Stump Grinding

Stump Grinding and Stump Removal. 

When is it necessary to have a Professional Stump Grinding Service remove tree stumps on your property? Anytime a  tree removal is done, and the stumps are left behind. The stumps sticking up can make doing chores like mowing your lawn inconvenient. Also, they can pose a trip hazard if you have children at play in the yard. They really become a big nuisance when you want to replace trees in your yard too. Plus if a tree has a disease and you didn’t grind the stump, the roots can spread the disease to other plants in our yard. 

 Is it better to try and remove a stump by yourself or hire a tree stump removal company? 

A lot of the decision to either grind a stump or trying to remove a stump without help depends on how much time you want to work and how hard you want to work. To remove a tree stump by yourself without the help of a professional tree removal company, first, you need to use a shovel and dig up the soil all around the tree until you see the roots exposed. Next, using loopers, cut up the smaller roots into pieces. Then use a pruning or reciprocating saw to cut up the larger roots. You then can utilize either your shovel or a pry bar and lift the stump out of the ground. This might sound easy but the main roots are not always in reach and can’t be easily cut, which makes lifting or moving the stump seem somewhat impossible sometimes.   

The benefits of hiring a professional to remove or grind your tree stumps are manyfold.   First, it allows you to sit back and watch instead of breaking your back doing it yourself. The next thing is the time savings,  professionals have the equipment to remove your stumps in a fraction of the time it could be done without equipment.   Professionals use two different methods for removing stumps.  The most popular method is grinding them with a professional stump grinder.  The other method is removing the stumps with a backhoe or bulldozer or other heavy equipment.   Each has its advantages and disadvantages.   

Is it better to grind a stump or remove it from your property?

Your future plans for your yard’s landscape where the stump is being removed will also play a part in making a decision.  One way is just removing the stumps with a backhoe or dozer or some other method of digging and pulling the stumps out. This method is usually used on large areas with many stumps that need to be removed after land clearing.  This also tends to be more expensive because of the heavy equipment needed to be successful.  It also is more intrusive to the property because of the holes the stumps and roots left in the ground after being pulled out.

 The more efficient way to do stump removal on individual stumps or just a few stumps is with grinding. Grinding will leave the tree’s roots behind. The roots from the old tree can be spread out underground anywhere from 4-12 feet from the stump and can take up to 10 years to decay and die. Grinding the stumps turn the stump into a mulch and can be used to fill the hole or can be placed around other trees as mulch.  The stump can also be ground down below ground level and can be covered with dirt so grass can be replanted. 

Another big difference between the two processes is the stump removal process removes most of the root system as well.  But it leaves the terrain uneven with holes.   With the stump grinding method, the stump is ground and the remains of the roots fill the hole.

What are Stump Grinders?

Stump grinding companies use large, professional stump grinders to physically remove the entire tree stump down to where it is below the ground’s surface. Most stump grinders are heavy pieces of machinery that should only be used by trained and experienced employees from a tree removal service company. Most stump grinding machines utilize a heavy-duty steel cutting wheel with carbide tips. The cutting wheel is at the end of a hydraulic arm controlled by the operator. The grinder spins the wheel at high speeds which allows the cutting tips to easily grind away the hardest of stumps. 

What is the average cost for stump grinding?

Once a  tree is removed what is left behind is the sturdy stump. The average cost to have a professional stump grinding usually starts around $150.00.  But this can vary across the country depending on tree types and soil conditions.  Professional Stump Grinding Companies use commercial-grade grinders. If you need large areas cleared with multiple stumps that need to be removed, it’s best to contact a professional stump removal company and get an estimate.

Stump Grinding & Removal Questions and Answers

• How long does it take to grind a stump with a professional stump grinder? 

A Stump Grinding Service is quick and efficient. It depends on the size of the stump that is being removed but can take as little as 15 minutes to 2 hours. You can rent a smaller unit, but Commercial Stump Grinding Services use large machines that take less time.

• Will stump grinding kill the roots? 

The roots need nutrients to grow. The roots get nutrients from the tree’s leaves. So without the tree leaves, the roots will decay and die. Grinding a Tree Stump kills the roots. But sometimes a tree stump will regenerate into new trees. A deciduous tree can re-sprout in many places from the roots or around the edge of the stump. 

• How deep should you grind a stump? 

The depth depends on the tree type and size. Professional Stump Grinding services will generally recommend 4-8 inches below ground level. You can request they grind your stump deeper, but the price of the stump grinding may increase. 

• why go through the time or expense to remove a tree stump? 

Well besides the reasons already mentioned about tree stumps being a nuisance when it comes to children playing in the yard or mowing your lawn, it can take 3-7 years for a stump to rot and decompose. While it’s going through the rotting and decomposing process it can become a hub for home damaging pests, like termites, carpenter ants, and bees. These pests will spread out to other plants in your yard and eventually invade your home. Then you have to go through an additional expense to have a professional pest control service remove them. Plus if you want to replace old trees with new ones you have to be careful how far the roots from the stump spread out. Professional Stump Removal or Stump Grinding Service is the best way to avoid all these inconveniences. 

• What are the benefits of using a Professional Tree Stump Removal or Grinding Service? 

1. One it’s a time-consuming, laborious job to remove a tree stump.
2. Grinding a stump yourself requires you to rent small equipment, so you are putting out an expense already to do that. Rentals include picking up and returning the equipment and require a trailer. Extra costs can include fuel and add ons for teeth. Plus these machines are dangerous so you should have previous experience and wear the proper personal protection gear.
3. Most arborists will give you a discount if you have more than one stump removed at a time. So multiple stump removal or grinding can cost you less.
4. Professionals use equipment with extra tires which minimizes the pressure on your lawn and landscape. They also use safeguards like large plastic mats on the softer areas of your landscape to prevent them from being torn up. Commercial-grade screens are also utilized to prevent dangerous rocks from projecting. They make sure their staff wears the proper personal protective equipment and a business will carry liability insurance.
5. Professional Grinding Services also can remove the debris, bring in topsoil and seed.
6. You can also use the debris for mulch for your flower and vegetable gardens. There will be a mixture of dirt and wood chips you can compost into rich topsoil. This process usually takes about a year or two depending on the moisture levels and you can add to your compost pile daily.
7. If you have stumps that are on a steep grade or hill, you definitely want a Professional Service to remove them. Most offer 4 wheel drive machinery to get into tougher spots for stump removal.
8. If you have a gate that is less than 36 inches wide, make sure you let your stump removal service company know so they can discuss access to your yard. Most will get pretty creative, like utilizing a crane to lift the stump grinder machine over your fencing if needed.
9. If you have infrastructure, such as a wall, foundation, leaching field, sidewalk or other structure may make a difference on how much of the stump or roots they can remove. This is where a Professional Stump Stump Removal service is highly recommended. They have the experience to know how far to go and when it’s not safe to do so.
10. A Professional service can also counsel you on things like how long it will take your stump to decompose. Every species of tree is different. It all depends on things like moisture level, insect activity, and the structure and size of the stump. A large oak tree stump around 20” can take 18-20 years to decompose depending if it’s in a sunny spot or 12-15 years in a shady moist environment. Also if fungus, conks, or mushrooms grow and be poisonous, so be mindful of children and pets in the yard.
11. Professional Stump Grinding can reduce the chance of insects staying around as they just removed their home and is decomposing.

If you have decided that the DIY Stump Removal approach is not for you, scroll to the top and search for Professionals in your area to handle your stump removing project for you. Or fill out the above form and we will search your area and get professionals in contact with you.