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Heavy Snow, The Smoke Shack takes a direct hit

thomas rubino

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posted 3 weeks ago

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Since Thursday night, it has been 33f and snowing steadily.
On Saturday morning, there was apx 14" of very wet heavy snow.

Overnight, a 70' pine tree uprooted itself and scored a direct hit on the smoke shack!
Due to its brick construction and a seriously strong roof, it did not crumble but tipped all four brick pillars.
One small blessing is that although the smoke shack is in rough shape, it has protected my barn as it took the brunt of the weight.

The Walker Black-and-White oven remained untouched.

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R Scott

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posted 3 weeks ago

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Built like a brick sh…. Er, smoke house. :)

Glad things worked out like that. Looks like a manageable repair in good weather, other than that roof does look ridiculously heavy. Do you have a machine or a way to rig it or do you have to disassemble it?

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thomas rubino

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posted 3 weeks ago

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I really will not know until we get the tree out of there.
With a lot of luck, it may sit back on its columns.
If it does that, I can jack each corner and make repairs.
Amazingly, the lumber all seems to be intact, except for the brick columns lifting.
Had I used three-hole bricks with rebar, the result would have been different... better??? maybe. maybe not.

With 14F for a low tonight, but then rising into the 50s by Tuesday, and they are saying 60-65F by Friday.
The snow will be gone, and we can get a better idea of how to get the tree out with minimal further damage to anything.
After that, I can see how the shack looks and decide on a plan to repair it.
I do have machines available to lift the whole roof if I need to.

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R Scott

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Rebar in the columns might have avoided that damage, but it probably would have cracked rafters and punched metal. definitely would have made any repair harder/more expensive.

thomas rubino

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Well, with better lighting, I got a better look at things.
The barn is basically undamaged. The tree is leaning only on the outer edge of the metal roofing and the support boards beneath.
The Smoke Shack roof itself is undamaged, but the brick columns are collapsing.
Will it get worse? It sure could.
Will it damage the barn if the tree falls more??? I sure hope not... but it could.
Help is coming on Thursday, between now and then, fingers crossed.
We need the snow to melt before anyone can go up on the roof.

New pictures with better lighting.

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Carla Burke

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Vell chit, Mon. I hope you can save both!!

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Jay Angler

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posted 2 weeks ago

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It's definitely busticated. Any way you can put a solid post between the barn and the smoke shack to keep the tree from falling further as things melt?

I sure hope you're not expecting rain. Rain on top of snow will make things even heavier!

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thomas rubino

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posted 2 weeks ago

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I thought about a post for extra support, not sure if I could keep it from sinking, although not muddy the ground is thawed.
Perhaps a steel plate with some spikes on the bottom. and some tabs to keep the post from skidding off it.
For now, I will keep a close eye on it.
Every morning, it will be the big question... did it move overnight?
This morning it is 17F. Nothing has moved since yesterday.

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Doug McEvers

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Likely the snow was mainly responsible for this tree going down, how about the wind during that time? 2 summers ago we had a 62 year old balsam fir snap off about 10 feet above the ground. This was a healthy tree in the middle of our grove north of the house. Balsam fir does not have a large exposure because they are lightly branched with small needles yet the wind was strong enough to take this tree. Planted it with my grandfather, he had brought it back from Upper Michigan. We seem to be having stronger winds here the last few years and not always related to storms, has me thinking about trees near our house.

thomas rubino

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posted 2 weeks ago

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In this case, it was an already leaning tree that became too heavy with wet snow and tipped over.
There were high winds in the area, but our elevated valley, nestled between ridges, avoids 90% of them.
The sad part is that all winter I have been picking trees (including the offending one) to have logged this summer.
Guess I should have thought of that last year...

