Prepare for your future home to protect for next hurriance, windstorm, etc.

[kuifje75]

In the East Coast of the US, yes it would be cheaper to use the wood as they have a great abundance of wood. In the west of the US, the land is like a desert, and there are not many trees.

Historically, in the Southwest, they used bricks to build houses. They would shovel wet clay into forms and leave it in the sun to dry, to make bricks. Southwest Indians used to make houses like this way before the European arrived in the US and the Southwest.

http://www.fotosphotos.com/images/arch16.jpg
Here is an example of an old adobe house made from brick. This is popular in the Southwest of the US.

One of the older houses in Utah:
http://www.eduscapes.com/lamb/utahfall3.jpg
http://www.utah.edu/unews/news_images/tanner_ftdoug.jpg

Typical house built in Utah in 1940s or 1950s
http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/ut/f/utf5601.htm
http://www.cc.utah.edu/~djl3109/Places/Utah/House_Tour/house_front.jpg

Here are some links with photos of typical new homes in Utah:
http://www.mouse-house-tour.com/tourImg/177/Home07 Sep 2000.jpg
http://www.harmonre.com/

Real Estate listings in Utah
http://www.utahrealestate.com/

You can notice that even the poorest houses do have bricks.

 

[Reba]

In the East Coast of the US, yes it would be cheaper to use the wood as they have a great abundance of wood. In the west of the US, the land is like a desert, and there are not many trees.

Historically, in the Southwest, they used bricks to build houses. They would shovel wet clay into forms and leave it in the sun to dry, to make bricks. Southwest Indians used to make houses like this way before the European arrived in the US and the Southwest.

 

[Reba]

Interesting, I have American co-workers who told me that it's cheaper to build with wood or cupboard (I'm not sure it's English correct word - check picture on the link http://www.knauf-bauprodukte.de/Bilder/anwb/026.jpg ) on the house than build with brick.

I think you mean "clapboard"; that is, horizontal wood plank siding. A "cupboard" is a kitchen cabinet in the U.S., and a closet or wardrobe cabinet in England.[/QUOTE]

 

[Reba]

The house owners are not allow to plant the trees close to house accord Insurance company rule since around 1985. They can't do anything when the owners already plant their trees close their houses before the law comes in around 1985 but they have choice... high tarif to insure or cut tree off.

The tall trees that we have around our house (live oaks, water oaks, river birch, pine) were here before our house was built in 1989. Thanks to environmental rules, we are not allowed to cut any down. Now, those trees are 60-80 feet tall, and surround our house. The only trees we have planted are smaller ones, away from the house, such as flowering Japanese cherry and magnolia. We petitioned the town to allow us to cut ONE tall dangerous pine tree. They refused. We appealed. They refused again.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

@K75, interesting about brick history. I am sure that I remember about the brick history. It's Egypt during Mose's time who build with brick. (large stone but they call it "brick")... then later to England... I need to google to find out this evening.

The tall trees that we have around our house (live oaks, water oaks, river birch, pine) were here before our house was built in 1989. Thanks to environmental rules, we are not allowed to cut any down. Now, those trees are 60-80 feet tall, and surround our house. The only trees we have planted are smaller ones, away from the house, such as flowering Japanese cherry and magnolia. We petitioned the town to allow us to cut ONE tall dangerous pine tree. They refused. We appealed. They refused again.

Yes, we have strict environmental rule but they are for insurance rules because of risk on houses and humans if the trees hit on the house to hurt humans by hailstrom/windstorm. Insurance rule do not force insurers to cut their trees off because it's their decision either they want to keep their trees close to their house but they have to pay extra insurance on it.

I think you mean "clapboard"; that is, horizontal wood plank siding. A "cupboard" is a kitchen cabinet in the U.S., and a closet or wardrobe cabinet in England.

[/QUOTE]

Ooohhh... Thank you for correct me... I forget English sometimes... Occchhh...

 

[Reba]

This is why I worry about the wind (pictures taken yesterday):

 

[sequoias]

to reba's comments about the trees. 60 to 80 feet is not considered tall for a tree, but tall in southeast standards. The trees in the West US can get to 200-300 feet tall, tallest tree in the world is in Northwest California near the coast that is at 368 feet tall, now that's tall. It's called Coastal Redwood. Many trees in Washington state can get to 150-200 feet tall in the suburbs and in parks.

Most of the west is not a desert, the trees fit nook and cranny of the West US states. There are plenty of trees in California to West Oregon and Washington, Alaska, North Idaho, West Montana, Colorado mountains (west part). They yield more wood than the trees in the East because they're taller and more bulk.
Douglas Fir is a very popular tree for lumber uses, of course Oak, too.

n the East Coast of the US, yes it would be cheaper to use the wood as they have a great abundance of wood. In the west of the US, the land is like a desert, and there are not many trees.

 

[DeafSCUBA98]

This is why I worry about the wind (pictures taken yesterday):

ouch.. that's gonna hurt if it falls. i notice a huge tree right by your house.. i'm curious do you have basement? if so.. my concern with house with a huge tree near the home.. is a danger to basement cuz the roots breaks the cement in basement causeing flood if there's rain? this is what i heard from home inspection.

 

[Reba]

ouch.. that's gonna hurt if it falls. i notice a huge tree right by your house.. i'm curious do you have basement?

Houses here do not have basements.

 

[Reba]

to reba's comments about the trees. 60 to 80 feet is not considered tall for a tree, but tall in southeast standards.

Right you are. The West has beautiful majestic trees. The problem is, our trees are close to the house. We have had trees fall on the house before. Not good.

