Help with wind around house

[3rdgenorange]

I was hoping someone would be able to help me. My wife and I recently built on her fathers farm. We are out in the middle of a field and at the bottom of a hill. The problem we are having is that when the wind gust to around 35-55 mph it is really beating our house up. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have looked at wind breaking walls by using trees but we really do enjoy the view off our front porch which faces the west and is one of the biggest problems areas. The 2 problem areas is the West and South. Would we need to plant the whole wall or would planting 6 or 7 fast growing trees help in the future? any advise would be appreciated. If it helps we live in central ohio.

 

[intel]

I used two rows staggered of white pines 6' tall 50 to 70 feet from house. They are a fast growing pine tree, but i was not worried about the view. You might be able to angle the row of trees to deflect the wind most of the time but still have a view.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

The problem with trees is growing big and falling as well as ice or snow and breaking off. I like trees myself. But if you are going to plant them do it far enough away where needles or leaves don't clog up your gutters or encourage moss growth on the roof. Also maybe far enough away so that if they are 50'-60' high they may not hit the house. Poplars are fast growing. They lose enough leaves in the winter to be less of a risk for tipping or breaking
If you can afford a decent cedar fence that may help. If you stagger the slats so that they aren't next to each other _--_-- like this looking down from the top. That creates less of a huge barrier. Rhodies or Azaleas grow fairly fast. Just keep them trimmed down to a decent height.
Or move to a state that isn't so flat?

 

[AchingBack]

I can offer some suggestions for windbreaks. The correct shape is the letter L. The L is lying with the long leg running on the south side of your property, east to west, with the short leg running from south to north. Your dwelling, and ideally, your out buildings, will be contained within the L, which will be constructed to the lengths needed for protection.

The windbreak should consist of three rows of plants, beginning with large growing shrubs, (see what grows in your area), or fast growing pampas grass. The second row will consist of an intermediate size planting of small trees or very large evergreen shrubs, such as some of the junipers, or thujas. The back row, closest to your house, will be made up of trees. I would go with conifers. You want evergreens for their density, and year round protection.

What you are doing is constructing a ladder of sorts that gradually buffers the wind, and diminishes its effects as it hits each row of plantings. Like a three strand rope, there is more strength in a 3 row windbreak. Just make sure to space the plants according to their size at maturity. You can crowd them, but they will grow slower, as they compete for sunlight.

As I have noticed this forum is supposed to be about tractor related projects, I further suggest, use your FEL to hold the drinks and ice.

 

[KentT]

I can offer some suggestions for windbreaks. The correct shape is the letter L. The L is lying with the long leg running on the south side of your property, east to west, with the short leg running from south to north. Your dwelling, and ideally, your out buildings, will be contained within the L, which will be constructed to the lengths needed for protection.

It may work for the original poster's stated directional concerns, but...

This sounds exactly backwards of what I've always read/heard for the US Midwest and East, where the prevailing WINTER winds are from the North & Northwest? Yes, you'll occasionally get winds from the South and Southwest, but these are warm fronts out of the Gulf of Mexico... the nasty stuff usually comes from Canada!

I've always heard the house and outbuilding sit inside the point of the "L" with the long leg of the rotated "L" on the north. There's several good USDA and state publications on building and maintaining windbreaks and greenbelts...

 

[J_J]

With all that wind, I would take advantage of that much wind and put up at least a couple windmills

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Great Idea JJ! Sort of like when dealt lemons make lemonade.

 

[ampsucker]

actually, prevailing winds are prone to directional changes depending on the weather pattern moving through. a storm may come out of the west as it moves east across the country, but a high pressure system will have clockwise wind so the actual direction of the prevailing winds will change depending on if the center of the system passes to your north or south, etc. low pressure system is opposite.

here in kansas, we do get a lot of cold north winds in the winter, but the general direction of hot, drying winds in the summer is out of the south and west. you need a short hedge to provide some shade and windbreak protection from the south wind for delicate summer plants.

here is the k-state info on windbreaks.... lots of good info there, especially on snow drifting.

i would think you could still save a lot of your view and plant a windbreak if you have time to wait for it to grow. otherwise, i would consider a fence and some more fasteners for your siding and shingles!

amp

 

[Matt_Jr]

With all that wind, I would take advantage of that much wind and put up at least a couple windmills

Yeah, put them on the roof

 

[LBrown59]

Or move to a state that isn't so flat?

