23 ms·

Was anyone else surprised that a $500mm house is still built with cheap plywood and such? I mean, I get that every penny counts, but surely it would only incre

Was anyone else surprised that a $500mm house is still built with cheap plywood and such? I mean, I get that every penny counts, but surely it would only increase the cost of the building by 0.1% if they used nothing but first grade cabinet plywood everywhere or better still, didn't use any plywood.

bigdubs 11y ago
For 500MM I'd want something that you could nuke from orbit and it would still be standing.
- 7Figures2Commas 11y ago
  I represent a seller with a property in South America that might meet your needs. Are you in the market?
- xenihn 11y ago
  It'd probably have to be a monolithic dome
CyberDildonics 11y ago
That was only the top part of it, below it was a much bigger part made of concrete.
- msandford 11y ago
  Fair point, but in my mind for $500mm any wood should be at least 3" thick reclaimed teak or more expensive.
  - bmelton 11y ago
    Javanese wooden houses are made of teak, which proved not to be terribly good in earthquakes. Plywood, despite its low-brow demeanor, is far more suited to flexing than hard teak wood. If we're talking boats, on the other hand, then teak is the clear winner.
    - msandford 11y ago
      Show me 100 year old (or 200 year old!) reclaimed plywood and you'll have made me a convert. I'm not so worried about earthquake performance because as long as you way, way over engineer you should be fine. The 3" teak isn't for strength (that's what steel is for) it's just so that it looks very solid. For $500mm I would expect a safety factor in the high single digits. I know that's not what this house is about so I know it's not there, but I can't help but be an engineer.
      - dopamean 11y ago
        If you're just worried about looks then theres a lot that can be done around the plywood to make it looks better.
        msandford 11y ago
        > Show me 100 year old (or 200 year old!) reclaimed plywood and you'll have made me a convert. You can buy 200 year old teak. There are plenty of wooden buildings around the world that are multiple hundreds of years old. When plywood is shown to last 500 years without breaking a sweat, then I'll believe it's a great building material full stop. For $500mm it should be built to last a millenia. I know it's not, but again, engineer brain.
        CyberDildonics 11y ago
        > When plywood is shown to last 500 years without breaking a sweat, then I'll believe it's a great building material full stop. I think it's unlikely you'll need it to last that long.
      - dubyah 11y ago
        To be fair, the internal frame of the upper structure is steel. http://i.imgur.com/JLIlRf3.jpg http://i.imgur.com/JLIlRf3.jpg http://media.details.com/photos/5637e54e62b3b75f2bb3e531/master/w_806/2-la-mansion.jpg http://media.details.com/photos/5637e54e62b3b75f2bb3e531/mas... Isn't it a little strange to be comparing plywood with 3" teak? Can you even get sheets of teak that aren't a veneer? Wouldn't LVLs or glulams be a more apt comparison?
davidw 11y ago
My Italian friends and relatives are always a bit shocked by that, in the US. "Real" houses are made of bricks and mortar where they're from.
- bagels 11y ago
  Plywood is a lot better than unreinforced masonry in an earthquake.
  - davidw 11y ago
    Yeah. I don't care too much one way or the other, myself. I do miss having a house heated by radiators rather than forced air, though.
philip1209 11y ago
Agreed - I was expecting something like poured cement for strength and insulation.
galfarragem 11y ago
A large shed is only a palace when seen by the eyes of the pragmatic or by the eyes of the fool.
applecore 11y ago
> The main thing to understand about L.A.'s growing crop of no-expense-spared spec homes is that they are not actually homes, in the usual sense of the word. Most buyers live on other continents and visit these properties for only a week or two each year, using them mainly as places to park their wealth. No one is going to live in it. Like the most expensive art, the one-of-a-kind nature of this property is what makes it attractive (for investment purposes).
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  So just like Vancouver and London?
lifeformed 11y ago
Honest question: what's wrong with plywood? Wouldn't it all be covered up by the end of it? Surely it's got some advantageous properties (lightweight, strong(?), earthquake resistant). Is the problem that it will wear down easier?
robodale 11y ago
I noticed that as well. Simple stick framing and flat joists. If I was paying 0.5 Billion dollars for a house, that thing better be built with carbon fiber, titanium alloys, and gorilla glass.

bigdubs 11y ago

For 500MM I'd want something that you could nuke from orbit and it would still be standing.

