No amount of skill in the landscaping of a property can do away with the presence of an unsightly stump. Indeed, even experienced tree-cutters tend to leave a stump in place after downing a once-towering tree.

Reasons for investing in a stump’s removal:

• That investment guarantees the removal of an unsightly object.
• The stump’s presence eliminates the achievement of any dream about having a clear yard.
• Your investment aids elimination of a potential tripping hazard.
• Some insects view stumps as the ideal spot for a home.

Tree Removal service in San Jose asks homeowners a lot of facts to keep in mind before trying to get rid of a stump is that older stumps are easier to remove than newly-created ones. While small stumps are easier to deal with than larger ones.

Possible approaches:

Grind it away: Rent a grinder; have on hand a shovel, mattock, chainsaw and rake. Clear rocks from ground surrounding the trip hazard (stump). Use chainsaw to cut away as much as possible. Lower grinder onto the tripping hazard and begin grinding; stop when grinder is 4 inches from ground. Use shovel to gather-up the debris.

Remove by hand: This approach only works for those that have access to all the needed tools: chainsaw, pick, mattock, shovel, digging bar, ax, 4-wheel drive pickup truck and chain links. Start by clearing away any branches. Use a shovel, pick, mattock and digging bar to expose the roots. Hose off the dirt; cut the exposed roots with an ax. Surround the root-source with chains, and connect one end of the chain to the truck.

Use chemicals to get rid of stump: Buy or collect the following items: kerosene, drill, chainsaw, potassium nitrated, ax and shovel. Use chainsaw to remove the stump’s topmost parts. Next drill holes that are between 8 and 12 inches deep; place them around the base of the stump. Then drill other holes around the sides.

Pour potassium nitrate into each of the holes, and then add water. Allow the chemical to work on what remains from a tree; do nothing for 4 to 6 weeks. At the end of that waiting period, you can take one of 3 different actions: Break-up the chemically-treated object, apply kerosene of burn the stump.

Benefits and drawbacks to each approach:

Grinding is the fastest method. It could endanger the eyes of the person doing the grinding, if he has not put on a pair of goggles.

Hand-removal creates the least amount of debris. Of course, not every homeowner has access to a 4-wheel pickup truck. Moreover, this method creates a large hole in the ground.

Chemical removal eliminates the need to rely on lots of sharp tools. It also provides the homeowner with more options, once potassium nitrate has completed its job.