OH isn't all flat.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

OH isn't all flat.

Yeah I was kind of teasing there. I think the highest part of Ohio is 1500' above Sea level. I was out there several times when I was engaged to a lady that lives there. I used to tease her that my driveway was above 1500'
Ohio is a beautiful state though.

 

[KentT]

actually, prevailing winds are prone to directional changes depending on the weather pattern moving through. a storm may come out of the west as it moves east across the country, but a high pressure system will have clockwise wind so the actual direction of the prevailing winds will change depending on if the center of the system passes to your north or south, etc. low pressure system is opposite.

here in kansas, we do get a lot of cold north winds in the winter, but the general direction of hot, drying winds in the summer is out of the south and west. you need a short hedge to provide some shade and windbreak protection from the south wind for delicate summer plants.

here is the k-state info on windbreaks.... lots of good info there, especially on snow drifting.

i would think you could still save a lot of your view and plant a windbreak if you have time to wait for it to grow. otherwise, i would consider a fence and some more fasteners for your siding and shingles!

amp

Yes, winds shift -- but the prevailing winds come from the North and Northwest. Prevailing means that's where they come from most of the time...

See figures 2 and 3 in the linked Kansas document and they illustrate what I described...

The Dakotas and upper Midwest, especially, get some NASTY snowdrifts...

 

[sixdogs]

A lot of good advice here. We have lived in windy areas for 30 years--first on a flat bare windy space in Maine and second on a high, flat open part of central Ohio. Either one would blow your hat off on a daily basis. Along the way we've learned some things.

First, I would strengthen the house to withstand, the best it can, the wind. Trees take time to grow.
Second I would plant rows of trees around the house in the three-layer way stated earlier. Norway spruce or other rapid grower against the house line, something else next row and a big bushy row in front of that. Buy seedlings mail order cheap. That will work.
We planted Norway spruce on a 10 ft center, 10-12 ft between rows. While 20 ft is better, I plan to sell every other tree in 15 years for some spending cash for tractor stuff.

In some places around house my first row is northern white cedar (American Arborvitae) because it can grow a 2 - 3 bushy ft per year. Spaced @ 4 ft and sell in 15 years when the other trees get going. These have provided an excellent windbreak and I have 300 around the house. I mail order bare root 4-3 year 3 ft plants from PA nurseries for $2.25 each.
The Norway spruce can grow 3 ft per year in OH so that works. I also planted rows of White spruce and Austrian pine to hedge against a bug disaster. Have 300 total of these
For hardwoods, maple grow fast and sugar maple is a great long-term tree. I mixed a very rapid gowing Silver maple in as a temp tree but will cut down in 15 years because of invasive roots and poor crown.

In short, plant lots of small seedlings, water and fertilize and plant a variety and abundance of things so you can have more rapid overall growth. Thin later. Water is the key the first summer and I have found just better to pot and keep in a 12" pot the first summer and transplant in the fall.
This is what has worked for me. It will take 6 to 8 years to start to see an impact.
As a plus, in 6 or so years you will need a small backhoe to move trees to better places than first thought. You can be busy in the spring for two weeks and have fun while justifying the small TLB.

I think the photo above might be a Maine photo from last year?

 

[sixdogs]

As a part of my above post, this is a 5 year old transplant Amer Arborvitae from a 4-3 seedling that I just moved with my backhoe.