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tony uljee

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posted 2 weeks ago

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well thats a bugger ---could you knock up an "A frame" with some round pole /trees ---include a top and bottom brace ---to support the tree trunk at the corner--- where its resting on the smoke shed roof ---prevent it from crushing down further with the build up of more snow---and perhaps nail up some upright poles at each roof corner with cross bracing to just keep the roof in place for now---the trees weight -- is now keeping it pinned down from the wind lifting at least---when good weather comes round ---cut that tree into stove size pieces --- keep it in a special place to dry out ---and then BURN it ---that will teach it .

Jay Angler

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Doug McEvers wrote:We seem to be having stronger winds here the last few years and not always related to storms, has me thinking about trees near our house.

We've been having weirder weather all around. Our area had a lot of very wet weather, followed by a lot of gusty weather, and many trees "tipped over" like Thomas' did (many of them taking out power lines in the process).

A couple of years ago, Hubby had professionals take out 5 trees that were threatening our power lines. Years before that, I convinced the Municipality to top a dead tree on the road allowance (standing deadwood is very important ecologically in our area). They were sure it wouldn't fall on our power lines, but when I gave them an option of shortening it to what they call a "wildlife tree", they were quite willing. This winter if finally tipped and sure enough, if it hadn't been shortened, we'd have been without power during a time when half the area was out of power!

Not great wood, but it will burn. We don't need hardwood in our mild climate to get the house warm enough to be comfortable.

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thomas rubino

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posted 2 weeks ago

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A few more pictures.
Using some nylon chokers and a come-along, I anchored the roof to a clump of mountain maple.
I stuck a 10' chunk of steel tubing under the tree for now.
If it looks like it wants to keep moving, I will build an A-frame as Tony suggested and have the neighbor lift the tree just enough to insert it.
Trimming off as many branches as I can get to from a ladder.
When I got as far as I could, I discovered that the outer (non-structural) 2x4 on the barn was broken.
An easy fix as long as that is the extent of the damage.

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Visit me at
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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 2 weeks ago

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The boys showed up this morning, and two hours later, the tree was on the ground!
No problems, and most importantly, no one was hurt, and nothing new was damaged.
Once the tree was off the smoke shack, it moved right back close to where it belongs, with no holes in the tin and only a couple of wrinkles in the metal itself!
Once the weather warms up, I will jack each corner up and add new cement. Perhaps I will add a steel strap at each column for extra strength.

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For all your Montana Masonry Heater parts (also known as) Rocket Mass heater parts.
Visit me at
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Jay Angler

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Well done boys - I trust you were appropriately thankful to them!

Lucky smoke shack. This situation could have been so much worse!

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John F Dean

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posted 2 weeks ago

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I am impressed. After all the work put into the original building, I would have curled up in a fetal position with my thumb in my mouth.

I learn from the mistakes of others who take my advice.

thomas rubino

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Oh My Gosh, all sorts of damage or injuries could have happened.
The smoke shack, just sitting back in place, was amazing!
The seriously strong roof with light-gauge tin that was hardly damaged.
Had I built this with rebar, it would have been much worse.

Oh yes, the boys were all bombarded with many thanks.

John, I just do not believe that for a minute:)

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Joylynn Hardesty

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Yay!!!

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Kenneth Elwell

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Wow, quite an amazing result! Without both buildings, either one would have sustained much more damage.

I hope that you can get the roof/posts of the smoke shack realigned soon, before the door forgets what it was like to be flat, square, plumb...

I have had a few recent experiences with "it'll be fine..." only to discover that my inner voice was correct, and it was not, in fact, fine. and I should have taken that extra step to make sure.
Luckily for me, in each case it isn't serious, and nobody is hurt. But it is frustrating to know that it could have gone so much better and smoothly, or done once not twice.

Nails are sold by the pound, that makes sense.
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thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Check it out, a few blows with an 8# sledge, and the smoke shack is back in place!
The door works, but I still need to repair the Walker chimney before I can fire up the oven.
I will do a real repair on the building later this summer.
Back in business, I cooked lunch for the kids out there today

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For all your Montana Masonry Heater parts (also known as) Rocket Mass heater parts.
Visit me at
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