100 year-old tree wreaked havoc on historic home

A hundred plus year-old tree fell on this historic house in Irvington.  The tree caused damage to the roof. trim. crown molding, concrete and wrought iron fencing.  All of the front fascia and soffits were replaced with primed cedar and new crown molding.  The wood awnings were completely rebuilt from scratch and a new roof was put on.  The entire concrete porch was completely jackhammered to remove it so a new concrete porch could be poured.  New wrought iron fencing was custom made to install on the porch and was built to code.

 

What You Can Do to Prevent Roof Damage From Trees

1. Trim the tree: Trim all tree branches that are too close to the roof. It is best to ask an arborist to remove overhanging branches, as they will be able to protect your roof as they work. Or you can use the same strategies you’d use to protect your home and garden during a roof installation. Also, if you find that you need to prune more than 25 percent of the tree, it may be better to remove the tree entirely. A tree that has experienced such an extreme pruning is likely to die and fall over.
2. Prune young trees: You can use pruning to control tree growth. You may prune young trees so that they only develop strong crotches (the junction between the branch and trunk), which are less likely to break off in storms.
3. Clean up debris: Remove tree debris from the roof and the gutters as soon after it has fallen as you can. If you have a tree that drops debris all year, such as a pine tree, you will need to clean the gutters and roof every few months.
4. Cut down unstable trees: Trees that are unstable or seriously ill should be cut down quickly before they have the chance to fall onto your roof. However, first check with your local city bylaws and your arborist. Some tree species are protected and cannot be cut down. Other areas prohibit removing trees with a certain trunk diameter.