Crazy Snow Storm around Seattle

Tango

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Mar 12, 2017
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Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
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Dear Tang,

my home is nearly 20 years old, i've been here for 16 years. the roof is concrete tile, which is ideal for a high wind environment, last forever, as well as being fireproof. the negative of a concrete tile roof is that in a rainy environment moss can easily grow. so i have it cleaned every 3 years, and there are the occasional broken tiles and such. otherwise the roof is as good as new, maybe better as the roofing company has re-worked a few areas for better drainage especially on the barn roof. and the structure of the house needs to be stout to handle the weight of the roof.

unfortunately my front porch roof was not quite stout enough.

i debated whether to share this little part of my snow experience. please be gentle and allow me to move on from this event. i know there will be some that will end up throwing this back in my face at a future opportune time.

at 1:45 am this morning i was awakened by a loud crash. i hoped it was some snow sliding off my roof. unfortunately it was my front porch roof crashing forward and breaking up. i think one of the two front posts somehow gave way.

no one was hurt thank god. hopefully just an insurance deductible and a few months of hassle and ugly.

when they declared a snow emergency they were not kidding.

porch d.jpg
 

thomask

Well-Known Member
Dec 9, 2018
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Washington State, US
Dear Tang,

my home is nearly 20 years old, i've been here for 16 years. the roof is concrete tile, which is ideal for a high wind environment, as well as being fireproof. the negative of a concrete tile roof is that in a rainy environment moss can easily grow. so i have it cleaned every 3 years, and there are the occasional broken tiles and such. otherwise the roof is as good as new, maybe better as the roofing company has re-worked a few areas for better drainage especially on the barn roof. and the structure of the house needs to be stout to handle the weight of the roof.

unfortunately my front porch roof was not quite stout enough.

i debated whether to share this little part of my snow experience. please be gentle and allow me to move on from this event. i know there will be some that will end up throwing this back in my face at a future opportune time.

at 1:45 am this morning i was awakened by a loud crash. i hoped it was some snow sliding off my roof. unfortunately it was my front porch roof crashing forward and breaking up. i think one of the two front posts somehow gave way.

no one was hurt thank god. hopefully just an insurance deductible and a few months of hassle and ugly.

when they declared a snow emergency they were not kidding.

View attachment 48615
That is too bad.

But it is fortunate that nobody got hurt.

I hope that you will repair those things without much huddle.
 

Folsom

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Oct 25, 2015
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Yikes! I'm glad no one was near it when it decided it had had enough. It looks like the attachment from the truss to the pillar wasn't good enough for the rare super load. It looks like only a little bit of change is needed, so you'll be able to maintain the look. I don't think anyone is going to trying to beat you up over it, rather just feeling empathetic as surprise home failures are not fun as most people know...
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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So sorry to learn of this very aggravating occurrence, Mike!
 

Tango

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Mar 12, 2017
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Bangkok
Dear Tang,

my home is nearly 20 years old, i've been here for 16 years. the roof is concrete tile, which is ideal for a high wind environment, last forever, as well as being fireproof. the negative of a concrete tile roof is that in a rainy environment moss can easily grow. so i have it cleaned every 3 years, and there are the occasional broken tiles and such. otherwise the roof is as good as new, maybe better as the roofing company has re-worked a few areas for better drainage especially on the barn roof. and the structure of the house needs to be stout to handle the weight of the roof.

unfortunately my front porch roof was not quite stout enough.

i debated whether to share this little part of my snow experience. please be gentle and allow me to move on from this event. i know there will be some that will end up throwing this back in my face at a future opportune time.

at 1:45 am this morning i was awakened by a loud crash. i hoped it was some snow sliding off my roof. unfortunately it was my front porch roof crashing forward and breaking up. i think one of the two front posts somehow gave way.

no one was hurt thank god. hopefully just an insurance deductible and a few months of hassle and ugly.

when they declared a snow emergency they were not kidding.

View attachment 48615
Ouch! I was just thinking the snow put quite a load on your porch. What's why I asked. Hope the damage is not so big. Bad things are gone and over with. Good things will come after sir.

