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I hear the phrase, "Not as well built as before" a lot when it comes to housing, and I just dont' understand why that is always assumed. Modern building codes

I hear the phrase, "Not as well built as before" a lot when it comes to housing, and I just dont' understand why that is always assumed. Modern building codes are updated based on sound science and testing. Talk to folks who have houses down in the Corpus Christi, TX area after the recent hurricane. Basically the newer the house the less damage incurred.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> I hear the phrase, "Not as well built as before" a lot when it comes to housing, and I just dont' understand why that is always assumed. I think it's mostly true of 1960s-1970s construction (possibly 1950s-1980s) compared to the period shortly before that. But, also, survivorship bias: an older house must be better constructed to be still standing than a newer one.
JustSomeNobody 8y ago
I usually take it to mean design choices, not construction quality. Houses in FL today are designed to be tightly sealed so as to keep the heat out and the AC in. Houses from the 60's and 70's were designed to allow the windows to be opened and you get a nice cool airflow, even on hot days. I, personally, think this lack of openness in housing construction tends to keep people from interacting much with their neighbors. If your windows are open, people are more comfortable coming over and knocking on the door to say hello.
grawprog 8y ago
Ya standards might be higher. Doesn't mean they're being followed though. I've worked in an industry that's fairly dependent on development. New constructions are built as quickly and cheaply as possible. The developments we do jobs for aren't cheap but the quality of the construction is extremely poor. Years ago I worked as a landscaper. One of the sites we worked on was a 2 year old townhouse complex at the center of the complex was a 100 year old heritage building the developers weren't allowed to remove. It was beautiful, solidly built and will likely be standing for another 100 years. The townhouses though, there were several units having balconies, railings or even parts of their roofs replaced only two years after being built. They looked run down, parts of the foundation were already cracking, parts of walls were already beginning to rot. Gates and fences were broken. And this was in a fairly nice neighbourhood. I've also talked with construction workers who worked on the False Creek development they built in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. There's only one building's worth of insulation in the entire development. When one building was nearly finished they brought the inspectors in, got their approval, then moved the insulation from the one building to the next one in time for the inspection. I've probably rambled enough though...I could keep going on i've got lots first hand experience at just how bad modern construction is.

dragonwriter 8y ago

> I hear the phrase, "Not as well built as before" a lot when it comes to housing, and I just dont' understand why that is always assumed. I think it's mostly true of 1960s-1970s construction (possibly 1950s-1980s) compared to the period shortly before that. But, also, survivorship bias: an older house must be better constructed to be still standing than a newer one.

JustSomeNobody 8y ago

I usually take it to mean design choices, not construction quality. Houses in FL today are designed to be tightly sealed so as to keep the heat out and the AC in. Houses from the 60's and 70's were designed to allow the windows to be opened and you get a nice cool airflow, even on hot days. I, personally, think this lack of openness in housing construction tends to keep people from interacting much with their neighbors. If your windows are open, people are more comfortable coming over and knocking on the door to say hello.

grawprog 8y ago

Ya standards might be higher. Doesn't mean they're being followed though. I've worked in an industry that's fairly dependent on development. New constructions are built as quickly and cheaply as possible. The developments we do jobs for aren't cheap but the quality of the construction is extremely poor. Years ago I worked as a landscaper. One of the sites we worked on was a 2 year old townhouse complex at the center of the complex was a 100 year old heritage building the developers weren't allowed to remove. It was beautiful, solidly built and will likely be standing for another 100 years. The townhouses though, there were several units having balconies, railings or even parts of their roofs replaced only two years after being built. They looked run down, parts of the foundation were already cracking, parts of walls were already beginning to rot. Gates and fences were broken. And this was in a fairly nice neighbourhood. I've also talked with construction workers who worked on the False Creek development they built in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. There's only one building's worth of insulation in the entire development. When one building was nearly finished they brought the inspectors in, got their approval, then moved the insulation from the one building to the next one in time for the inspection. I've probably rambled enough though...I could keep going on i've got lots first hand experience at just how bad modern construction is.