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Is there any discernible difference in quality of the houses built on Long Island during the 1950s vs. the 1960s vs. the 1970s (the most common years for single-family houses)?
I am interested in the "regular", not custom-built dwellings, in Suffolk, if that matters. Can one generalize quality of construction by decade, and did anything in materials or standards change dramatically between these 3 decades, or does it primarily depend on the builder? Insulation, materials, craftsmanship...
Also, a house with and without basement built during this period: does that tell me anything about the quality of the construction for the house from that period, i.e. would I expect that a house with a basement may be better quality than one without?
Having done my share of working on the Clark Street abode wood frame houses in the 50's seemed to be sturdy though not very good at keeping heat in and cold out.
One word about housing built in the 70's, aluminum wiring. Check for it, remove it, replace it.
Having done my share of working on the Clark Street abode wood frame houses in the 50's seemed to be sturdy though not very good at keeping heat in and cold out.
One word about housing built in the 70's, aluminum wiring. Check for it, remove it, replace it.
Actually, pigtail it.
I think its only on 73 and newer.
My house isn't in Suffolk, but it was built in 1949. The houses in my area from this time period seem to have more detail work than newer homes. Every room has crown moulding and the tall, colonial base moulding. There are arched doorways in the house, and a decorative front entrance, as well a stone front and brick facade (which, by they way, although there is no insulation in the walls, keeps the heat in in the winter very well). There is a full basement, full height too. The house also has hardwood floors, which were common at the time. But unlike the common the 2 or 3 inch planks, these are 1 inch planks, and look a bit nicer.
Point is, it seems that the older the house the more work they out in for making it look nice, instead of just quickly finishing it to move on to building the next.
My house was built in 1976 and it has copper romex wires throughout. One thing to think about re houses built in the 1950's is lead pipes and smaller water service pipes.
Dave's post was pretty spot on. Only problem with the 1" wood floor is that it's only 1/4 thick so it might not be finishable if it's in bad shape. If possible always buy a house with a basement and a garage.
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