Kind regards,
Tang
 
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Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
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thanks Guys, for the kind comments and positive wishes.

Tang, i hope the insurance claim investigator will be able to tell me why this happened. my home gets lots of weather and could that have weakened some part of the support? or was it just that the snow load exceeded the design capacity? we will see if that can be determined.

for my own piece of mind i would like to know what caused what as that will guide my future actions.

in a few months this will be behind me.
 
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audioquattr

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Sep 7, 2016
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Oh.... that is not looking good.
I hope everything is safe now and the weather is getting better soon overthere.
I wish you the best!
 

DaveC

Industry Expert
Nov 16, 2014
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Wow, glad nobody is hurt!

In 2003 I was living in the Nederland, CO area... I was ~500 ft elevation higher, so just over 9000 ft, and got about 12 ft of snow over 2 days. They had to bring in those massive snowthrowers that clear avalanches off of highways on the divide to clear our roads. Once the major highway in the area was clear it allowed heavy equipment the ability to move around and help clear smaller roads and driveways. All in all it took 7 days before I could go anywhere. The neighbors made a network of snowshoe trails to get around, and luckily somehow power never went out. The town of Nederland lost power for a few days, that must have been difficult...

The morning of the 2nd day of snow I open the front door and there's just a wall of snow in front of me about 9 ft tall. My dog wanted to go outside and looked confused, just sat there looking at the snow, lol...
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
i debated whether to share this little part of my snow experience. please be gentle and allow me to move on from this event. i know there will be some that will end up throwing this back in my face at a future opportune time.

at 1:45 am this morning i was awakened by a loud crash. i hoped it was some snow sliding off my roof. unfortunately it was my front porch roof crashing forward and breaking up. i think one of the two front posts somehow gave way.

Mike, you live in beautiful surroundings up in the mountains with the wildlife; the natural elements you live through them, including snow accumulation. Why in heavens would someone not be gentle and throwing this back @ you @ a future opportunistic time?!?

Are not all members of WBF dignified gentlemen?
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,587
11,663
4,410
Mike, you live in beautiful surroundings up in the mountains with the wildlife; the natural elements you live through them, including snow accumulation. Why in heavens would someone not be gentle and throwing this back @ you @ a future opportunistic time?!?

Are not all members of WBF dignified gentlemen?

history is the best teacher. points get made with tools at hand, and each of us has our own compass.

WBF members are an exceptional group, i'm proud to be a part of it.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
History is history, mistakes have been made and mistakes are never to be repeated.
The future is only moving forward. All the snow and ice in the world is melting faster than ever.
Nothing last forever, let the good times roll.
 

Ultrafast69

VIP/Donor
Aug 27, 2018
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Seattle, WA
www.audio-ultra.com
thanks Guys, for the kind comments and positive wishes.

Tang, i hope the insurance claim investigator will be able to tell me why this happened. my home gets lots of weather and could that have weakened some part of the support? or was it just that the snow load exceeded the design capacity? we will see if that can be determined.

for my own piece of mind i would like to know what caused what as that will guide my future actions.

in a few months this will be behind me.

The load on the surface seems to be the reason, overall this will be a somewhat easy repair, a lot more worse could of happened - looks like things are improving.

I would almost think a metal roof would make sense out there, maybe an idea on the porch overhang with a cool color?
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
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Eastern WA
The load on the surface seems to be the reason, overall this will be a somewhat easy repair, a lot more worse could of happened - looks like things are improving.

I would almost think a metal roof would make sense out there, maybe an idea on the porch overhang with a cool color?

Yes, we all know it was snow. See where the truss's separated from the support? There's virtually no damage. It probably wasn't made to hold up the heft of such weight (he lives close enough to Seattle that it would be easy for a builder to think there's only going to be rain). If one side had extra weight it would create a little twist and pull from the house and then you lose stability of all the points supporting it. This isn't a problem of the type of roofing. But really, let's wait for a report from someone on site. There's no doubt Mike will get it back together and impervious to future problems.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
It is still snowing ... all white everywhere ... it looks real pretty on Valentine's Day.
The forests and the mountains used to be green, now they are white.
It's like a beautiful movie in black and white.
 

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