[tijlover]

I have traveled extensively through Latin America, starting in Mexico, and I'm forever amazed at the widespread use of concrete for building houses and commercial properties down there. There's just so much more you can do with concrete, best of all, rooftop patio decks. Many of the hotels I stay in down there have a nice tiled, rooftop deck where you can get a nice view of they city from there, great place to kick back and enjoy the breeze and views. There was an article on some townhouse builder out in Henderson not too long ago who is building all-concrete townhouses out there and he claims he's only paying $3000 more per house by using concrete. I know some of the oldest neighborhood houses in Las Vegas used cinder block. But at what junction did developers turn to such an antiquated and more dangerous building material as wood? Is it because of the rapidity at which you can build a wood-frame house? I think it's a shame that we had all these Latin illegal homebuilders up here who, in their home countries, were using their skills to build concrete houses and not employ those skills here to build more durable, safer, longer-lasting housing. Wouldn't anyone feel more safe from fire, if they had concrete walls and ceilings in their houses? Any comments?

[tortoise]

Originally Posted by tijlover

There was an article on some townhouse builder out in Henderson not too long ago who is building all-concrete townhouses

Link please.

[BobKovacs]

Anyone who says they can build a concrete house for only $3k more than a wood-frames house is either smoking crack, or is paying far too much for his wood-framed houses. The premiums from the electrical contractor who would have to run conduit in all of the exterior walls prior to the concrete pours would be more than $3k- now add in the cost to fur the concrete to accept drywall, and the extra cost of the concrete construction itself, and you're talking about far more than a wood-frame house.

Now, maybe in Mexico where lumber isn't as abundant and where they're building square boxes without drywall, insulation, etc., you can build a concrete house for less, but not here.

[jpk]

You do see some concrete custom homes up in the PacNW where I am, but they are all lmited to one floor and all have an industrial/modern feel. They last forever, but the design and aesthetic limitations turn most people off to them as on option. Not to mention the cost is way more than $3K.

[tijlover]

The article I read was in the 8/5/2007 Las Vegas Sun, concerning one developer named John Petchel. The $3k overrun using concrete is stated in the article. It mentions contractor Steve Vaughn who built Petchel's development. But this was a townhouse they were talking about.

[tijlover]

I don't know what kind of turn off this would be to buyers of concrete houses. Whenever I'm in Latin America, wherever it may be, I love to stroll the residential sections of their cities as the majority of their houses are concrete-designed and I marvel at all the different designs, the mammoth balconies and rooftop decks and curved walls. Rarely do I ever run into the same house design on any given street. I had a house designed for me in Baja California, and with the use of concrete, I made sure there was lots of curved walls, inside and out and a rooftop deck the whole length of my house for a view of the ocean. I don't know why this would be a turn off to buyers as stated in a previous post here. No one wants to sit atop their house at night and look at the stars?

[jpk]

Decking has nothing to do with the use of concrete. You can park a car on top of a wooden roof if it is built correctly.

Concrete makes some sense in the PacNW because it is so wet and damp that wood tends to rot and mold easily. The downside is that concrete cracks when there is an earthquake or volacnic eruption.

In Nevada stucco is preferred because it dries fast and makes a strong barrier to the elements. And stucco can be shaped to give curved walls like you can with concrete.

Not saying concrete is bad, just that it is probably overkill for Las Vegas. Stucco over wood or brick will last a long time and cost a lot less.

[tortoise]

Originally Posted by tijlover

The article I read was in the 8/5/2007 Las Vegas Sun, concerning one developer named John Petchel.

Developer thinks outside the wooden box

[tijlover]

I don't know how you retrieve articles like that, but it was like magic, as I had held onto this article for safekeeping. I know there's alternatives to wood-frame houses but I just think the developers here want to build something as quickly as possible and turn a fast profit. And where did all this fast-track housing construction get us? With an oversupply.

[Block Head]

Originally Posted by jpk

You do see some concrete custom homes up in the PacNW where I am, but they are all lmited to one floor and all have an industrial/modern feel. They last forever, but the design and aesthetic limitations turn most people off to them as on option. Not to mention the cost is way more than $3K.

As a building designer (architectural license pending) in California, I have been interested in concrete masonry units (CMU) as a building material mostly to mitigate threat of fire, but am finding that there is so much more to them. As far as aesthetics, it is the limitations of the designer that leave a building undesireable. As a module, CMU can be used in so many wonderful ways and is transportable It doesn't require formwork and it can be insulated from within the cells. I have found it beautiful, akin to terrazzo or polished granite when modifying its surface, so by leaving the surface exposed (interior and exterior) one can reduce costs. It lends itself perfectly as a contemporary, modern design element.

Glad to find a forum adressing the merits of block!