7Figures2Commas 11y ago
I represent a seller with a property in South America that might meet your needs. Are you in the market?
xenihn 11y ago
It'd probably have to be a monolithic dome

CyberDildonics 11y ago

That was only the top part of it, below it was a much bigger part made of concrete.

msandford 11y ago
Fair point, but in my mind for $500mm any wood should be at least 3" thick reclaimed teak or more expensive.
- bmelton 11y ago
  Javanese wooden houses are made of teak, which proved not to be terribly good in earthquakes. Plywood, despite its low-brow demeanor, is far more suited to flexing than hard teak wood. If we're talking boats, on the other hand, then teak is the clear winner.
  - msandford 11y ago
    Show me 100 year old (or 200 year old!) reclaimed plywood and you'll have made me a convert. I'm not so worried about earthquake performance because as long as you way, way over engineer you should be fine. The 3" teak isn't for strength (that's what steel is for) it's just so that it looks very solid. For $500mm I would expect a safety factor in the high single digits. I know that's not what this house is about so I know it's not there, but I can't help but be an engineer.
    - dopamean 11y ago
      If you're just worried about looks then theres a lot that can be done around the plywood to make it looks better.
      - msandford 11y ago
        > Show me 100 year old (or 200 year old!) reclaimed plywood and you'll have made me a convert. You can buy 200 year old teak. There are plenty of wooden buildings around the world that are multiple hundreds of years old. When plywood is shown to last 500 years without breaking a sweat, then I'll believe it's a great building material full stop. For $500mm it should be built to last a millenia. I know it's not, but again, engineer brain.
        CyberDildonics 11y ago
        > When plywood is shown to last 500 years without breaking a sweat, then I'll believe it's a great building material full stop. I think it's unlikely you'll need it to last that long.
    - dubyah 11y ago
      To be fair, the internal frame of the upper structure is steel. http://i.imgur.com/JLIlRf3.jpg http://i.imgur.com/JLIlRf3.jpg http://media.details.com/photos/5637e54e62b3b75f2bb3e531/master/w_806/2-la-mansion.jpg http://media.details.com/photos/5637e54e62b3b75f2bb3e531/mas... Isn't it a little strange to be comparing plywood with 3" teak? Can you even get sheets of teak that aren't a veneer? Wouldn't LVLs or glulams be a more apt comparison?

davidw 11y ago

My Italian friends and relatives are always a bit shocked by that, in the US. "Real" houses are made of bricks and mortar where they're from.

bagels 11y ago
Plywood is a lot better than unreinforced masonry in an earthquake.
- davidw 11y ago
  Yeah. I don't care too much one way or the other, myself. I do miss having a house heated by radiators rather than forced air, though.

philip1209 11y ago

Agreed - I was expecting something like poured cement for strength and insulation.

galfarragem 11y ago

A large shed is only a palace when seen by the eyes of the pragmatic or by the eyes of the fool.

applecore 11y ago

> The main thing to understand about L.A.'s growing crop of no-expense-spared spec homes is that they are not actually homes, in the usual sense of the word. Most buyers live on other continents and visit these properties for only a week or two each year, using them mainly as places to park their wealth. No one is going to live in it. Like the most expensive art, the one-of-a-kind nature of this property is what makes it attractive (for investment purposes).

toomuchtodo 11y ago
So just like Vancouver and London?

lifeformed 11y ago

Honest question: what's wrong with plywood? Wouldn't it all be covered up by the end of it? Surely it's got some advantageous properties (lightweight, strong(?), earthquake resistant). Is the problem that it will wear down easier?

robodale 11y ago

I noticed that as well. Simple stick framing and flat joists. If I was paying 0.5 Billion dollars for a house, that thing better be built with carbon fiber, titanium alloys, and gorilla glass.