[oldE]

Confession time:
About 35 years ago, I was building a 20' x 30' barn. 2x6 studs on 2' centers, with the studs reaching to the rafters (balloon construction). I had built the walls in sections and stood them up and had braces on them when we were treated to a January ice storm. I looked out from the house at one point and saw one of the braces fail. By the time I got geared up and got out there, a second one had let go too. As I was trying to get some additional bracing in place, the bracing on the 30' west wall packed it in and the stud wall came down...on me.
You know how, in the cartoons or the old silent movies, the wall falls and the hero is left standing unscathed in a window opening or a doorway? It was pretty much like that. The spacing of two feet between the studs left me enough room that I came through with nothing more than a torn coat, some bruises and a bad scare. I left the rest to the elements. A couple of days later I tore most of it apart and started over, scrapping the broken bits, but with a lot more respect for the wind and the weight of lumber and ice.

It can happen in an instant, but it's true: fools rush in...
Best
Les