Cutting down a dead or unhealthy tree may seem pretty straightforward, but the challenge of doing so without any collateral damage is difficult when the tree is growing in tight quarters. Whether the issue is a tree growing right next to the house or in a small lot with little room to fell a large tree, there are techniques that can help. 

1. Technical Rigging

Rigging refers to the system of cables, pulleys, and harnesses that tree techs use to ensure their safety when they are far above ground, but it also refers to the pulleys and cables that are used to control a tree as it's begin cut down. Your service techs will use rigging to both support the tree in order to better control the direction of fall if necessary, as well as to lower parts of the tree to the ground harmlessly as they are removed — a must when there is little space for even a controlled fall. 

2. Limbing Techniques

The spreading limbs from the crown are the part that can cause the most damage when a tree comes down, simply because of how much area they cover. Once the rigging is in place, a tree service removes all of the limbs on the trunk. These are carefully lowered down using the rigging system so that they don't cause any damage. Often, all of the limbs are removed, especially in very crowded locations. 

3. Trunk Sectioning

The challenge with removing a trunk in a small space is there may not be sufficient room for it to fall in any direction. Once again, the rigging system comes to the rescue. Starting near the top, the rigging is attached to the uppermost section of trunk. This section is cut off and safely lowered to the ground. The tech will continue removing in sections, working toward the ground, until the remaining trunk is a safe height for felling. 

4. Crane Removal

When all else fails, a crane can be used to remove a tree in a very tricky spot. The crane is positioned above the tree, with the tree cabled to the crane hook. Once the trunk is cut through, the crane can lift the tree up and move it to a staging area where there is sufficient room to break the tree down for transport and disposal.

Contact a tree removal service if you need more help with a tree growing in a tight space.