 

[kuifje75]

to reba's comments about the trees. 60 to 80 feet is not considered tall for a tree, but tall in southeast standards. The trees in the West US can get to 200-300 feet tall, tallest tree in the world is in Northwest California near the coast that is at 368 feet tall, now that's tall. It's called Coastal Redwood. Many trees in Washington state can get to 150-200 feet tall in the suburbs and in parks.

Most of the west is not a desert, the trees fit nook and cranny of the West US states. There are plenty of trees in California to West Oregon and Washington, Alaska, North Idaho, West Montana, Colorado mountains (west part). They yield more wood than the trees in the East because they're taller and more bulk.
Douglas Fir is a very popular tree for lumber uses, of course Oak, too.

You would be surprised to know what a desert is. Salt Lake City actually lies on a desert, even though it may not fit the common misconception of what a desert is, a land of flowing sand dunes. There are trees growing on the mountains because the snow falls on the mountaintops. When it becomes springtime, the snow melts, and falls down along the mountains into streams. It gives the trees a prime area to grow, but trees do die on the mountains due to many reasons such as lightning strikes, bushfires, lack of snowfalls, avalanches, etc...

The desert includes the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California and Texas. The Pacific Northwest is well known for the giant sequoias and redwood forests.

http://www.desertusa.com/du_basin.html

There are HOT and COLD deserts. Utah fits well within the COLD desert.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Hurricane straps are required here. We even built our shed with hurricane straps.

The homes here are required to have "tie downs". Is that the same thing as hurricane straps? I'm guessing so.

 

[sequoias]

I do know what a desert is, haha. I lived in Utah before so I know what it is like there. There is also desert in East Oregon and Washington, mostly you will see sagebush and desert-like plants. Temperatures can reach 100+ degrees in the summer in the hottest spots. Pacific Northwest isn't the home of sequoias and redwood forests, they are home to hemlocks, douglas firs, sitka spruce, and many more coniferous trees. California has the coastal redwoods and giant sequoias, and the redwood live far as the extreme southwest tip of Oregon coast. The giant sequoias live in the western slope of sierra mountains of California.

The desert includes the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California and Texas. The Pacific Northwest is well known for the giant sequoias and redwood forests.

 

[kuifje75]

Sorry Sequoia, it was my assumption that Northern California was considered as a part of the Pacific Northwest, but apparently not. I visited the Redwood National Forest well up north of the California coast, near Oregon border, and it was beautiful there.

You can see the error that could be easily made, if things like Wikipedia states that Northern California is sometimes included within the Pacific Northwest region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest

 

[sequoias]

Sorry Sequoia, it was my assumption that Northern California was considered as a part of the Pacific Northwest, but apparently not. I visited the Redwood National Forest well up north of the California coast, near Oregon border, and it was beautiful there.

Yes, extreme north California is considered part of Pacific Northwest.

Most of the time Washington, BC Canada and Oregon is Pacific Northwest region.

 

[Reba]

This shows some of the damage done by hurricane Hugo in 1989.

The first picture shows the front of the garage side. (These pix were taken after a little clean up of the yard.) The garage roof had a lot of damage.

The second picture shows the back of the house and garage. That large tree behind the garage had to be cut down. The two bedrooms (upstairs) near the garage had to almost completely rebuilt (roof, shingles, insulation, walls, siding, carpet, windows, etc.)

As you can see, the house didn't really lose too much siding, even with the strong winds. All the heavy damage was from trees falling on it, and then the water damage that resulted from the rain coming thru the holes.

Even a year later, some of the remaining large trees died from the shock, and had to be cut down.

 

[Reba]

The homes here are required to have "tie downs". Is that the same thing as hurricane straps? I'm guessing so.

Yes; sometimes they are called hurricane "clips" too.

Usually "tie downs" describes the straps used by mobile homes, and clips or straps are used for permanent buildings. They all serve pretty much the same purpose. They attach the home to the foundation, and the roof to the building.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

I found the link of brick history.

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/burntbrick.html
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/departments/ecamea/mut/history
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/egypthistory.html

Yes, it's Egypt. They built Pyramid with brick, (yes, different brick but it's still brick) that's how the "brick" got the world idea to build the houses/castles.

 

[Liebling:-)))]

This is why I worry about the wind (pictures taken yesterday):

The picture of your house look beautiful but it's risk to have tree to close your house. I can understand your fear after read your earlier post and again saw the pictures because of hurriance/windstorm risk. I would suggest you to write a serious and final letter to demand them to check your house that you don't want risk because of this. I was total surprised after read your post saying that they refused after your appeal. (I'm sorry that I didn't respond to suggest you to this in my early post of yesterday.) If they refused again on your final and serious letter then go to check with legal adviser. I'm sure that law will understand because of hurriance zone.
What do you think?

 

[Reba]

The picture of your house look beautiful but it's risk to have tree to close your house. I can understand your fear after read your earlier post and again saw the pictures because of hurriance/windstorm risk. I would suggest you to write a serious and final letter to demand them to check your house that you don't want risk because of this. I was total surprised after read your post saying that they refused after your appeal. (I'm sorry that I didn't respond to suggest you to this in my early post of yesterday.) If they refused again on your final and serious letter then go to check with legal adviser. I'm sure that law will understand because of hurriance zone.
What do you think?

Sorry, but the law applies to every homeowner in the town limits. The town thinks that trees are more important than houses and people. We wrote a serious letter of appeal, and it meant nothing. Other people have tried for their trees also, but no success. There is a huge fine ($8,000 per tree) if a person cuts down a tree without permission.