4 ms·

It's a kind of joke among Europeans. The American building material standards are pretty different. It's not without a bit of truth. We do build homes much mor

It's a kind of joke among Europeans. The American building material standards are pretty different. It's not without a bit of truth. We do build homes much more cheaply and without the assumption that the home will last 200 years. It's a side effect of massive land resources and cheap material costs that Europe doesn't have. We're also a really new country in comparison, and much of our growth occurred during the rise of the automobile and massive roadworks construction, so building a cheap building fast out in the sticks is not only viable, it's attractive. Long term this is folly, as it depends on cheap energy. But all that said, a properly constructed home from wood studs with plywood sheathing and gypboard internal walls isn't intrinsically shoddy. It's actually very strong and very light, and in large parts of the US, entirely appropriate. Modern engineered wood is amazing stuff.

Turing_Machine 4y ago
Some of it also has to do with seismic activity. Traditional masonry is a very poor choice if you're expecting earthquakes. In Japan (another earthquake-prone area) the classic houses also tended to be lumber and even paper, not masonry, because lightweight materials are less likely to squash you like a bug when the next earthquake comes along. Obviously the Japanese did use masonry for fortifications and suchlike, but not usually for a standard dwelling.
- booi 4y ago
  My understanding is masonry generally has less give and wood buildings can flex in the case of an earthquake. In fact it’s not to code in California to build with masonry without significant steel rebar reinforcement. It’s not necessarily due to the weight although I’m sure it plays a factor
  - xenadu02 4y ago
    This is correct. Wood frame buildings sway and flex during an earthquake. The weight is less important. The problem spots tend to be attachment to the foundation (the building disconnects from the moving ground and starts to skitter around), insufficient beam connections (beams slide off their supporting columns), or support wall collapse. If you live in the Bay Area all of those things are fairly easy to fix - even as a DIY project. Install more concrete anchors in the sill plates, add earthquake rated connections to beams (which were often just toe-nailed), and put plywood on interior garage walls and half height supporting walls which makes those walls much stiffer (old building standards didn't require nearly as much blocking or cross-bracing between studs). As long as a wood stick construction structure stays connected to its foundation and has the smallest bit of strength it can withstand even massive earthquakes without issue.

Turing_Machine 4y ago

Some of it also has to do with seismic activity. Traditional masonry is a very poor choice if you're expecting earthquakes. In Japan (another earthquake-prone area) the classic houses also tended to be lumber and even paper, not masonry, because lightweight materials are less likely to squash you like a bug when the next earthquake comes along. Obviously the Japanese did use masonry for fortifications and suchlike, but not usually for a standard dwelling.

booi 4y ago
My understanding is masonry generally has less give and wood buildings can flex in the case of an earthquake. In fact it’s not to code in California to build with masonry without significant steel rebar reinforcement. It’s not necessarily due to the weight although I’m sure it plays a factor
- xenadu02 4y ago
  This is correct. Wood frame buildings sway and flex during an earthquake. The weight is less important. The problem spots tend to be attachment to the foundation (the building disconnects from the moving ground and starts to skitter around), insufficient beam connections (beams slide off their supporting columns), or support wall collapse. If you live in the Bay Area all of those things are fairly easy to fix - even as a DIY project. Install more concrete anchors in the sill plates, add earthquake rated connections to beams (which were often just toe-nailed), and put plywood on interior garage walls and half height supporting walls which makes those walls much stiffer (old building standards didn't require nearly as much blocking or cross-bracing between studs). As long as a wood stick construction structure stays connected to its foundation and has the smallest bit of strength it can withstand even massive earthquakes without issue.