5 ms·

Bricks (everywhere, internal walls and all) and concrete (for the floors) are the best - no stupid squeaking, nothing to rot, nothing to break, great soundproof

by jotm 9y ago

Bricks (everywhere, internal walls and all) and concrete (for the floors) are the best - no stupid squeaking, nothing to rot, nothing to break, great soundproofing, good thermal insulation if done right, will last a long time provided no natural disasters. Not even expensive depending on the region. That said, I don't get the point of a wooden skyscraper. I'd guess it's earthquake resistant, and it's not actual natural wood but a mix of synthetic materials and wood.

swampthinker 9y ago
Bricks and concrete are absolutely not the best. They have terrible insulation properties, poor sound absorption, and cost more than wood structures. Wood is an overall superior construction material if you can use it, and I think you're misunderstanding the pressure treatment process. It's normal wood placed in a vacuum chamber so preservatives can seep into the lumber.
- jotm 9y ago
  Really? I've seen and lived in a lot of houses. Full concrete + brick were much more enjoyable than the creaky (I really hate those noises heh) wood and plasterboard houses. Colder, definitely, but better soundproofed imo.
- MertsA 9y ago
  Don't forget, brick and mortar also holds moisture and is porous. This can lead to spalling in cold weather and rotting whatever's behind it in warm weather. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1m5VShzxYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1m5VShzxYs
petre 9y ago
Wood is a great construction material if it's treated against life feeding off it, rot and fire, especially when used in combination with other materials, such as building framing for hempcrete, half timbered buildings (fachwerk).
ComputerGuru 9y ago
Creaky wood is a problem long since solved, but development contractors prefer to cut costs and build-to-sell before the underlying causes become apparent. Use screws, not nails. Nail guns are convenient but they are for framing (playing to the strengths of nails’ awesome sheer strength) not layering (screws have far better tensile strength, poorer sheer strength). Add a zigzag of construction adhesive (insanely cheap stuff) to the joists before installing the subfloor. Leave 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch gap between each plywood sheet to leave room for swelling (in the Midwest that’s in the humid summers, on the coast it might be the other way around). Done. Screws and nails are fundamentally different and should never be considered interchangeable. The cost difference is minimal given the trade offs involved, but contractors are apt to choose nails any time they can get away with it.
fpoling 9y ago
In Norway in Bergen few buildings made from bricks during last 20 years got problems with fungus. Once it gets inside the wall, it is very difficult to get rid of it. Yet wooden houses built over 100 years ago are ok despite a lot of rain (up to 9 feet per year).

by jotm 9y ago

swampthinker 9y ago

Bricks and concrete are absolutely not the best. They have terrible insulation properties, poor sound absorption, and cost more than wood structures. Wood is an overall superior construction material if you can use it, and I think you're misunderstanding the pressure treatment process. It's normal wood placed in a vacuum chamber so preservatives can seep into the lumber.

jotm 9y ago
Really? I've seen and lived in a lot of houses. Full concrete + brick were much more enjoyable than the creaky (I really hate those noises heh) wood and plasterboard houses. Colder, definitely, but better soundproofed imo.
MertsA 9y ago
Don't forget, brick and mortar also holds moisture and is porous. This can lead to spalling in cold weather and rotting whatever's behind it in warm weather. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1m5VShzxYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1m5VShzxYs

petre 9y ago

Wood is a great construction material if it's treated against life feeding off it, rot and fire, especially when used in combination with other materials, such as building framing for hempcrete, half timbered buildings (fachwerk).

ComputerGuru 9y ago

Creaky wood is a problem long since solved, but development contractors prefer to cut costs and build-to-sell before the underlying causes become apparent. Use screws, not nails. Nail guns are convenient but they are for framing (playing to the strengths of nails’ awesome sheer strength) not layering (screws have far better tensile strength, poorer sheer strength). Add a zigzag of construction adhesive (insanely cheap stuff) to the joists before installing the subfloor. Leave 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch gap between each plywood sheet to leave room for swelling (in the Midwest that’s in the humid summers, on the coast it might be the other way around). Done. Screws and nails are fundamentally different and should never be considered interchangeable. The cost difference is minimal given the trade offs involved, but contractors are apt to choose nails any time they can get away with it.

fpoling 9y ago

In Norway in Bergen few buildings made from bricks during last 20 years got problems with fungus. Once it gets inside the wall, it is very difficult to get rid of it. Yet wooden houses built over 100 years ago are ok despite a lot of rain (up to 9 feet per year).