Once a big tree comes down, you’ll have a surprising amount of wood on your hands. Trunk sections, limbs, and a mountain of branches can fill a driveway fast. If you’re wondering what to do with wood after cutting down a tree, you’ve got more choices than you might think, and the right one depends on how you’ll actually use it.
Searching for tree removal in Grand Mound, WA, or the surrounding area? Here’s a look at your options so you can decide before the crew shows up.
After a removal in Thurston County, WA, Carlson Tree Care can chip the wood into mulch, cut it into firewood, leave it as logs, or haul it all away. Each choice works a little differently.
Branches and smaller wood go through a chipper and come out as a pile of fresh chips. Wood chips from tree removal make a great surface mulch around trees, shrubs, and garden paths. A few inches of chips help retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, and break down into organic matter over time.
A couple of tips:
Short on space? Ask about keeping just part of the pile.
If you heat with wood or love a backyard fire, tree removal firewood can be a nice bonus. We can cut the trunk into firewood lengths for you to split and stack.
Fresh wood holds a lot of water, so it needs time to season before it burns well. Most firewood needs at least several months of drying, often longer for dense hardwoods. Stack it off the ground with the top covered and the sides open to airflow. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends burning wood with a moisture content below 20%, and an inexpensive moisture meter takes the guesswork out of it.
Species matter, too. Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, and alder are common around here and burn well once dry. Cedar lights fast and makes great kindling, but it pops and sparks, so keep an eye on it in an open fireplace.
Maybe you want to split the wood yourself, use big rounds as garden seating, or line a bed with logs. We can leave the wood in log form for you. Plan where the logs will go, since full-size trunk sections are heavy and hard to move once they’re down.
If those logs will end up as firewood, split them sooner rather than later. Split wood dries much faster than whole rounds.
Not interested in keeping any of it? Tree removal wood haul-away means we load up the wood and debris, take it off your property, and leave you with a clean yard.
A few quick questions can point you in the right direction:
You can also mix and match. Plenty of homeowners keep a little firewood, take some chips, and let us haul off the rest. It’s worth asking during your consultation whether your choice changes the price.
Two local notes are worth knowing. During periods of poor air quality, the regional clean air agency can issue burn bans that limit the use of wood stoves and outdoor fires, so check before you light up. Keeping firewood local also helps, since moving it long distances can spread tree pests.
Bring up the wood when you get your estimate so you can decide what stays and what goes before anyone starts sawing. Our crew is fully licensed, insured, and bonded, and a member of the Tree Care Industry Association. Estimates are free in our service area, and we offer financing plus discounts for first responders, veterans, and seniors. Got a tree coming down soon? Contact us, and we’ll help you figure out the best use for each piece.
Shelton WA 98584
Mon - Fri 8am- 6pm
Sat - Sun by Appointment
Call us for a free estimate
360-490-7001
