4 ms·
Don't forget that houses get torn down and rebuilt. It doesn't happen often but it happens. In the US, modern houses tend to be larger, have better insulation
by Rury 4y ago
Don't forget that houses get torn down and rebuilt. It doesn't happen often but it happens.
In the US, modern houses tend to be larger, have better insulation (from what I've experienced), but can be cheap in some aspects (e.g. interior doors tend to be hollow, whereas older houses typically had solid doors). Overall though, I'm not sure if new or older homes were better built. I know some really well built old homes, but some very poor built ones too, and this goes for modern homes as well. Most should last 50 years though.
- Pokepokalypse 4y agoModern homes have much better insulation and energy efficiency (like LED bulbs), etc. But I think it's also true that a lot of builders can get away with cutting corners, and the materials that go into homebuilding are also often of lesser quality (like wallboard from China that outgasses toxic sulfur fumes). Modern plumbing is mostly snap-fit plastic tubing rather than copper pipes. It's a LOT cheaper to install. Supposedly lasts as long or longer, but it's still shitty plastic. Shitty wildcat builders throwing down entire subdivisions of deeply defective homes is a serious problem in the Phoenix area, I know that for a fact.
- bagels 4y agoThis is not new. My 1954 bay area house: the builders mixed scrap wood in to the foundation concrete to make up for undersizing the order, broken roof boards were patched with coffee cans and other garbage (coffee can had a 1940s date, it was there since built). These are just the most obvious examples.