Brick houses? (Seattle, Newcastle: transplants, insurance, neighborhoods)

[solomani]

Hi all,
I have been spending some time looking at houses in the Seattle area and it strikes me as very different from Sydney, Australia. Seattle doesn't seem to have brick and double-brick homes (both full brick and veneer) while this is pretty standard for Sydney.

Is there a reason for this? And can this be generalised to the entire USA?

[xcalgal]

It might be due to the fact that we are in earthquake territory or that the area is a great source for lumber. From what I read, Sydney has small earthquakes but not usually the big rockers.

[solomani]

Thanks for the reply. Sydney doesnt get any earthquakes at all. I do recall an aftershock from a tiny earthquake in Newcastle but that didnt even wake me up I recall - nothing compared to somewhere like Tokyo.

Only real natural disaster Sydney deals with are bushfires.

[SleepyinSeattle]

Earthquakes and brick construction don't mix.

[JustCallMeTC]

As a former owner of an old real brick house, I can tell the horror of going through an earthquake in one. And in Seattle, getting earthquake Insurance on a brick house is very expensive. I have since sold that house, but in 1995 they wanted 800.00 to insure a 1700 Sq Foot home.

That's 800.00 Per Month

[solomani]

Wow crazy money! I didnt realise Seattle suffered from quakes. Are woodend houses safer during an earthquake or they are just less expensive to rebuild?

Thanks for the replies all.

[Patron of Wrath]

Wood houses can "flex" during an earthquake, and are therefore less likely to have a catastrophic structural failure than a block/brick home.

[JustCallMeTC]

Sticks are the way to go...

[Patron of Wrath]

Unless there is a big bad wolf chasing you, then I suggest brick.

[eskercurve]

In terms of generalizing the whole USA not having a lot of brick homes, I can tell you from experience the older homes (made in the 1940s and before) are mostly brick. I grew up in two homes on the south side of Chicago, and both were brick. Most of the houses in the neighborhoods I grew up in were brick. Same can be said for Purdue University - most buildings are red brick (including the new ones, to preserve continuity and people just like the look of them). In St. Louis, the majority of homes had some brick at least, and the old French quarter and downtown were made of brick. Suburbs were 1/2 and 1/2. I know Indianapolis, NYC, Philly, and Boston have tons of brick homes. Near Orlando is mostly stucco and concrete. Phoenix has mostly stucco and a sturdy drywall (to release the heat).

Here in Seattle, much of the older homes are brick homes too. Drive around Capitol Hill and Pioneer square / int'l district, and near UW to see what I mean. However, Seattle is a newer city and most of the population comes from transplants from the 1960s onwards to this day, so the population boom forced developers to make homes quickly, and brick supplies are more limited here.