[lonewolfny42]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune John....glad to read your OK.

Must be daylight....any other damage ?

[JohnR]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune John....glad to read your OK.

Must be daylight....any other damage ?

Hi wolfy, thanks for your kind thoughts. Some damage to the deck, but main thing is another piece of the branch gored a different section of the roof:



Anyway I guess I'm coming to terms with it now. Insurance agent called me today to let me know he wouldn't be here today... this part of Sydney is pretty chaotic, fallen trees and branches everywhere.

Look on the bright side.... Maybe you could make a nice set of speakers out of that tree.

Hah, or the next ten years of firewood 

[JLM]

I'd get the holes covered with large sheets of heavy plastic (well secured) right away (get off the internet now!).  Don't do any work you're not comfortable doing (its not worth serious injury).  After 911, Katrina, and the August 2003 blackout the message we get in the U.S. is to plan on being "on your own" for the first 3 days after a regional incident.  Keep the receipts for materials and labor so hopefully the insurance will cover the cost.

In general people plant too close together and too close to obstructions (they see 2 - 3 years down the road, not 10 - 50 years).  There is of course the shade and romance that trees around houses provide.  In many parts of the U.S. most clumps of trees that can be seen by air are in cities and towns.  But soft wood trees don't belong anywhere near buildings.  Not only can they come crashing down, their roots usually get into drains and even foundations.

You must live in a very temperate climate.  In Michigan the roof would be much more substantial.  I doubt what I see would even pass for a cheap pole barn here.  And the roof of my 2005 house has 19 inches of blown fiberglass insulation.

[ctviggen]

You must live in a very temperate climate.  In Michigan the roof would be much more substantial.  I doubt what I see would even pass for a cheap pole barn here.  And the roof of my 2005 house has 19 inches of blown fiberglass insulation.

My house built in 1986 in CT has no more insulation than what his house has.  Now, I added an extra R19 batting (8 inches thick), but without that, it was only about 6 inches of insulation.  Also, that roof is designed quite differently than the way mine is designed.  For instance, I don't have those cross runners (which go horizontally across the screen).  I also have 3/4 inch plywood on the rafters, but then only asphalt shingles, which are essentially useless as a structural material.  I would hazard a guess that the metal adds structural support and his roof is probably as strong as ours (except maybe for trees hitting it).  Even thin metal can be surprisingly strong -- try standing on an aluminum can sometime.  In terms of wind and the "normal" things to hit your roof, his roof is probably as strong as ours.  In terms of trees, I don't think my roof would do much better, though.

[JohnR]

I'd get the holes covered with large sheets of heavy plastic (well secured) right away (get off the internet now!).  Don't do any work you're not comfortable doing (its not worth serious injury).  After 911, Katrina, and the August 2003 blackout the message we get in the U.S. is to plan on being "on your own" for the first 3 days after a regional incident.

I kinda expected some help today, but realize now that was unrealistic. However, the SES (State Emergency Service) just showed up. Staffed by volunteers... wow, I'm impressed, it's 10:30 PM here, and these guys have been going all day around here. One asked about my pipecleaner dipoles and is interested in building a Seas kit.. perhaps he will be a new AC member Anyway, they reckon there's not much they can do about the roof, the hole is too big to cover with tarps -- it will just fill with water and cave in anyway. This roof is very steep and high off the ground -- no-one is getting up on the outside until it dries out. Regardless, the neighbour behind me is going to help me tomorrow to see what we can cook up to help keep the water out of the house.

Yep, climate here is pretty mild overall. I like that bit This area used to be a lot of holiday homes, I don't think construction quality was all that high on the list of priorities. Still, the roof has been fine in 120 kph winds for the last 30+ years.

[stvnharr]

You must live in a very temperate climate.  In Michigan the roof would be much more substantial.  I doubt what I see would even pass for a cheap pole barn here.  And the roof of my 2005 house has 19 inches of blown fiberglass insulation.

The roof looks like pretty standard aussie fare.  Roofs are all either metal or tile.  There is no sheathing underneath.  Asphalt shingles do not exist.  In fact roofers don't even know what they are as they do not exist there.

Trees always look nice until they come down on the roof!

Thank goodness for the SES, as they do work wonders.  The spirit of volunteerism just isn't that strong in the States like it is in Australia.