While some of us love to challenge ourselves with new and difficult gardening tasks, there are certain tasks that can be dangerous or even illegal to carry out yourself if you’re not a licensed pro. Below we’ll take a look at 4 gardening tasks that you probably shouldn’t attempt yourself unless you’ve had professional training.
Removing a tree
Tree removal can be disastrous if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you don’t get the fall direction right, you can harm someone or destroy you or a neighbour’s property. Many injuries also occur each year from people falling while pruning trees or lacerations from tools like chainsaws.
An expert will have the right tools and know how to use them. They’ll also understand the physics better, as well as taking into account things like wind and the health of the tree (internal rot can affect the fall direction). You may also want to consider getting planning permission for large trees – especially those that provide shade or privacy to neighbours,
Laying a patio
Laying a patio is more complex than many people realise. You need to prepare the base properly to prevent shifting and sinking, and you need to consider drainage. Many injuries and mistakes can also occur while moving or cutting slabs.
Professional hardscapers will make sure that your patio is laid properly and safely. Choose a reputable company that provides a guarantee and check photos of their work online.
Installing outdoor electrics
Electrical work of any kind can be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing, but outdoor electrics can be particularly hazardous. Electricity and water are a dangerous mix – you need to be certain that any lights or gadgets are correctly IP rated, and any cables need to be suitably weatherproofed.
This is why you should always hire a professional electrician with experience installing outdoor electrics. They will be able to make sure that your electrics are installed correctly and safely to UK building regulations. If you have home insurance, it’s also vital that you hire a qualified professional so that you’re covered in the event of a house fire or an accident involving outdoor electrics.
Deep excavation work
For excavation work below 1.5 metres, hiring a professional is always recommended. Most of us have no idea what is buried under our garden – there could be pipes or cables that could get destroyed if you start digging without mapping everything out. Soil also has to be dug correctly and retaining walls need to be built to strict specs in order to prevent them collapsing.
Get a permit before attempting any deep excavation work and hire professionals who will have the right machinery and adequate insurance cover. For specific projects like digging a well or building a pool, there are specialist companies that you can look into. At the very least, you should hire a health and safety executive to carry out a survey of your garden to determine what is underneath and what you can legally do in your garden.