A stump can ruin the look of a perfectly manicured yard. There are two main ways to remove a stump. One is through chemical treatments and the other is with a stump grinder. Both of these methods break down the stump without leaving a massive hole in your yard. Knowing how both of these methods work will help you decide which removal method is right for you. 

Chemical Treatments

Chemical treatments work by slowly dissolving the stump over the course of several weeks. You start by cutting away as much of the stump as possible — try to get it level to the ground. You drill holes into the stump and add in the directed amount of granules into the drilled holes. After adding the granules, you'll add water to the granules in each hole. 

Then, you wait. The water causes the stump remover treatment to spread throughout the stump and break it down. This process can take several weeks — it's best to check the instructions on the product you're using.

When the stump is soft you want to chisel it out with an ax or burn away the remainder. You may also want to burn away the roots by using kerosene. If the chemical treatment hasn't made its way through the roots, the roots could establish themselves.

How Stump Grinding Compares

Stump grinding compared to chemical removal is a faster process. Similar to chemical stump grinding, you will want to cut away as much of the stump as possible before you begin the grinding process. Many stump grinders are only capable of lifting several inches and not several feet. 

Once you've cut away the stump, the stump grinder is placed over the stump and uses blades to grind the stump from top to bottom. The process is finished the same day and leaves you with mulch made from the stump. The mulch can be left in the hole. However, many homeowners opt to use the mulch created from grinding for their flower beds. They fill in the hole left from the grinding process with soil and plant grass seeds. 

The stump grinder grinds below ground level to completely remove the stump, though some roots may remain behind. The roots may be removed with the same burning process used after chemical stump removal. 

If you're in the market for stump removal, reach out to a tree removal service. No matter which method you prefer, a stump removal technician will help you decide which removal technique is best for your situation.

For additional information, contact a company like Pete & Ron's Tree Service, Inc.

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