At Mark’s Stump Grinding our 10 step stump removal / stump grinding checklist is what sets us apart from the other Charlotte stump grinding services. Our process ensures that all of our customers receive the same great service!
Here is our 10 step checklist:
- Location Of The Stump- The first thing we check on any stump grinding
job site is the location of the stump. Where the stump is located plays a huge part in determining which stump grinder we will use, as well as the time the job will take to complete. - Type Of Tree- The type of tree stump we will be removing tells us things like how dense the stump is and what type of root system the tree has. The type of tree can also warn us about things we should be careful of while grinding out the stump. For example we have found that a good many leyland cypress trees we have worked on in the area have had a metal wiring at the base of the stump. This metal wiring was put on the tree at the nursery to keep the root ball intact during transport and planting. If we did not know to look for these kinds of things when working on certain species it could lead to unwanted surprises or even worse injuries!
- Soil Condition- Soil conditions vary widely across the greater Charlotte area, ranging from fertile topsoil to rocky areas and the most common red clay. If the stump you would like to remove is in rocky soil it can cause damage the grinding teeth on our stump grinder which may require a different approach to grind the stump.
- Proximity To Utilities- When we meet our clients for the first time we always ask if there are any utilities buried in the ground anywhere around the stump we will be grinding. These include things like irrigation lines, cable lines, phone lines, invisible fencing for dogs, etc. If we were to hit any of these utilities with the stump grinder it could damage the line or endanger us while operating the stump grinder so we do everything we can to ensure this does not happen!
- Size Of The Stump- The diameter of the stump you want removed is one of the two factors that have the biggest impact on the cost of your stump removal project. Tree stumps are incredibly dense objects, because of this even a rather small stump can produce an impressive amount of wood shavings. The amount of material inside a stump also increases exponentially with the diameter of the stump. For example a tree stump that is 20 inches in diameter actually contains around four times the amount of material a 10 inch diameter stump has even though the stump is only twice as big diameter wise.
- Depth Of Root System- Tree roots systems vary depending on two factors, species and soil condition. A tree with a deep root system will require us to grind out a deep hole where a tree with a shallow/surface root system may require us to grind out a much wider area.
- Movement Of The Stump Grinder- We know that a homeowners property and landscaping are very important investments and we do everything we can to make sure we protect our customers investments in their property’s landscaping while also providing a quality stump grinding service. Our stump grinder weighs upwards of 3,500 pounds so we make a special effort to plan out the best way to get our stump grinder from out trailer to the stump removal site in the most efficient and least invasive way possible. If need be we can move our machine across a clients yard without its wheels ever touching your lawn!
- Positioning The Chip Guard- The last step before we remove the stump is to set up our chip guards. These are large panels are set up to contain the large amount of wood chips and debris that are thrown around while the stump grinder is running. They can also the specifically placed in a certain spot to protect plants or items that cant be moved that are close to the stump that is being ground out. Without the chip guard panels wood chips and debris including small rocks could be thrown in all directions which could damage surrounding plants and property.
- Back-fill The Hole- After the stump has been removed there is a fairly good sized hole left behind. It makes for the perfect spot to put all the wood chips and debris that was left over from the stump grinding process. If you are looking to immediately replant something in the spot where the stump was located we do offer to completely remove all of the wood chips and debris from the area for an extra fee. The majority of our customers opt to have the wood chips put back into the hole.
- Final Clean Up And Site Inspection- Our final step is to walk around the area where the stump was ground with the customer and make sure everything was cleaned up properly and they are 100% satisfied with our work!