Stump Grinding – Benefits, Process and Safety

How does stump grinding work? Is it better to grind a tree stump or remove it? Here is all you should know.

When trees are removed, stumps are left behind. Getting rid of these can be pretty challenging. However, adopting the right stump removal strategies will save you stress. Stump grinding is one such strategy.

This involves using machinery to grind off tree stumps, no matter how difficult or hard they are.

All our discussions will focus on stump grinding. You should be able to find the most relevant information to get you started.

Here are the average prices of stump grinding.

Do Stumps Pose A Problem?

While some people are indifferent about removing stumps from their surroundings, others are wary of the problems stumps pose. Stumps pose issues—the most common of these is the harboring of fungus and mold.

Decaying stumps can also hold water, creating an ideal breeding spot for mosquitoes.

Stumps also serve as an attraction for termites. Termite problems are a severe threat to any property owner. You don’t want to encourage such presence by leaving an exposed dead stump behind. This will serve as food for such pests.

By grinding these away, you’d be removing such risk, thus saving your property from potential damage.

New trees cannot be planted close to a stop as they get in the way, thus preventing the tree from properly developing. When these stumps are grounded, the root systems left behind become dormant or inactive and eventually die off.

Leaving stumps around, incredibly close to walkways, can significantly increase the risks of accidents. People can easily trip over such stumps. By grinding them away, you’re removing such unnecessary obstacles.

Stumps can also be quite unsightly. These can make your surroundings quite disorganized as well.

Benefits Of Stump Grinding

Having identified some of the problems posed by stump presence, it is necessary alsstate the benefits of getting rid of such stumps.

There are several!

We will look at some of the many benefits of stump grinding.

  • Removing Obstacles On Your Lawn

Stumps serve as obstacles, especially in lawns. Apart from being unsightly, it also slows down the mowing process.

This is always the case when you must go around such a stump to mow lawns carefully. Unwanted plants or weeds are likely to also get in the way.

When such stumps are removed, you won’t have to worry about the obstacles they present, as there won’t be any.

However, a thorough job needs to be done for this to happen. In other words, not every tree service should be contacted for such employment. It would be best if you also researched their track record.

There are lots of online reviews about different tree maintenance services. If you can’t find any information or think about a particular company, their services are probably not worth the try.

Also, companies with high-end grinding equipment should be preferred over those without them.

  • Efficient And Fast

Unlike other types of stump removal or destruction, grinding is notably more efficient and fast. With grinding, you only need to wear off-target stumps using specially-built machinery,, significantly reducing the time required to get the job done.

When compared with chemical stump removal, grinding comes out tops. That is because the former (chemical application) takes more time.

To apply such chemicals, holes are drilled, and the preferred chemical is emptied into the holes. This slowly soaks in and weakens the stump.

A grinder gets the job done in little time. A stump can be grounded within a day or two with a good grinder. That is how fast the job can be done.

  • A New Space To Start A Project

Whether you want to get rid of a stump to start a new project or need such a space-free, stump grinding gives you all these benefits.

Plus, it doesn’t disrupt the soil condition as much. In the case of stump and root removal, a large section of your yard must be dug up to remove them.

Digging up your yard is likely to deface it. With stump grinding, there’s minimal activity.

Stumps are gotten rid of without much removal of soil. You can use the space in no time to start a project. A new tree can be planted in place of the former, in addition to flowers or whatever you wish to use the space for.

  • It Creates More Space For Fun

Having children and pets makes having a yard free of stumps a priority.

That is because stumps can cause accidents and injuries to kids whenever they run around. There’s something familiar with kids and pets (especially dogs): enough energy to expend.

While running around, they can trip over stumps or roots. It would be best if you prevented this from happening. Stump grinding removes such risks from your surroundings.

When a good job is done, there is more space for fun and creativity.

Choose Stump Grinding Over Excavation

When deciding on the best option to get rid of a stump, excavation is likely to be the option considered.

While stump excavation will also get the job done, it isn’t as effective as grinding. When deciding, consider grinding over-excavation, as it won’t leave a vast or gaping hole behind.

Stump grinding is also less expensive than excavation. Another advantage of stump grinding is that you can perform the task yourself once you have the machine.

