4 ms·

I think it's just what you get used to. Every method has ups and downs. And different regions are going to gravitate to different materials based on availabilit

I think it's just what you get used to. Every method has ups and downs. And different regions are going to gravitate to different materials based on availability (for example, my Indian coworkers just cannot fathom why we would ever build houses from trees instead of reinforced concrete; doesn't it rot?!!). I don't think of the walls as especially flimsy, though. Built correctly, they are totally fine. Yes you can punch a hole in one if you are sufficiently motivated (and you better miss the stud...), but the only times I've ever punched any hole in drywall it was because the door stop was removed for whatever reason and a dumb teenager threw the door open with no regard for propriety. At least drywall is trivial to fix.

BadBadJellyBean 8mo ago
> Yes you can punch a hole in one if you are sufficiently motivated This is what I meant with "flimsy". If I hit my wall my hand breaks. But as I said It seems to work. I am just used to the massive nature of our houses and I admit a part of me prefers it that way but I don't think it's the one true way.
lostlogin 8mo ago
> why we would ever build houses from trees instead of reinforced concrete Earthquakes are a factor where we are, but also, if NZ can find a way to do something cheaper, we will always do it. Quality be damned.
- usrnm 8mo ago
  I seriously doubt you get sufficiently more earthquakes than, say, Tokio, which is mostly concrete
  - lostlogin 8mo ago
    Christchurch would give it a run for its money. It’s down to every few days now but it was almost by the minute for a while there. Have a look at that second link, and skip to 22.2.2011. At an about 12.51 it goes wild, and it lasted for years. It’s still shaking now. https://earthquakelist.org/new-zealand/canterbury/christchurch/ https://earthquakelist.org/new-zealand/canterbury/christchur... https://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/february https://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/february
ragall 8mo ago
Stick frame buildings are prone to dry rot, very susceptible to molding, and the addition of drywalls* make them objectively inferior for any building that's expected to last more than ~40-50 years. It used to be, 100 years ago, that the big cities like NYC, Chicago, Cincinnati, etc... were so dynamic that entire neighbourhoods were expected to be rebuilt every ~50 years or so. That's no longer the case. Over a lifespan of 100+ years that's very well expected in the US given that cities aren't growing much any more and infill has been made almost illegal in most places, using long-lasting materials and techniques like in Germany becomes a lot cheaper, and more convenient. It always surprises my US colleagues when I told them that in 20 years living in the house I grew up in, the only thing that ever broke were once the roof gutters due to very heavy rain. Otherwise, houses are expected to just go on and maybe need repairs every 50-60 years. * drywalls are inherently sensitive to humidity, which makes it necessary to cover them with wall paint which is essentially a waterproof layer of plastic, which makes it not breathable and thus drywalls develop mold rather easily (even worse, it's often invisible mold). In contrast, walls made of stone, cement or brick (or a mix thereof) and covered in stucco are breathable and much more resilient to humidity and mold issues.
- yowayb 8mo ago
  Thank you for including southeast Asia (and other humid places) in the discussion :)
  - ragall 8mo ago
    I'm not familiar with life in SE Asia. All I know is I've been to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the levels of humidity were gruesome. I once wanted to bring a leather bag as a gift to a friend in Taiwan and he asked not to bother because it will likely get moldy.
- rootusrootus 8mo ago
  I may be biased, because I live in a city filled with houses over 100 years old, and we get incessant rain. They seem to hold up fine. Not sure how long they’ll last but there hasn’t been any push to replace them.
KoftaBob 8mo ago
> cannot fathom why we would ever build houses from trees instead of reinforced concrete Steel-reinforced ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) has become a much more common frame material for homes in the US, especially in the hurricane-prone southeast.
- jandrewrogers 8mo ago
  The deep southeast has the advantage of being one of the few regions in the US without a known major earthquake risk. It makes a lot of sense to use concrete there given the other natural hazards. The closest major earthquake zone is in South Carolina, which had M7+ earthquakes as recently as the late 19th century. Given how prevalent strong earthquakes are across most of the US, I always wonder if the few areas on the map without a known seismic hazard means we just haven't discovered it yet.
  - KoftaBob 8mo ago
    ICF is more resilient to earthquakes than wood frame is, as far as I understand.
DANmode 8mo ago
> doesn't it rot?!! It does indeed. There’s a portion of our populace who accepts waking up tired with flu-like symptoms daily.

