tree surgeons will utilise wood chipping machines. These powerful wood chipping systems can gobble up as much as forty tons of material every hour, depending on which equipment is being used, although the smaller, more frequently used models will process closer to 5 tonnes every hour.
Having numerous uses such as biomass solid fuel, mulch in gardening, landscaping, ecosystem restoration, cultivating mushrooms, wood pulp, weed prevention and garden pathways, the chipped down branches are also easier to transport.
In most cases, tree surgeons in Swansea will cart away all the wood chips that result from your tree surgery, unless of course you need them for one of the previously mentioned uses, in which case they will usually be happy to let you have some. As I'm sure you will have realised by reading this write-up, tree surgeons are a reliable source for wood chippings which you can use for various purposes in your garden in Swansea, whether you have tree surgery work that needs doing or not. If you need wood chippings to be delivered then most tree surgeons will charge a fee for this service, others let you have them without cost.
Wood chipping equipment is made by various companies, some of the most recognised brand names include Forst, Hyundai, Forest Master and Timberwolf.
Leylandii Hedge Removal
Swansea residents often choose Leylandii hedges as they grow quickly and provide excellent privacy. Yet, they have the tendency to grow excessively and become challenging to manage. There are a few vital things to bear in mind when contemplating the removal of a Leylandii hedge. The initial step is to make sure that the hedge is not covered by any legal designations or restrictions, such as a Tree Preservation Order. If the hedge is covered by legal safeguards, you must obtain the local council's consent before removing it. Furthermore, Leylandii hedges can have complex root networks, underscoring the importance of employing a skilled tree surgeon to safely remove the hedge and its roots. Finally, it's necessary to dispose of the hedge waste responsibly in an eco-friendly way after its removal. To wrap up, removing a Leylandii hedge can be a challenging and potentially hazardous task, highlighting the importance of taking the appropriate safety measures and potentially seeking the guidance of an expert.
Eco-Plugging Tree Stumps Swansea
If you've got large stumps in your garden that need to be removed, the conventional method that's used by most Swansea tree surgeons is stump grinding. However, nowadays there is a more affordable alternative to this technique in the form of "eco-plugging". It isn't just the fact that eco-plugging is less expensive that makes it an attractive solution for stump removal, but also that it's handy in hard-to-reach and awkward locations which are challenging to access with stump grinders.
Without affecting the surrounding trees and vegetation, eco-plugging is an incredibly effective treatment for killing tree stumps. Eco-plugs can be used at any time of the year and in all weather, and they destroy the whole root system of the tree stump. Effective for use on a wide array of tree species, eco-plugs are 95-100 percent effective and contain a kind of crystalline glyphosate herbicide.
Tree Surgery Tasks Swansea
Swansea tree surgeons will likely help you with arboriculture, cable bracing, tree planning, hedge reduction, root grinding, emergency tree removal, hedge laying, crown raising Swansea, tree work in Swansea, tree waste removal, landscape clearing, air spading, coppicing, soil terravention, woodchipping, domestic tree surgery, crown reduction in Swansea, damage restoration, tree removal, woodland management, forestry management, tree maintenance, the protection of trees from grazing, pollarding, tree cutting, waste removal Swansea, repair of storm damaged trees, tree reshaping, eco plug treatments, tree bracing, safety inspections Swansea, tree planting, tree pruning, root pruning Swansea, brush cutting services and other tree surgeon services in Swansea, Wales. These are just a few of the duties that are accomplished by tree surgeons. Swansea professionals will inform you of their whole range of services.
Tree Surgeons Near Swansea
Also find: Neath tree surgeons, Morriston tree surgeons, Dunvant tree surgeons, Pontardawe tree surgeons, Killay tree surgeons, The Mumbles tree surgeons, Pontarddulais tree surgeons, Llanelli tree surgeons, Clydach tree surgeons, Skewen tree surgeons, West Cross tree surgeons, Port Talbot tree surgeons, Plasmarl tree surgeons, Rhos tree surgeons, Cockett tree surgeons, Cadle tree surgeons, Sketty tree surgeons, Penlan tree surgeons, Gowerton tree surgeons, Gorseinon tree surgeons and more. The majority of these locations are served by local tree surgeons. Local homeowners and others can get price quotes by clicking here.
(Sourced from tree surgeons Swansea text version four.)
More: Crown Thinning, Crown Raising, Woodchipping, Shrub Maintenance, Vegetation Management, Tree Reduction, Cable Bracing, Woodland Management, Tree Dismantling, Hedge Cutting, Crown Raising, Crown Removal, Air-Spading, Eco-Plugging, Stump Treatment, Root Removal, Tree Removal, Root Removal, Woodland Management, Tree Removal, Dead Wooding, Tree Surveys, Tree Topping, Tree Transplanting, Wood Chipping, Woodland Management, Tree Shaping, Stump Treatment, Woodland Clearances, Hedge Planting.
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