1. 13546 Brick Road_COA 2025-0805 PACKET

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Erie Insurance Group April 22, 2025 Page 6 the effects of . Evidence was found during the site inspection that the forces from the impact damaged individual structural framing members of the roof structure at the southwest corner of the second story. The forces from the tree impact damaged the decking and rafter extensions of the southwest hip ridge and the south- and west-facing roof slopes, broke the fascia boards, separated the wood overhangs, and detached a decorative wood cornice piece. The tree impact fractured the decking of the west-facing roof slope above the master bathroom and detached the gutter from the west eave. We noted no fractured wood framing of the first story rafters above the master bathroom, and no indication of fractured ceiling joists were noted across the first and second story ceilings. In the family room, master bedroom, staircase, second story hallway, the living room, second story bedrooms, and the main level hallway, we noted no recent wall and ceiling cracks at locations of openings in the walls, at interior door openings, or at the intersection of walls. Individual plaster cracks were noted on the walls of the master bedroom and first level hallway that were covered with paint and did not have the appearances of being from a recent event. We noted no wallboard cracks at the lower-level staircase or the building corners to indicate racking and twisting of the building in its entirety. The wood framing of the garage s roof structure sustained widespread and significant damage necessitating the removal and replacement of the rafters, ridge beam, decking, and asphalt composition shingles. Mr. Alexander Horvath believes damage occurred to the wood framing of the building, the interior wallboard and plaster finishes, the roof slopes, possibly racking of the entire building, and potential damage to the foundation and attached garage. ANALYSIS When a tree strikes a building, a transfer of energy takes place between the tree and the structure it strikes. The rules of physics are such that the softer the material being struck, the greater amount of the tree's total energy is transferred into the object being struck, and therefore the greater potential damage to that object. In addition, the greater the velocity of the moving object, the greater the energy available to be imparted into the receiving structure. A building and attached components generally have large masses and require being struck by another object of sufficient kinetic energy to break and fracture the individual building components. The tree had sufficient mass to damage the building in localized and specific areas, and the physical evidence observed at the property indicated that the tree was moving at a low speed resulting in damage to hip rafter end at the second story roof slope, the west and east-facing roof slopes at the attached garage, fractured the ridge beam at the garage, gouged the shingles of the west roof slopes, displaced the walls in the attached garage, fractured rafters at the , and to resulted in wallboard cracks in the master bathroom and kitchen ceiling.