# How do you protect your structures from hail?



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

For those of you that live where golf ball size hail is possible, what do you do to protect your structures, like buildings, trestles and bridges? The more I add to the layout the more concerned I am when the potential for hail arrives.


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim,
Protection from hail: I don't, you can't! At least in Kansas, where the weather is totally unpredictable [other than it will change soon], it is completely impractical to try protecting structures [and figures] from hail unless the weatherman has given a warning. Ya put them out there, enjoy them, and if they get smashed, you just repair or replace them. 

BTW, the HedgeApple RioGram RR has a greater hazzard than hail: 

HedgeApples [fruit of the Osage Orange ].









HedgeApples fell while train was running. 









HedgeApple hit a car, causing the rear of the front train to become derailed, which then rolled downhill until the collision.









HedgeApple - 1, Dycast truck - 0.









HedgeApple induced "Lowrider."

Rather than fight it, I have a HedgeApple Festival.









Jim Carter


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

A guy in our club bought a bunch of corrugated plastic culvert pipe about 3 feet in diameter or so. Cut them in half, and the plan was to cover the buildings when hail was threatening. Trouble is, 90% of the time you can't predict hail is coming, and if you know it is coming, you would likely be out in it when it hits, trying to cover your buildings.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Best suggestion would be; wooden fruit crates...if anybody still uses them. Used to be they were free behind supermarkets... 

Cast Iron Awnings? 

My guess would be most people move 'em indoors.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Prayer. My buildings are out year-round, and I want to be able to look out the back window and see them in the landscape. To cover them up or bring them in defeats that purpose. I just keep the faith and my fingers crossed that the hail stays marble-sized or smaller. That size does damage to the foliage, but tends to leave the buildings alone. If you do get slammed by hail that large, look on the bright side--you only have to pay to re-roof your model buildings. The insurance will pay for your full-sized one.

Later, 

K


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

The only way to truly protect structures from hail is to bring them in when not in use. This is not always practical though. Oh well....


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Bringing the buildings inside would really be a hasle especially if you have lighting that is hooked to it. I do as most just take my chances and leave out. has small hail onece know I have a bunch of handicapped folks on the layout.







Later RJD


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Hail is infrequent hereabouts, but when it arrives it is usually small sized. As my RR was built into an existing and pretty full garden there has not been room for more than three station/depot buildings plus a couple in the yard so hopefully damage would be minor. A lilac tree is growing quite well above the station area so hopefully leaves will protect the buildings a little from sunlight.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

My buildings are mostly made by me from fired clay. One porch roof was damaged by hail and I put a piece of copper over it. Some of my copper roofs have some small dents but otherwise the hail has not been to bad on them and we've had some good sized hail over the years. Just got a new roof on the house(the big one!).


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

My buildings are out all year round. I anchor them to the ground so they don't blow over. As for hail, I would be more worried about the roof on my real house than these little buildings. They can be replaced easily. My trains are rolled into a storage building that has the tracks running right into it. It also has multiple shelves for the lighter rolling stock.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Same answer as Kevin...pray!

Been outside since 02 and have not had any hail damage..just wind....with bunge cords holding them down sometimes they get moved a little.

Been lucky up to now.

The REAL damage comes from the sun..it strips the color right off structures...the EXPENSIVE Aristo buildings are the worst!
1 and 1/2 to 2 seasons in the direct sunlight..and you can't tell what color they used to be new!!!!! 

Am getting tired of repainting them! Pola and or Piko hold out a little better but still fade after a time! Mud also stains them pretty bad!

Maybe the metal building are the way to go..real wood will start to fall apart left outside all year round..

I like to see my buildings lit at night or just look outside my window at any given time and see the layout..but there is a price to pay with up keep...painting, repairing and such! 

Bubba


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

*Hey....Jim C... That not *golf ball size hail *those are* bombs.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By jimtyp on 05/08/2009 4:02 PM
For those of you that live where golf ball size hail is possible, what do you do to protect your structures, like buildings, trestles and bridges? The more I add to the layout the more concerned I am when the potential for hail arrives. 