Stump grinding machines are hired on an hourly basis. Stump excavation, on the other hand, involves more work in addition to being more complex.

Can A Stump In Tight Spots Be Grounded?

Property owners often face the dilemma of how to grind or destroy stumps in tight or small spaces. If you’re faced with a similar problem, you shouldn’t worry. There are stump grinding machines that come in many sizes. These have been made to cater to unique needs.

Such machines are smaller yet pack enough power to grind off any stump, no matter its size.

Not only can such machines fit in nicely to tight spots, but they are also made to navigate narrow slopes easily and steps among other challenging terrains.

If you’re looking for these types of stump grinders to hire and can’t find them, you might want to seek professional help. Tree removal services have solutions for your unique kind of stump problem.

What Happens With Roots After A Stump Is Grounded?

After a tree is removed, the parts or remains of the tree left behind include the stump and roots.

These roots are out of sight and below the ground surface. The visible part is the stump. After successfully grinding the stump, the roots slowly die off.

However, this isn’t the case when the stump is left and begins to sprout.

When grounded successfully, you won’t have to worry about what happens with the root system. The root system of a large tree can run several feet from the stump.

When there’s no stump to support or supply nutrition, they eventually become inactive and die off.

How Far Down Can You Grind a Stump?

Experts generally grind up to 5 – 6 inches below ground level. You may request deeper grinding but understand that this comes with higher pricing.

Common limitations to the depth of stump grinding include the grinder blade’s diameter, the soil’s shallowness, materials, and facilities around the site, e.g., swimming pool, buried cables, fencing, nearby trees, irrigation lines, and sprinkler system.

What to Do After Grinding a Stump?

Remove the remaining chips of wood using the services of an arborist and then replace the tree with another one or a shrub. You can also incorporate other plans you made for the stump-less site.

Will Stump Grinding Kill the Roots?

What happens to roots after stump grinding?

Stump sprout to produce leaves that would supply nutrients to the tree. Roots die off if the stump is completely ground off. A stump left in the ground has the potential to reshoot.

Tree species that cannot produce root sprouts die off after stump grinding. The roots of such trees die and slowly decompose in the ground. This may take as long as ten years for large species.

READ: Common Root Killer Agents

Maple and most fruit trees can resprout from their roots.

Does stump grinding kill roots? Yes. But not for all trees.

Safety During Stump Grinding

Stump grinding involves the use of heavy machinery. These grinding machines have safety instructions that must be followed to prevent injuries.

To prevent accidents, it’s best to carefully read and adhere to all such instructions regarding its use.

You will also want to use safety goggles to protect your eyes from flying wood dust or particles. Not only are small particles likely to enter unprotected eyes, but all forms of rocks or debris around the stump should also be far removed.

Grinders can propel these to great distances, injuring nearby people or animals.

You might also want to consult your local utility companies. Why so? Because there may be installations or utility supplies above or beneath the stump or area you wish to perform the grinding task.

Getting the required information helps you avoid damaging installations or other forms of injury.

Apart from safety goggles, other protective gear you should have on should include steel toe-cap boots, ear protection, and a hard hat. These should meet set industry standards.

In addition, try as much as possible to avoid all forms of jewelry plus long hair (it should be held securely and not allowed to hang loosely).

Clothing with loose or thin material should be avoided. The wind can blow these and get entangled in the stump grinding machine.

Onlookers should be kept as far away as possible. Keeping enough space between yourself and any onlooker helps avoid cases of accidents.

If someone must stand too close or join you in grinding, they must wear protective gear or clothing.

Stump grinding is an effective way to care for tree stumps considered unsightly. This also allows you to use the available or freed space for other forms of development.

All the tips provided here help in no small measure in getting rid of tree stumps.

You can enjoy the benefits today by calling for stump grinding or handling the task yourself. Information is the key to success. We are confident you’ll have greater control over the stump grinding process.

1 thought on “Stump Grinding – Benefits, Process and Safety”

  1. It’s nice that you talked about how grinding is notably more efficient and fast compared to other types of stump removal or destruction. We have some stumps in our backyard and I think they could become safety hazards. So, I think we should ask for stump grinding services ASAP.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *