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.