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Anyone who has ever spent time outside the US knows that practically all developed countries uses way better materials when building their homes and other constructions. They use concrete, while in America they use wood.
Are there any parts of this country where the majority of the buildings are made from more sturdy materials, like in Europe? I hear Southern Florida is one such place.
Last edited by JayVanderbilt; 04-14-2017 at 11:07 PM..
Parts of Florida do and CBS construction (Concrete , Block & Stucco ) is the standard in Miami-Dade county after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 wiped out some subdivisions constructed purely of wood frame.
Arvida a home builder at the time was a subsidiary of the Disney company who were sued for building homes that were not to code. Disney eventually sold that company.
After Andrew mobile homes were also banned in the county.
Miami has some of the strongest buildings codes in the nation yet the state of Florida would not adopt these building codes statewide even after the devastation of Andrew claiming that the increased cost would destroy the housing market !
Developers seem to control the Florida government so they keep building sub-standard stuff such as the Chinese dry wall scandal a few years back. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...board/8574707/
There is a new apartment complex going up near a relative's home in Orlando that is 3 stories high and completely constructed out of wood.
I don't know how people live in such buildings since in wood buildings you can hear every creaking noise and is basically a fire death trap IMO.
Ironically Miami's housing market even with it's very tough building codes 25 years later is one of the hottest housing markets in the nation even though prices are slightly higher than other Florida metros in comparison.
You really have to do your due diligence when buying a home in Florida.
I do believe Ft. Lauderdale ( Broward county) and Palm Beach county may have adopted the same building codes but they may have had to received approval by the state since they aren't "Home Rule" charter counties like Miami-Dade.
Most homes & buildings in SE Florida are mostly built out of concrete due of course to the threat of Hurricanes.
Much of the single family home construction in Florida pre-housing boom (1970s-1980s) statewide were built of concrete block and there are many very desirable, established neighborhoods throughout the state where updated block homes remain very popular to those who appreciate that type of home (and neighborhood), versus wood and tape construction in sterile tree-free new developments.
I live in west central FL and all new homes here are concrete block stucco. If multistory, the second floor is wood frame with stucco. Front doors have outer hinges (swing out instead of in), roofs have tie-downs, etc. Meets latest hurricane codes.
I live in Central Florida near Orlando and they're still building with wood, wood frame and tape. An upscale gated 400K "almost zero lot line" community down the street from me just went up with that type of construction....seriously ridiculous.
I live in Central Florida near Orlando and they're still building with wood, wood frame and tape. An upscale gated 400K "almost zero lot line" community down the street from me just went up with that type of construction....seriously ridiculous.
Guessing hurricane codes in your zip code are more lenient than here.
Guessing hurricane codes in your zip code are more lenient than here.
Which is ridiculous given the damage seen more recently in 2004-2005 with hurricanes that meandered around the state and passed over. More of a direct hit like what we just missed with Hurricane Matthew could prove catastrophic. But hey, as long as the builders make serious bank, who cares?
So it's only Florida that does this? It's really quite remarkable when you think about it. If everyone left the country and came back in 50 years, almost no buildings would still stand. Only some steel skyscrapers in the cities.
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