Little Tree Big Damage

[darkstar]

This tiny tree caused major damage to the fellows house .
He was sitting directly underneath where it fell but did not get hurt.
It uprooted ina storm.
You can see not only did it crush the living room but it got the second story real bad to.
We pulled it off and got him tarped up .
Entired job only took 6 hours 16 ton crane was used and at full reach was able to pu an 8 foot log at the butt cut.
Hard to believe it crushed so much.

 

[Paul B]

nice pic... any more to be had?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yikes... Ivy covered too by the looks of it..

 

[SkwerI]

I'll never live in a stick house. Might as well be living in a cardboard box, or a mobile home.

 

[gf beranek]

There was a lot of top over the house. No doubt what drove it like it did.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Was thinking the same thing Jerry... Top heavy... Water laden this time of year too. Bet when the tree was cut it bled water and sap.

 

[SkwerI]

Looks like it has been 'maintained' as well. Hire the cheapest guy to come in and cut off the lowest limbs. :roll: Homeowners don't see anything over 35' high anyway, so it must be safe up there. Amazing how so many people create their own problems.

 

[darkstar]

The pics make it look bigger than it is to.

 

[darkstar]

 

[darkstar]

I actually could not see where this tree had ever been pruned.
And the ivy only went alittle ways up.Then it go real thin.
It totally took out the upstairs as well.
We had really bad storms in Tennessee.

 

[Paul B]

yoicks

 

[Dave Shepard]

What kind of house do you live in Skwerl?

 

[SkwerI]

Cement block!

 

[Dave Shepard]

I'm a timber frame guy myself. Of course an acute case of arborphobia will erase your worries.:roll:

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yea, cement blocks won't hurt you.

 

[SkwerI]

They are much stronger than the typical stick frame houses around here, or the one in the pictures above. And this entire region has subterranian termites so almost all wood frame houses here will eventually have termite damage.

Anyway, IMO if that house had been block construction then it probably wouldn't have been damaged as badly.

 

[Old Monkey]

I think that a lot of that damage has to do with that it took the hit from the side of the house. That's not the strongest direction for the joists.

Did that tree pull roots or did it fail at the base?

 

[Stumper]

That is a surprising ammount of damage given the size of the tree...but Darin's point about side impact rather than coming own on the roof in the plane where it is strongest is very relevant.

 

[stehansen]

They are much stronger than the typical stick frame houses around here, or the one in the pictures above. And this entire region has subterranian termites so almost all wood frame houses here will eventually have termite damage.

Anyway, IMO if that house had been block construction then it probably wouldn't have been damaged as badly.

My sister's house in West Palm Beach is cement block also. Supposed to be able to handle the termites and also hurricanes.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

And I'll huff and I'll puff........

 

[darkstar]

That tree uprooted which made me wonder even further how it did so much damage.
Maybe the termites had eaten the rafters ( :

 

[darkstar]

I have yet to bill insurance company for this job .
We did it as emergency job the day befor Easter.
What do you guys think from looking at photos would be ok price for total removal clean up everything ?

 

[sotc]

Seems to be the optimum height and distance from the house for heavy damage. Far enough away to pick up real momentum, yet close enough for the trunk to hit well before the brush could absorb any energy on the second story

 

[darkstar]

Id agree with all of that sotc.
How much total removal.
We did the top without any crane and then removed the trunk with a tiny lil 16 .
8 foot logs .
Job took 3 god tree men 7 hours including travel time of one hour each way.
And we actually do have some clean up still but deffinatly finish it befor lunch tomorrow.
I need to invoice tomorrow.
How much fellows?

 

[sotc]

3 godlike tree men for a total of 21 hours? sounds expensive