Block vs. Stick-Built Homes

[Andre5140]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

That's a thought too. You can save a bundle of money using an evap cooler. If the house you are looking at has a roof top A/C, it is pretty easy to put in a piggyback cooler. Tile roofs and ground mounted condensers killed the seasonal use of coolers.

Not to sound like a dummy, but tell me about evap coolers and how practical they really are.

I assumed they were just rooftop eyesores that went away as technology improved to today's a/c systems that use a ground unit that has a fan.

Any thoughts on that neighborhood, while you're at it?

Thanks!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Andre5140

Not to sound like a dummy, but tell me about evap coolers and how practical they really are.

I assumed they were just rooftop eyesores that went away as technology improved to today's a/c systems that use a ground unit that has a fan.

Any thoughts on that neighborhood, while you're at it?

Thanks!

Coolers are still around and maybe improved with better pads, pumps and fans. But you don't see them on new homes anymore. I think it is mostly the problems with tile roofs everyone wants. Eyesore? Maybe, but they are much more efficient and would save everyone a bundle of energy and money if they were still used. Goettl was THE name in A/C and evap 30 years ago. They made a piggy back package that hooked up the house a/c with a replacement thermostat and all. Evaps work great if the dewpoint is lower than about 55 and the air temp is below maybe 105 or so. That is everything except late June thru Labor day. I wish I had one. I always loved the smell of the aspen pads when you first replaced them each year.

[Andre5140]

Originally Posted by aj661

1973, Guadalupe and McClintock? May be a Suggs Home. They built great houses. I grew up in a Cox block home in Scottsdale-very similar floorplans. Boring by today's standards but a very efficient use of space. A frame home from 1985 vs. a block home from '73 may be a toss up for electricity costs. They should both be SRP which beats APS for rates hands down. The comment on an evap is a good suggestion. I had a piggy back on a frame home built in 1986. I only needed the a/c during the monsoon and the swap cooler costs next to nothing to run. Also we installed dampers (brand name Up-Dux Up-Dux ® The Comfort Maker Ceiling Things!) in the ceiling so we didn't need windows open when running the swap cooler. This had the added benefit of cooling the air in the attic. Also, if the previous owners haven't installed energy efficient windows, do it.

I'm not a termite expert so I don't know everything about them, but we do have them in the far east valley. Ours are easy to spot: Look for 1/4 inch wide mud tubes coming up from the ground on your foundation. According to one of the guys who treated my house, they travel back and forth between the ground and the food source-they don't establish colonies in your home. On the rare occasion I've found a tube, I just knock it off, dig a small trench at the base and pour a heavy concentration of insecticide in it. The last one I treated myself has been dormant for almost a year.

If you are interested in Crime stats, here's the link for Tempe PD's crime analysis unit. If you go to the "Beat Information" link from there, you can check the numbers and types of crimes going back to 2000. You can even narrow it down with the house address.
City of Tempe - Crime Analysis

Good Luck. BTW, my vote goes to the block home if only for nostalgic reasons.

What a fabulous post! Lots of stuff here.

Yeah, it is a Suggs home. The floorplan IS very logical and useful. I am a single guy and could see it being a great layout for when I eventually get married. It also has a bit bigger yard (10,000 sq ft) and the neighborhood looks very stable and nice.

My biggest concern is the "money pit/in over my head" issue. I know banks will lend money to anyone. This is a large home (1900 sf) and needs some updating but if it is livable while I make these upgrades, I think it would be really worth it.

I can tell this block home was once the pride of the neighborhood. Now, after being in forclosure and years of sub-par maintenance, it'll need some updates. Namely, windows!

The yard has a pool (currently empty and free of debris or puddles for mosquito breeding, thank GOD!) and a mature citrus tree. It is beautifully landscaped but currently WAY over grown. She needs 2 people who spend one day on her to make it the prettiest yard on the block.

Interior? "Hello, 1973!!!" But that's ok...I'm not too picky being a single guy who can work on it as I can afford it.

[aj661]

Originally Posted by Andre5140

Not to sound like a dummy, but tell me about evap coolers and how practical they really are.

I assumed they were just rooftop eyesores that went away as technology improved to today's a/c systems that use a ground unit that has a fan.

Any thoughts on that neighborhood, while you're at it?

Thanks!

The piggyback unit I had was a "MasterCool": Home of Master Cool, Mobile Master Cool, Arctic Circle, Alpine and Wisper Cool - Adobe Air - The World Leader in Evaporative Cooling

It had one large, thick pad as opposed to the four thin ones on a traditional swap cooler. Maintenance was a piece of cake. That type of unit on the Suggs would be perfect. It will save you a ton of money if you stay there for a few years.

Does it have the original lime green shag carpet???

I am more than a little jealous!

[wit-nit]

Block homes are structurally better built than stick homes. Walls are straighter, noise is quieter and life of home is longer. Block home with insultated dry wall and insulated filled in holes are more maintance free with lower utility costs, especially if if managed properly.
Evap coolers add moisture, increasing the humidity, inside the home. Sleeping can be uncomfortable at times with the heavy damp air. If not properly vented you will experience dampening off or wet walls which can lead to molds, warpage of walls including some wood furniture. Most evap coolers are high maintenance and need to be cleaned out twice a year for maximum efficiency due to high amounts of salt build up from our city water. This means for peak efficiency changing the pads, pump and scrapping out the accumulated salts. Rvap coolers are useless during the monsoon season.
Airconditioning though it costs somewhat more to run keeps the house dry and more comfortable all year around.
Termites are not a problem if you do a regular inspection and a termite insecticide control every 2-5 years.

[tonyp71]

Did you buy the block home? If so, we too bought a block house (built in 1978) in the same neighborhood as you. We live off Country Club Way on Pegasus (the first street north of Guadalupe (runs parallel) We love it...very spacious and solid build! Huge lot w/ pool and nice open floorplan. We looked at lots of houses prior to this one and we think the 70's block homes offer so much more value and have tons more potential than "stick and stucco" homes do!

-Tony and Stacy

[wit-nit]

Block homes in the older days and still today have the inside walls furred out with 1X2's and the drywall used on those walls have a foil backing that repels the heat.
If you're getting severe heat radiating back from those walls then the builder shortcutted and did not use insulating drywall.
Block built homes are far superior than stick built homes with their warped walls. They'll last longer and they usually run cooler inside.
Termites are all over the country. Termite control every 3-5 years will prevent termites from entering your house.
By law, new homes must have a 5 year termite treatment applied on the site before construction starts.

[arcticgeorge]

I am a bricklayer and i know that termites are not eating your masonry at all. If you have them they are eating wood from some source. A properly built block wall will not allow ANY insects or rodents in. Even an old wall can be easily repaired to make it solid again. A masonry water sealer is recomended on all interior block walls. You can build a home out of block and use STEEL studs no wood at all, they do it all the time in commerical applications. (plus your home will be fire proof) Block is a good insulator too, i have a wood burning barrel in my garage, when the 4 inch block wall that is near it is hot on the barrel side you cant feel the heat on the other side. For sure masonry will absorb sun light and heat but as far as it coming through to the other side.... They make block up to 12 inches wide that would help the factor more..I plan on building a block home with brick on the outside just like we build townhomes here in Illinois.