Hurricane lumber?

[EricY]

Here in Richmond we're still feeling the effects of hurricane Isabell. No power, we can't drink the water, and lots of cleanup left to do.

Has anyone ever had any luck with getting large trees from the city that fell in a storm like this? There's a lot of lumber out there... mostly pin oaks, but some maple, sycamore, and white oaks as well.

I tried to get some firewood from a school in Henrico county where 3 very large white oaks fell and was told that I couldn't have any due to liability reasons. They were just going to send the trees (about 3 feet in diameter) to the landfill. What a shame.

It's sad to drive down the street and see so many large trees down and know that a lot of the wood will just go to waste.

Eric

[Bob Gramza]

Check with the tree cutting crews on the street. They may or may not help you out.

[Swingman]

About what you'd expect from the damn lawyers and burrocrats ... makes you hope you find one under one of those trees.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Out town cuts it and sells it as cordwood. Unless you happen by when they are cutting the trees and bring the coffee. Ed

[SteveC1280]

It's a good thing we have lawyers to protect us from trees that have already fallen.

Remove the 'remove' in my address to e:mail me.

[Rico]

Mexican gummnt officials?

Rico

[Andy Dingley]

Yes, but you need to cruise the streets in a flatbed truck with a HIAB crane on the back.

Everyone "just wants rid" of the fallen tree. But no-one is equipped to move or deliver a whole butt for you. If you don't want it chainsawed down to manageable lengths, then you need to have your own transport.

Of course, if you're a bowl turner, then it's open season.

-- Smert' spamionam

[Lazarus Long]

FWW had a story or somesuch about someone that went around Miami after hurrican Andrew harvesting blown down cuban mahogany.

In light of that, what you want, and more must be possible to do. I'd ask the people doing the cleanup for the stuff you need. If you've got a woodmizer, maybe now is the time to take around and make some lumber.

I dislike the waste too, but not every tree is worth sawing into lumber for one reason or another.

[Lazarus Long]

Yep, wet wood = heavy

In this situation, if you're equipped, you might get enough lumber for a lifetime.

[Chris Snyder]

(I too live in Richmond) You can have my 24" diameter white oak...but first you have to get it out of my roof.

Does anybody have suggestions for the best way to get the tree out of my house? It's a 60' high split trunk: 24" and 16" trunks. It uprooted and smashed the back corner of the house. Fortunately (depends who you ask) the tree broke when it hit the back/side wall corner. I think I can safely cut away the crown (branches), but that still leaves me a 30-40' 24" trunk section rooted to the ground.

I have been unable to speak to any tree service (apparently they are a little busy) and would really like to get this tree off the roof!

So far my ideas are (after cutting away as much tree as possible):

1. Run a cable to a tree that's still standing about 30' high and back down to the base of another tree (think suspension bridge - or poor-man's crane).
2. Jack up the trunk and attempt to cut it near where it meets the house.
3. Try to get a backhoe with a chain to lift it up off the house (most desired, least likely)

Please tell me all the ways I may kill myself in the process of attempting these.

Thanks, Chris

[Charles Erskine]

There is some info here about salvaging trees. If Norm does it, it must be OK.

[john]

I have a 50 foot maple on my roof as well. Not sure what type of maple it is but there isn't any straight part that could be used as lumber I can see. I'll be saving some peices for the lathe but can't use near all of it. Any one in College Park MD area that want's some maple to turn it's yours for free. Gota wait till the insurance man says I can take it down though....

[Swingman]

Man, you guys have my total sympathy, for all the good that does you. We lost our home of 14 years, and just about everything in it, to Tropical Storm Allison back in June 2001. Keep your collective chin's up and hang in there ... it takes a while to recover, but recover you do. I certainly hope your families are safe, if a bit bedraggled and wet ... that's the important part.

[Scott Brownell]

Sorry to hear about all the damages out there. I'm a former property adjuster and the following is what I suggest you do.

Take a picture of it, document the date with a picture of a newspaper before the picture of the tree. That way the negatives will prove the date of loss. Get the tree off as soon as you can & document your costs of doing so. Your insurance will pay those costs but they won't cover the cost of cut-up & removal from your property. Get tarps up on the roof to protect the house ASAP, this cost is also covered. Any costs you incurr to protect the house will be covered.

Wishing you & yours better days ahead,

Scott

-- An unkind remark is like a killing frost. No matter how much it warms up later, the damage remains.

[Fred the Red Shirt]

Doesn't Norm stain cherry?

everythign he does he does better than I.

[Fred the Red Shirt]

In such a case you could offer them a waiver of liability.

[McQualude]

EricY spaketh...

Most, if not all of those trees will have wind shake, the wind will seperate the wood fibers while rocking the tree back and forth. Basically, it's only good for firewood.

[EricY]

Thanks to all for your tips, information, and kind words regarding the hurricane. Looks like it might not be worth the effort to claim the wood for lumber. I have a cargo van but no way to get the wood to a mill. Since I don't know anyone with a portable mill it looks like getting lumber is a no-go, and, according to the previous poster, the wood might not be fit for lumber anyway.

I have been able to get some firewood after all so at least it's not all going to waste. And maybe I'll try my hand at bowl turning when the power comes back on...

Eric

[Norm Underwood]

Uhh, wind shake is not caused by wind. It's caused by bacteria.

[McQualude]

Norm Underwood spaketh...

Don't be dense, wind shake is caused by the wind, that's why it's called WIND shake.

're thinking of spalted lumber.