BadBadJellyBean 8mo ago

> Yes you can punch a hole in one if you are sufficiently motivated This is what I meant with "flimsy". If I hit my wall my hand breaks. But as I said It seems to work. I am just used to the massive nature of our houses and I admit a part of me prefers it that way but I don't think it's the one true way.

lostlogin 8mo ago

> why we would ever build houses from trees instead of reinforced concrete Earthquakes are a factor where we are, but also, if NZ can find a way to do something cheaper, we will always do it. Quality be damned.

usrnm 8mo ago
I seriously doubt you get sufficiently more earthquakes than, say, Tokio, which is mostly concrete
- lostlogin 8mo ago
  Christchurch would give it a run for its money. It’s down to every few days now but it was almost by the minute for a while there. Have a look at that second link, and skip to 22.2.2011. At an about 12.51 it goes wild, and it lasted for years. It’s still shaking now. https://earthquakelist.org/new-zealand/canterbury/christchurch/ https://earthquakelist.org/new-zealand/canterbury/christchur... https://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/february https://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/february

ragall 8mo ago

Stick frame buildings are prone to dry rot, very susceptible to molding, and the addition of drywalls* make them objectively inferior for any building that's expected to last more than ~40-50 years. It used to be, 100 years ago, that the big cities like NYC, Chicago, Cincinnati, etc... were so dynamic that entire neighbourhoods were expected to be rebuilt every ~50 years or so. That's no longer the case. Over a lifespan of 100+ years that's very well expected in the US given that cities aren't growing much any more and infill has been made almost illegal in most places, using long-lasting materials and techniques like in Germany becomes a lot cheaper, and more convenient. It always surprises my US colleagues when I told them that in 20 years living in the house I grew up in, the only thing that ever broke were once the roof gutters due to very heavy rain. Otherwise, houses are expected to just go on and maybe need repairs every 50-60 years. * drywalls are inherently sensitive to humidity, which makes it necessary to cover them with wall paint which is essentially a waterproof layer of plastic, which makes it not breathable and thus drywalls develop mold rather easily (even worse, it's often invisible mold). In contrast, walls made of stone, cement or brick (or a mix thereof) and covered in stucco are breathable and much more resilient to humidity and mold issues.

yowayb 8mo ago
Thank you for including southeast Asia (and other humid places) in the discussion :)
- ragall 8mo ago
  I'm not familiar with life in SE Asia. All I know is I've been to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the levels of humidity were gruesome. I once wanted to bring a leather bag as a gift to a friend in Taiwan and he asked not to bother because it will likely get moldy.
rootusrootus 8mo ago
I may be biased, because I live in a city filled with houses over 100 years old, and we get incessant rain. They seem to hold up fine. Not sure how long they’ll last but there hasn’t been any push to replace them.

KoftaBob 8mo ago

> cannot fathom why we would ever build houses from trees instead of reinforced concrete Steel-reinforced ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) has become a much more common frame material for homes in the US, especially in the hurricane-prone southeast.

jandrewrogers 8mo ago
The deep southeast has the advantage of being one of the few regions in the US without a known major earthquake risk. It makes a lot of sense to use concrete there given the other natural hazards. The closest major earthquake zone is in South Carolina, which had M7+ earthquakes as recently as the late 19th century. Given how prevalent strong earthquakes are across most of the US, I always wonder if the few areas on the map without a known seismic hazard means we just haven't discovered it yet.
- KoftaBob 8mo ago
  ICF is more resilient to earthquakes than wood frame is, as far as I understand.

DANmode 8mo ago

> doesn't it rot?!! It does indeed. There’s a portion of our populace who accepts waking up tired with flu-like symptoms daily.