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Old 11-23-2014, 08:55 AM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,580 posts, read 27,296,762 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majurius View Post
Yep the mold tends to ruin wooden houses at some point!

I wouldn't choose bricks if there were quakes but I believe Japanese have some kind of a solution. They also have very strict rules.
Seattle is a special case because it's a damp climate like Amsterdam but it's also prone to earthquakes so maybe we should look into that solution.
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Old 11-23-2014, 08:56 AM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,652 posts, read 60,458,744 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majurius View Post
Yep the mold tends to ruin wooden houses at some point!

I wouldn't choose bricks if there were quakes but I believe Japanese have some kind of a solution. They also have very strict rules.
The Japanese don't have a lot of older housing and here's why:

Quote:
An unusual feature of Japanese housing is that houses are presumed to have a limited lifespan, and are generally torn down and rebuilt after a few decades, generally twenty years for wooden buildings and thirty years for concrete buildings – see regulations for details.
Housing in Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not every country considers old housing to be something extra special. I've lived in older housing (built in the late 1800s) and brand new construction. I liked some things about both and disliked some things about both.
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Old 11-23-2014, 09:03 AM
 
Location: Finland
1,398 posts, read 1,482,133 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon View Post
The Japanese don't have a lot of older housing and here's why:


Housing in Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not every country considers old housing to be something extra special. I've lived in older housing (built in the late 1800s) and brand new construction. I liked some things about both and disliked some things about both.
This is something interesting! In Europe there's like 1000 years old buildings still habited... I think Japan has something similar on cars too. Very different point of stand they have.
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Old 11-23-2014, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Finland
1,398 posts, read 1,482,133 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentoo View Post
Now, I can't speak for other parts of the US but I know where I am, they do tend to cut corners when they can. However, they are getting tougher with some things but the problem is when you award a project to the lowest possible bidder, you should expect some corners to be cut.
But here that wouldn't work because your house has to meet certain standards anyway.
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:10 AM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,580 posts, read 27,296,762 times
Reputation: 9032
Quote:
Originally Posted by Majurius View Post
This is something interesting! In Europe there's like 1000 years old buildings still habited... I think Japan has something similar on cars too. Very different point of stand they have.
Japans building standards are because they are highly prone to huge earthquakes. You're also right about the cars. Engines I believe have to be replace after 60,000 miles due to Japans strict air pollution standards.
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:19 AM
 
Location: Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne
17,916 posts, read 24,234,317 times
Reputation: 39027
American residential building standards have fallen. There is a reason many Americans prefer pre-war housing.

However, for the most part it is hyperbole to call American housing 'shacks' and I say that as a critic of recent American building trends. I think the chief problem with stick-built* housing is that while they insulate well in winter, they are hot as can be in summer and really suck in tornados and hurricanes, though as pointed out they are well suited to areas with earthquakes.

*stick-built refers to dimensional lumber as opposed to log or timber-framed wood building techniques.

The main reason stick-built wood housing exploded in America is because it is cheap, and goes up fast. And with a population that grew rapidly in the 20th century, especially after the second world war, there was a huge demand for rapid built, inexpensive housing. Furthermore, the U.S. has a tremendous supply of pine/fir lumber, a commodity in short supply in most of Europe. Except for Scandinavia where building trends in the 20th century were very similar to the U.S., with dimensional lumber.

And remarkably, the world's tallest wooden house is in Bergen, Norway

Last edited by ABQConvict; 11-23-2014 at 10:33 AM..
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:24 AM
 
Location: San Diego, California Republic
16,580 posts, read 27,296,762 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majurius View Post
But here that wouldn't work because your house has to meet certain standards anyway.
They have to meet standards here as well and contractors do get fined for violations. Overall though, I think our standards are generally lower. I say generally because, like everything else in the US, there is regional variation. A house in Minnesota will need to have a high standard for insulation and probably also require certain materials that are resistant to the freeze thaw cycle. Not so much for seismic events. In California, seismic risk has to be taken into consideration a great deal more. In southern CA, shake shingle roofs are no longer allowed due to their tendency to catch fire when wildfires have blown embers traveling in the wind. In western Washington State, a house will need decent insulation because it can get cold in winter. It also needs to be seismically safe as the area gets earthquakes. In addition, I would imagine that certain materials and paints are needed that are mold resistant due to the dampness most of the year. These regional standards always have to be met and inspectors look for that. Corners may be cut in other areas though.
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Old 11-23-2014, 11:22 AM
 
Location: Vancouver
18,502 posts, read 15,421,272 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majurius View Post
Yet how many wooden houses are there in Amsterdam? 3?

All the better houses are made out of bricks or stones. Many wouldn't buy a wooden house at all.
The facades are brick, the interiors are actually wood and plaster.
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Old 11-24-2014, 09:23 AM
 
Location: London, UK
9,970 posts, read 12,342,526 times
Reputation: 3473
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon View Post
Good lord.

At the risk of sounding like an uneducated American, "Dees people be trippin'." I'm just about done here. If they want to believe that the US is a third world country and that we all work 80 hours a week just to be able to afford McDonalds and our lives in a cardboard box, then they can have at it. It really doesn't do a thing to affect my quality of life or my family's standard of living at all.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go finish making my banana nut bread, with organic ingredients that were reasonably priced, and then I'll bake it in the kitchen of my comfortable and affordable home and enjoy a piece of it while I talk to my husband about our vacation plans.
Where's my slice!
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Old 11-24-2014, 10:50 AM
 
Location: Wonderland
67,652 posts, read 60,458,744 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by P London View Post
Where's my slice!
Oh my gosh, that stuff turned out amazing. Since it had nearly a cup of butter in it and 8 ounces of cream cheese, in addition to a cup of sugar, I decided my best course of action was to enjoy a slice or two and then give the rest away, which I promptly did!
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