Quote:
Originally Posted by K4GPB
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Of course, prime, old growth, solid lumber was used for even large components like headers, 2x12 joists, studs. It hard to ignite because it's so dense.
Today, most everything except the basic 2x4 is engineered, a.k.a. wood chps glued together (OSB Oriented strand board, which by the way doesn't resist projectiles in a tornado nearly as well as solid plywood.
Sheathing is even made out of rigid foam boards these days
So, y'all give the OP a break, stories of bullets penetrating bedrooms are on the local news all the time here in Atlanta.
Someone from Florida may readily know benefits of concrete homes including protection from bullets. Termites are the main reason for using concrete, poured or CMU (Concrete masonry unit).
It's understandable to be concerned about fire if previously in an area dominated by concrete residential construction.
So, the world has already exhausted the supply of premium wood (in 60 short years), and we're left with much more flammable engineered lumber.
Conversely, the new trend in construction is Mass Timber, or engineered lumber sorta like what plywood is made of, but on a large scale.
They are now making huge beams, columns, girders of many layers of wood glued and compresses tightly so that it's now as hard to ignite as old growth solid wood.
We have an office building going up here in Atlanta's Atlantic Station completely made from wood.
Even towers of 11 and 17 stories are being built solely using wood. The floors are solid, I think, (no joists) plates 9' or 12' inches thick to be hard to ignite.
If I was able to build a house in Atlanta or the Triangle, I would want poured concrete walls at least on the lower 2 levels, because that can survive very strong tornados.
Unlike the flimsy construction of today like that apartment building in Raleigh under construction a couple of years ago that the wind picked up and tossed onto its side..
. Even 4x4 posts are now made like plywood, thin "peels" of wood glued together.
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