 

[3rdgenorange]

Thank you to everyone who responded. Although Ohio is not all that flat we still have what I would consider as a wind problem. Same story last night, winds from the south and west, gust up to 30 mph. I am not looking at something that will totally stop the wind but more something just to slow it down. I showed my wife the pictures of wind breaks that I found and she did not seem to eager about it. I guess my biggest question is will planting 7 to 8 trees on the 3 acres in front of our house help or are we wasting money? I have heard that it will slow the wind down but I have also heard the wind just goes around them at that point. Found some fast growing evergreens on line that grow to about 50' tall and are fast growing. The trees will have to be planted away from the house due to our septic tank and leach bed are in the front of the house. By the way plan on using the Kubota for the project but more posted this here because a lot of the members have lots of good knowledge. The house itself has 2x6 side walls and all new windows so structurally I think we are fine but boy does it make a racket on the inside. Also the popping and cracking as a gust hits it is unsettling. Once again will a few trees spaced out help or is a "wall" the only solution?

 

[3rdgenorange]

Also, we are kind of protect on the east and north by a hill so the winds from the North at this time are not a concern. My father in law and I have joked numerous times that we have a good set up for a wind farm. But man those things are expensive.

 

[KentT]

I guess my biggest question is will planting 7 to 8 trees on the 3 acres in front of our house help or are we wasting money? I have heard that it will slow the wind down but I have also heard the wind just goes around them at that point. Found some fast growing evergreens on line that grow to about 50' tall and are fast growing. The trees will have to be planted away from the house due to our septic tank and leach bed are in the front of the house.

A single row of trees will not help that much, IMO. They need to be in "staggered" rows, with at least two rows so that one row bridges the gap between the other row. Two rows would be the minimum that I'd do...

True windbreaks typically will also use rows of lower-growing shrubs on each side of the windbreak to block the wind that would go under the trees.

 

[kozak]

I am not looking at something that will totally stop the wind but more something just to slow it down. I showed my wife the pictures of wind breaks that I found and she did not seem to eager about it. I guess my biggest question is will planting 7 to 8 trees on the 3 acres in front of our house help or are we wasting money? I have heard that it will slow the wind down but I have also heard the wind just goes around them at that point. Found some fast growing evergreens on line that grow to about 50' tall and are fast growing. The trees will have to be planted away from the house due to our septic tank and leach bed are in the front of the house. Once again will a few trees spaced out help or is a "wall" the only solution?

We also battled with the decision of whether to plant trees along our North side of the house. Just liked the view too much so came in on both sides but kept the middle open.

7 to 8 trees in front of the house is better than nothing but as you said, the wind will just go around.

Make sure you keep the trees at least 100 ft away from your septic bed. Unfortunately, the further the trees are away from the house the less they will provide a block.

Depending upon the strength of the winds & the age of the house, a tree wall may be the only economical solution. If the house is already cracking & groaning during high winds, this will only get worse in the future.

You have two options as already mentioned in past posts.

1.) Reinforce house structure. I would think the best would be to replace siding on house with brick. Hopefully no additional internal bracing in the roof would be required. View remains intact.

2.) Plant 3 staggered rows of trees along both the south & west sides. Austrian Pine on outer row, then spruce then cedars. Build a very high raised deck. Were talking roof level. This way the view remains intact for at least 15 to 20 years. It's great sitting way up high overlooking your property while enjoying your favourite beverage .


Good Luck,

Vic

 

[randy41]

I planted a windbreak almost 20 years ago. It is meant to block the northwest winds for the most part. It is one row of canadian hemlocks next to a row of white pines. When I planted it I planted seedlings. Now the pines are probably 20' and the hemlocks are almost that too. They are very effective in blocking the wind from the northwest and block some of the west wind. They are about 50' from the house.
I wouldn't recommend blocking the southern exposure as this is where your summer breezes come from. I guess if you live in a sealed up air conditioned house it makes no difference.

 

[3rdgenorange]

I talked to a local nursery and they confirmed that most of our wind would come from the southwest/west. The person I spoke to stated to put rows of trees in the shape of the letter L in the southwest corner of our lot. Does anyone have experience with this? Seems to me that it would help some but would the west winds still hit the house at full force? He said there was no reason to cover up the whole west side of our property because as the wind comes from the southwest it would lift the majority of the air over th house. Anyone know if this is correct? Also anyone know how big of an L I would have to make?