are those detroit homes built strong? (rentals, houses, earthquake)

[ethnicappalachian]

I noticed one brick house here in Baltimore is slanted/crooked. It's 100 years old. I wonder if this is also true in Detroit? Here in Baltimore, the Appalachians seem to have taken a short cut.

[Coldjensens]

Every house is different They did not mass produce homes before the late 1940s and the quality of each build varied. However more important is whether they homes were maintained. The freeze thaw cycle can do a lot of damage to a house if it is not maintained. So, we have some crooked (collapsing) houses in Detroit and also lots of very sound houses.

[animatedmartian]

I'd imagine due to the harsher winters, it was probably pretty important for homes in Detroit (and in the Midwest in general) to be a lot more sturdy than perhaps on the East Coast. So houses in Detroit tend to be well built. It's usually the lack of maintenance/damage that would cause an issue.

[Northernest Southernest C]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It's usually the lack of maintenance/damage that would cause an issue.

I think that could be said for any structure in any geographic area. Overall maintenance is the defining factor in all structures longevity. The Northeast faces harsh weather as well. In particular the Baltimore area is prone to hurricanes, tropical storms, blizzards, harsh humidity/heat, and even an earthquake back in 2011. The old brick buildings and residential homes have fared quite well imo.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by ethnicappalachian

I noticed one brick house here in Baltimore is slanted/crooked. It's 100 years old. I wonder if this is also true in Detroit? Here in Baltimore, the Appalachians seem to have taken a short cut.

Homes in Detroit are built so strong not even the mayor can get them knocked down with a bulldozer.

[Retroit]

Depends on the home. There are plenty of sturdy old homes in Baltimore.

[DTWflyer]

I have a 1925 home (not in Detroit proper) but out in a small village outside in the Metro Detroit area. Its built ridiculously solid with imported German brick, solid plaster, and at the time was a rich man's house.

My house is new compared to most my neighbors who have houses dated from the 1840s, 1870s, 1900's.

[MIEng]

I own rental properties all around Metro Detroit. All homes built between 1887 to 1945. To be honest I prefer homes built between 1900 and 1920"s. Obviously, it depends of how well the home has been taken care of, but those houses tend to be solid, most of them still have original floors, plaster moldings and with roof and structure made out of solid wood.


Some of the issues I have had are related to the sewer system, basements and additions. Some of these houses added their sewer systems to the city decades after they were built and we are finding out they were either not done properly or need to be re-done. It adds up to a lot of money. Also some houses have additions that were not done up to standards and can cause leaks and other structural problem. Just make sure you get a good inspection done.


Even with all these issues I prefer older (pre 1920's) homes for rentals. Newer (mass produced) homes just seems too fragile to me.