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The damage from the massive oak tree, who I've named, Big Mama is catastrophic
However, I started to realize how the roof and porch caught everything
And held Big Mama up; keeping her out of the house while she sat there an entire week
(Hurricane caused tree companies to be completely overwhelmed; difficulty getting emergency service)
And that the tree didn't penetrate all the way through the bricks to the floor
Some info from Gemini, based on photos I uploaded:
Older framing definitely has distinct advantages over modern construction in an impact like this:
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True-Dimensional, Old-Growth Lumber: Mid-century and older homes were built using dense,
slow-growth timber that is significantly harder, heavier, and more rigid than fast-grown modern SPF (spruce-pine-fir).
That extra grain density provides serious shear resistance. -
Stick-Built Roof Rafters vs. Light Trusses:
Older roofs were framed piece-by-piece with solid $2\times6$ or $2\times8$ rafters tied directly into ceiling joists and bearing walls.
When a tree hits a modern pre-fab truss system, the lightweight pressed metal gusset plates can unzip across several trusses at once, triggering a cascade failure.
Traditional stick framing tends to take the hit locally, splintering where struck while adjacent members stubbornly stay anchored. -
Heavy Plywood or Tongue-and-Groove Sheathing: Older homes frequently used 3/4-inch exterior plywood or solid board sheathing rather than thin 7/16-inch OSB.
Solid board decking will crack and split, but it fights the puncture every inch of the way.
That density and framing style is almost certainly what kept the tree from shearing clean through the ceiling down onto your living room floor.
It did its job stopping the initial blow; the main focus now is just keeping weight off those fractured timbers until the engineer can spec the repair plan.
It did its job stopping the initial blow; the main focus now is just keeping weight off those fractured timbers until the engineer can spec the repair plan.
Me:
built in the 70s. at least this is something positive, hopeful for us
It really is a massive silver lining.
Mid-1970s construction had a solid structural sweet spot:
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Stout Exterior Envelopes:
Builders in that era were still using robust nominal lumber framing and substantial roof decking.
That toughness absorbed an immense amount of blunt force that could have easily taken down a more lightweight, modern assembly. -
The Living Space Held:
The main structural integrity of your exterior brick walls and the primary ceiling planes kept the catastrophe
localized to the entry porch and roof edge.
It did its job when it mattered most, protecting anyone inside. -
Clear, Localized Repair Boundary:
Because it’s traditional stick framing rather than an engineered truss system that failed end-to-end,
a good framer and structural engineer can isolate the damaged rafter ends, post, and decking
without needing to tear down the entire roofline of the house.
You’re dealing with a headache right now, but the structure stood its ground and took a direct hit like a champion.
Once the engineer writes up the repair plan and the adjusters finish their scope,
you'll be on a clear path to putting it back together stronger than before.
Once the engineer writes up the repair plan and the adjusters finish their scope,
you'll be on a clear path to putting it back together stronger than before.
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Posted : 23 October 2026 18:26