I have almost ALL my model structures inside one of two buildings as you see below. The one with the flatter roof is steel with heavy OSB underneath the steel sheets. 
I do this to protect the structures from all forms of precipitation, wind and UV rays. As someone else here pointed out, the UV rays are particularly destructive. 




_Bldg B: Cicely Town Model Structure_ (2006):

  In earlier times I tried leaving SOME of the buildings out without any overhead protection. That was a BIG mistake ! You CAN make almost bullet-proof buildings, weatherwise, but if you want a lot of detail or if you use structures that are commercially available, unless they are the steel ones, I would seriously consider erecting at least an overhead steel roof canopy. 

I did leave ONE Aristocraft station out in the sun to see how it fares overtime. In less than a year out there it is showing serious fading problems. I would not do that again ! 


_Bldg A: Kennecott Town model structure (2000):_ 

  I realize that for a variety of reasons, including zoning restrictions, lack of space, construction cost and just plain ugliness, many of you are not in a position to do this. But where possible I would at least seriously consider an open canopy with a steel roof !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The McCarthy part of my layout is under a fiberglass canopy facing AWAY from the sun. These models have been in place under this roof since 2003 without difficulty. Sometimes the snow drifts in during the winter. However, this canopy is enough to keep these models in near-original condition, even with the one side completely open to the elements.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By pimanjc on 05/08/2009 6:29 PM
Jim,
Protection from hail: I don't, you can't! At least in Kansas, where the weather is totally unpredictable [other than it will change soon], it is completely impractical to try protecting structures [and figures] from hail unless the weatherman has given a warning. Ya put them out there, enjoy them, and if they get smashed, you just repair or replace them. 

BTW, the HedgeApple RioGram RR has a greater hazzard than hail: 

HedgeApples [fruit of the Osage Orange ].



HedgeApples fell while train was running. 









HedgeApple hit a car, causing the rear of the front train to become derailed, which then rolled downhill until the collision.


Rather than fight it, I have a HedgeApple Festival.









Jim Carter


I like your humorous approach to this odd form of natural disaster !


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

run indoors - no hail, snow, stray basket balls, tree rats, deer, dog turds, kitty diggings, bees, ants, sticks, yada, yada to deal with. Just dust, spiders, and swimbo's flat filing.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

And, sometimes you just grin and bear it when it happens... 










All thanks to this little guy, who (fortunately) chose to touch down a mile further east from us. 










Which meant we missed out on the winds and flying debris, but still took a beating from this: 










Making a mess of the railroad: 



























Watering the locos will be a bit hard 'til I can get this fixed... 









And Wesley's Creamery should know--there's an easier way to get a convertible... 

The good news, the damage was relatively minor. The other stations survived unscathed, and I've got a month before the convention, so plenty of time to clean up.  

Later, 

K


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Ow... 

Susan was out one day, and I was having lunch with the boys. The weather was looking a little threatening, so I said to Caleb, "Go turn on the radio." He came back saying the radio wasn't working. "It's just beeping." Oh, turn it up! The tornado was just to our east. BIG hail fell. When it stopped, we collected a couple to show Mom when she gets back. Then came Susan in the trooper from the east. 

"Suzie, did you know there was a tornado over there?" 

*"Did I know there was a tornado over there!" 

She had seen the hail too " border="0" /> 
*


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry to see that Kevin. That's some sizable hail. I threw some big plastic sheets I had over mine. We just got some small pea size stuff. 

Thanks for the pic of the funnel cloud. Looks fairly sizable and nasty. I saw it from where I live and I could even hear it. Sounded like continuous nonstop thunder and rumbling noise. I've heard people liken a tornado going overhead to the sound of locomotive. Yikes!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

...I've heard people liken a tornado going overhead to the sound of locomotive...


I've heard that, too, but darnit, the only whistle I heard was the tornado sirens going off. Didn't sound a thing like a K-36.  The only thing I heard was constant thunder and the overwhelming sound of the house getting pelted by hail. I'm surprised we didn't get more damage than we did. Our glass must be pretty resilient. 

What amazed me even more was that we've got two nesting bird families, one in the front and one in the back. Through it all, they just hunkered down and rode it out. Both are fine. I think I'm going to start using bird houses for my buildings. The birds seem to have something worked out with ma nature. 

Later, 

K


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