> I'm reading your comment from a 170-year-old wooden house. That's great, but that wooden house you live in is vastly better in terms of quality of wood than

> I'm reading your comment from a 170-year-old wooden house. That's great, but that wooden house you live in is vastly better in terms of quality of wood than what is common today in USA construction. If OSB had existed 170 years ago, I assure you would have long ago turned to dust by today. You probably have magnificent wood beams and single-piece shipboards spanning all studs and joists. It all comes down to material-quality, maintenance, design, expectations and weather. Sadly, all of those factors take a back seat to cost and speed where modern housing developers are concerned. Modern building techniques make it easy to fool unsavvy consumers into an illusion of durability and quality.