On my way to the mailbox this afternoon, I heard the sound of chainsaws screeming from the next street over. Last night we had some heavy winds and rain, so I'm told, and this white oak split apart onto my neighbor's house.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12750/P1010001.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12750/P1010008.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12750/P1010009.JPG)
This was a beautiful and perfectly shaped white oak tree. It was one of those Wonder trees. "I wonder how many BF are in it?" :)
I walked around it many times admiring how pretty it was. As you can see, it split just enough to make it not worth while to salvage for lumber. :( It's worse than it looks in the pics.
I watched the guys take it down. They took their time with all the stuff on the house using pole saws to reach into and up into the mess. Their job today was to clear the roof for a tarp. Tomorrow I guess they will clear most of the debris.
Where's the house?
It's there. Trust me. :D
Those wind storms will take out the ones with rotten crotches, and looks like this one was a candidate.
The previous pics also showed where there was decay around the squirrel holes.
The weak ones don't survive very well.
That's too bad. That made some noise on the way down and when it hit too.
Beenthere,
You're right. Water had been getting into the tree for some time and the heart looks like it's been decaying. That was another reason not totry and harvest this one for boards.
cfarm,
I asked the owner if he heard it and he said," Well, I heard something and got up (it was 2AM) to look around but didn't see anything so I went back to bed." :D
Oaks are bad news during those heavy windstorms. I have 5-6 water oaks within striking distance of my future house site, as bad as I need the shade they provide, they are ALL coming down. Most of the oaks along the rivers in my area have some fashion of disease, the upper limbs are dying and seemingly healthly sizable green limbs are dropping out every once in a while for no apparent reason.
Seems once these get the upper limbs dying, they only last a year, maybe two.
The rest of the upper limb section split out today. Third pic down everything to the left. The tree guys took the day off for a holiday, I guess. When they get back, part of their job will already be done.