Site Preparation

• 1). Measure possible fall lines for your tree. Stand 30 feet back and see which way it leans. Redwoods topping 100 feet can be felled intact only in very large yards.
  
  
• 2). Remove all obstructions from the fall line, including other trees and plants, buildings or fences. A falling redwood is heavy and hazardous.
  
  
• 3). Establish at least one safety area at a 45-degree angle to the fall line for the logger to retreat to. Trees sometimes twist and don't fall in the direction intended.
  
  
• 4). Obtain all permits required in your area for cutting down trees and notify your neighbors when you plan to cut the tree.
  
  

Whole Tree Cutting

• 1). Wear a hardhat, ear and eye protection, heavy gloves and a mask for protection from redwood dust.
  
  
• 2). Mark the tree's direction of fall with an axe. Cut a wedge into the trunk, past the redwood's soft, thick bark and into the sap- or heart-wood. Make the base cut level, about ankle high and a third of the way through the trunk. Angle the top cut to meet it at 45 degrees.
  
  
• 3). Make a horizontal back cut with a chainsaw on the opposite side of the redwood 2 inches above the bottom of the wedge. Cut from both sides and extend the cut two thirds into the tree. Leave 6 inches of the tree thickness uncut, creating a hinge to prevent twisting.
  
  
• 4). Insert a wedge into the cut if the tree doesn't fall. Use a sledge to force it into the cut to lever the tree and cause it to fall toward the wedge. As soon as it starts to fall, retreat to the safe area. Redwoods have no tap root so they fall quickly.
  
  
• 5). Presell the valuable redwood and cut the branches and trunk to the buyer's specifications or have the buyer cut and remove the tree.