
Doing away with a tree stump can be a taxing job. This article gives you a DIY few tips on how to burn out a stump, so that you get the job done without much of a sweat.
Given the ever-increasing pollution in the environment, trees are one of those natural sources which we need the most. Trees are always a pleasant addition to any house, especially, one with a yard. However, there may occur certain situations which may necessitate the removal of one or more trees from the area. The removal of the tree is the easiest part, but once it is down, your next job is to remove the stump that stays behind. And when it comes to this, the saw is of no help. One option is using a stump grinder, but that can be a pricey option to choose. Manually uprooting the stump is also an option, but is a sweaty work! So an easy way out to get rid of the structure would be to set it ablaze – the oldest stump removal method.
Stump Burning Instructions
Before proceeding, you may want to take care of two things. We are talking about burning here. And you must be aware of the fact that the drier a stuff is, the easier it is to burn it off. So, if you have fallen the tree of late, and the stump has not dried off properly, then you may have to wait for sometime. And if you think the stump has spent enough time in the sun, you can get started with the job. It is important to get in touch with local fire control bodies, before you start off. This is ensure that you are not breaching any rules regarding burning in the area you reside in. And even if you have the green signal from the authorities, ensure that the stump is not in proximity to a building, or other flammable materials. So, if the coast is clear, you can get going with the following tips to get rid of the stump.
# To begin the work, you would require a chain saw. Using the tool, cut an ‘x’ in the log; the wider and deeper the better. Now fill the trench to the top that you have cut with kerosene or gasoline. Wait of a few hours, so that the oil soaks in the stump. Once the kerosene has been soaked in, pour some more of it until it overflows. Leave it for the day, and allow the oil to sit overnight.
# The following day, set the stump on fire. Light up some used paper and toss them on top of the ‘x’ trench. Now to make this process faster and more effective, what you can do is this. Follow the above steps till the point where you are supposed to light the fire. Then, get a 5-gallon metal barrel (or bigger, depending upon how big the stump is), and do away with its top and bottom parts. Now place the barrel over the stump, and toss some pieces of wood in it. Ensure that the barrel is heavy enough to manage the weight of the logs. Pour some kerosene on the logs, and light a fire.
# When you see that the barrel is burning properly, throw in some more wood. Now, the metal barrel will help in keeping the temperature high, and at the same time, the stump that is soaked in kerosene, will burn more effectively. Keep adding more wood to the burning stump if required, and let the burning continue for as long as you can. Of course you cannot wait all night long for burning the stump. So the next day, check how much damage has been done. It is likely that the stump will still remain above ground level. Using the chain saw cut an ‘x’ like what you did earlier, or easier than this, simply drill holes in it, and pour some more kerosene on it and light it again.
So, this is how you go about burning out a stump. The process may look easy in black and white, but it is not very result oriented. This is due to the fact that stumps remain in contact with moist soil, have limited surface area which create low oxygen conditions, and most of the time, are covered with bark. So all these factors do not encourage burning. The task becomes more difficult when the stump is large and deep rooted. So if you are choosing this way to burn the stump in your yard, then you have to hold on to your patience. But although this process is slow, it won’t burn holes in your pocket, but just the stump!