Dropping a ~60' Tree Over Septic Lines - Damage?

[Cabin Fever]

Debated what forum to put this in, as it's not really Habitat Management, so move accordingly if you wish...

I have a ~60' dead ash that I want to take out, before a not-so-favorable wind direction, drops it on my house. The way it's leaning, it'll end up falling across my septic lines if I cut it. I'm wondering if the impact would cause any damage to the septic lines? I'm debating if I should have someone come in with a lift to cut it into 1/3's anyways, to lessen the impact when it falls across the septic lines, to hopefully prevent any damage to the underground lines. Thoughts?

 

[dbHunterNY]

leech field lines or from Dbox i wouldn't think it'd matter. I dropped a big tree over my feeder line to the leech field back in the spring with soft ground and it didn't both anything. doing it now with frozen ground even better.

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, Cabin Fever said:

Debated what forum to put this in, as it's not really Habitat Management, so move accordingly if you wish...

I have a ~60' dead ash that I want to take out, before a not-so-favorable wind direction, drops it on my house. The way it's leaning, it'll end up falling across my septic lines if I cut it. I'm wondering if the impact would cause any damage to the septic lines? I'm debating if I should have someone come in with a lift to cut it into 1/3's anyways, to lessen the impact when it falls across the septic lines, to hopefully prevent any damage to the underground lines. Thoughts?

 

How big in diameter at chest height?  Chances are good you will have no issues. 
 

That said, I’ll move this to Lounge. No big deal as it’s kind of a gray area post. I always recommend Lounge if you’re not sure. Good luck with the removal. 

[Cabin Fever]

9 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

How big in diameter at chest height?  Chances are good you will have no issues. 
 

That said, I’ll move this to Lounge. No big deal as it’s kind of a gray area post. I always recommend Lounge if you’re not sure. Good luck with the removal. 

I would guess 14".

Funny that I was going to put this in the Lounge, but figured someone would say it should be elsewhere! LOL

[Stubborn1vt]

Depends how deep the lines are buried.  I would guess you're fine though.

[Buckmaster7600]

If you’re worried go buy a few sheets of plywood to put over the lines. I wouldn’t be worried. But for a couple hundred dollars it’s cheap insurance.

[Stubborn1vt]

5 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

If you’re worried go buy a few sheets of plywood to put over the lines. I wouldn’t be worried. But for a couple hundred dollars it’s cheap insurance.

I've done this with free pallets.  Only drawback is the nails if you really bust one up.

[Cabin Fever]

2 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

If you’re worried go buy a few sheets of plywood to put over the lines. I wouldn’t be worried. But for a couple hundred dollars it’s cheap insurance.

Good idea! I have ~30 dead ash in my yard. Instead of investing in plywood, I suppose I could drag a few ash trunks that are 6-8" around and place them so the big ash falls on them, to reduce the impact directly over the lines.

[G-man]

14 in will do no damage that deep to effect lines.  I was picturing a 3ft plus tree....  

[Wolc123]

I was hoping we would get a little frost in the ground, so that I could cut some dead ash at my place, without rutting it all up dragging out the logs.  
 

It don’t look like that’s going to happen.   Thanks to global warming, logging looks like it is now stricktly a mid-summer deal in this area.  I always liked logging in the winter,  to avoid the bugs, sweat, and poison ivy.

I guess it all cancels out, because I have burned less than a third of the normal amount of firewood this winter.  

Edited February 9, 2023 by Wolc123

[Wormser]

Good luck.  I just took an ash about that size down that finally died and could have hit the house.  I looked at it for years thinking I'll eventually have to take it down.  One morning a few months ago I decided to do the deed.  I told the wife to keep the pups in the house.  I had a pretty good area I could drop it in the yard between the house and a flower bed.  I notched it and cut in on both sides not really paying any mind.  I started cutting from the backside and saw the gap starting to get bigger and looked up to see it tipping. Uhoh.... It went right were I put the notch, just like I planned........except I didn't step back and notice the notch was lined up with the kids trampoline.  I over did it to make sure it would not hit the house and never looked again.  By the time it hit the trampoline, I turned off my saw, flipped up my helmet screen, the wife was already standing on the back porch.  I looked at her and said "Can you believe it didn't even bounce?".  I cleaned up the mess and spent the rest of the day hiding in my woodshop. Luckily our kid is grown up and in college so it needed taken down.

[mowin]

4 minutes ago, Wormser said:

Good luck.  I just took an ash about that size down that finally died and could have hit the house.  I looked at it for years thinking I'll eventually have to take it down.  One morning a few months ago I decided to do the deed.  I told the wife to keep the pups in the house.  I had a pretty good area I could drop it in the yard between the house and a flower bed.  I notched it and cut in on both sides not really paying any mind.  I started cutting from the backside and saw the gap starting to get bigger and looked up to see it tipping. Uhoh.... It went right were I put the notch, just like I planned........except I didn't step back and notice the notch was lined up with the kids trampoline.  I over did it to make sure it would not hit the house and never looked again.  By the time it hit the trampoline, I turned off my saw, flipped up my helmet screen, the wife was already standing on the back porch.  I looked at her and said "Can you believe it didn't even bounce?".  I cleaned up the mess and spent the rest of the day hiding in my woodshop. Luckily our kid is grown up and in college so it needed taken down.

That's one way to get rid of a trampoline. 

[dbHunterNY]

31 minutes ago, Wormser said:

Good luck.  I just took an ash about that size down that finally died and could have hit the house.  I looked at it for years thinking I'll eventually have to take it down.  One morning a few months ago I decided to do the deed.  I told the wife to keep the pups in the house.  I had a pretty good area I could drop it in the yard between the house and a flower bed.  I notched it and cut in on both sides not really paying any mind.  I started cutting from the backside and saw the gap starting to get bigger and looked up to see it tipping. Uhoh.... It went right were I put the notch, just like I planned........except I didn't step back and notice the notch was lined up with the kids trampoline.  I over did it to make sure it would not hit the house and never looked again.  By the time it hit the trampoline, I turned off my saw, flipped up my helmet screen, the wife was already standing on the back porch.  I looked at her and said "Can you believe it didn't even bounce?".  I cleaned up the mess and spent the rest of the day hiding in my woodshop. Luckily our kid is grown up and in college so it needed taken down.

that's a shot to the ego for sure. lol