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Here, in Las Vegas, in the older sections of the city, homes built in the 40's, 50's, 60's, cinder-block, concrete construction was the predominate mode of housing construction here, and then around 1970 it all came to a halt. There's a realtor who now does tours of those areas to show people some of the unique houses created during that period, mostly in the older, wealthier areas, which is creating a revival in those areas. Granted, you can put up a "stick house" much quicker, perhaps that's what happened, the city had a big boom period after 1970 and developers were in a rush to get them up as quickly as possible.
In Phoenix, I had a home in an older historical section, built in 1940, and the house was all brick, with a layer of stucco on the outside. But the roof was wood, and given the termite problems in Phoenix, I so wished the roof had been concrete. I had continual problems with those brown streaks coming down from the roof area, due to the termites. A neighbor of mine, in that same area, had to replace his entire roof! All eaten away!
I will concede that concrete construction is not advisable for every part of the country, but the SW desert regions (Las Vegas gets 4 inches of rain a year!) are ideal for it.
As for stucco, in my 1970 circa townhouse, I have such a thick layer of stucco on my house, I need a concrete drill bit to hang something on it. The stucco layer on the new houses in Las Vegas is so paper thin it serves little or no function at all. I was going home care on someone who owned one of these new houses, she asked me to nail something to her wall near the pool one day, all I had to do was puncture it with the thinnest of nails! I was shocked!
And given all the illegals that helped build up Las Vegas, with their masonry skills, it's a shame all that talent went to waste and more higher quality housing weren't built!
Some of the things you are saying are somewhat true, but obviously from someone who knows little about construction or construction technology. There is too much to respond to, that would take to long. One note for your friend with the "paper thin" stucco (google EIFS, if you want to know what it is), its not advisable to put holes in your exterior walls, not matter what it is. Water, termites love holes.
One note, too on your "brick house". Unless Im wrong you had a wood framed roof, and you had wood framed walls too. Unless you had brick interior walls, they were framed in wood first....
Yep - Bingo. Many homes in Mexico... especially in Baja and the desert regions are because they do not have trees for wood. Mexico doesn't have much of a timber industry, nor any nearby... thousands of miles... so they use Concrete and the materials around them.
I live in Florida, my house is made of cinderblock, except for the roof, which is wood truss and composite shingles. Concrete is beneficial here for a couple reasons. It's more wind resistant and termite resistant. IN fact, stick built homes cost a fortune to insure here.
I thought Florida has some concrete houses. Anyway, yes they'd be a good idea in other parts of the country, but part of the problem is that in fire-prone areas in the mountains, people like to show off fancy log cabins and other wooden buildings. They do have their charm.
I thought Florida has some concrete houses. Anyway, yes they'd be a good idea in other parts of the country, but part of the problem is that in fire-prone areas in the mountains, people like to show off fancy log cabins and other wooden buildings. They do have their charm.
If you go back to my post about foxblocks you will see you can have a fairly traditional looking house, made from concrete, but yes most ICF homes are ultra modern looking.
If you go back to my post about foxblocks you will see you can have a fairly traditional looking house, made from concrete, but yes most ICF homes are ultra modern looking.
And cost more to construct. By the time you lay out the ICF's and set the rebar in place, I will have my cement walls already up and the forms ready to remove. Usually with ICF's you can only go up one floor.
mnay homes in hurricane araes are now cider block basic walls with say brick or other outside construction.Plan old cinder block walls really are not that good in winds or earthqaukes unless they are reenforced with concrete filling. its expensive to build tho. Most of mexico's builidng of that type have nt been too safe during earthqaukes tho because they are just cider block.My neighbor had a out builidng that just colpased during hurricane rita while normal structures did much better. Once a cider block with out concrete filling gives some it tends to just totally collapse from waht I have seen persoanlly.
mnay homes in hurricane araes are now cider block basic walls with say brick or other outside construction.Plan old cinder block walls really are not that good in winds or earthqaukes unless they are reenforced with concrete filling. its expensive to build tho. Most of mexico's builidng of that type have nt been too safe during earthqaukes tho because they are just cider block.My neighbor had a out builidng that just colpased during hurricane rita while normal structures did much better. Once a cider block with out concrete filling gives some it tends to just totally collapse from waht I have seen persoanlly.
CBC or cinder blocks need to be filled with cement or concrete up to the top (ie from ground to ten feet up) otherwise they will collapse.
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The answer I got from my friend in Mexico
