[TootsieWootsie]

I have been looking on Florida real estate sites and constantly see the wording "CBS." Can somebody please tell me what that means?

[firemed]

CBS construction which is Concrete Block Stucco terminology.

[Shores9]

typically relates to type of construction CBS is short for cement block covered with stucco

[TootsieWootsie]

Are CBS homes built for the lower middle class or are they considered dumpy?
Are they cold to live in or do they cut down on your need for air conditioning? I have never been in one in my life, so any information would help.
Are they built for hurricane protection?
Who lives in them generally speaking?

[jdaryl2002]

Homes in most of Florida are built on a concrete slab and you wont find basements here. To the best of my knowledge almost all home are CBS type. If the stucco is applied right its better here then when it’s used in other parts of the county.

In Atlanta stucco is affixed on wood boards like plywood then to the wood frame of the house. That causes problems and leads to rot among other problems. Stucco to block like they do here is much better. You’ll not tell the difference in a stucco home and wood frame built home from the outside or inside.

[AmyK]

I think CBS might be synonymous with "solid" construction -- that's why it's a plus they want to mention in the house listing. I know it is something my husband looks for in a house. It kept coming up when we were shopping for houses (3 different moves in FL over 20 years) -- "is it concrete or frame construction?" I got the impression that "frame" was cheaper construction, almost flimsy. I don't think the final surface of the house necessarily has to be stucco, though. Our 1st house was CBS with wood siding all around, 2nd house was CBS with stucco on about half of it and coquina rock on the other half. They were both 1-story houses. Our 3rd house is CBS 1st floor and frame 2nd floor, with stucco finish over all. I don't think there is anything "low-class" or tacky about CBS, if anything it seems to be more desirable because it is considered more solid construction; I've seen the term describing houses in all price ranges. Warning, this is just my impression, I am definitely no expert!

[macguy]

Originally Posted by AmyK

I think CBS might be synonymous with "solid" construction -- that's why it's a plus they want to mention in the house listing. I know it is something my husband looks for in a house. It kept coming up when we were shopping for houses (3 different moves in FL over 20 years) -- "is it concrete or frame construction?" I got the impression that "frame" was cheaper construction, almost flimsy. I don't think the final surface of the house necessarily has to be stucco, though. Our 1st house was CBS with wood siding all around, 2nd house was CBS with stucco on about half of it and coquina rock on the other half. They were both 1-story houses. Our 3rd house is CBS 1st floor and frame 2nd floor, with stucco finish over all. I don't think there is anything "low-class" or tacky about CBS, if anything it seems to be more desirable because it is considered more solid construction; I've seen the term describing houses in all price ranges. Warning, this is just my impression, I am definitely no expert!

It is like anything, it can be done well or done poorly. When I was working construction and was an "oiler" on a crane before I got my operators book we were sent on a government job. The operator I was working with told me "Now your are going to see some good workers, not the trash we are used to working with". He was right, they bring in workers who really know what they are doing. When they were done with the block work it didn't get stuccoed but was left exposed.

They groove between the blocks making a pattern. We also filled every block with a mixture of pea rock and concrete. When those guys were done it was a work of art. I was used to seeing walls that weren't even straight much less you could leave the crappie block work they did exposed. No one would ever buy the house if they saw all the cracked and broken blocks they used and just patched up.

[Need_affordable_home]

I agree with everyone else. You need a solid concrete or brick house in FL. Ive seen some brick houses and they look wonderful!

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Are CBS homes built for the lower middle class or are they considered dumpy?
Are they cold to live in or do they cut down on your need for air conditioning? I have never been in one in my life, so any information would help.
Are they built for hurricane protection?
Who lives in them generally speaking?

Everyone lives in them. The homes in Broken Sound are CBS they start at 600k in Boca Raton. You would NOT want a wood house in S Florida. Termites and fire ants would destroy it.

Want to save money on a/c? You will need it 10 months at least in S. Florida. And it ain't cheap either.

[pslOldTimer]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

You would NOT want a wood house in S Florida. Termites and fire ants would destroy it.

Originally Posted by need_affordable_home

You need a solid concrete or brick house in FL

This is conventional wisdom, but not necessarily true. There are flimsy wood frame houses, of course, but a well-constructed frame house is probably better than CBS for many reasons. For one thing, wood will flex in severe winds and usually withstand a higher velocity before breaking. CBS will stand firm until it breaks, which can be at a lower wind speed than well-built wood frame. In Homestead during Hurricane Andrew, both wood frame and CBS houses were wiped off their foundations. However, it takes a category 5 storm or stronger before this kind of damage occurs, and both wood frame and CBS will survive a lower category storm if they are built to code.

Fire ants do not destroy wood homes, nor do most any other insects other than termites. In Florida, all houses must have the ground under the slab treated with an anti-termite chemical before construction. Reasonable maintenance and attention to conditions will reduce the possibility of termite damage. They create a visible tunnel over the slab which is easily seen if you look for it periodically. I have owned various houses and commercial buildings in Florida constructed of wood and have never had a termite problem in them. I did own one house that had galvanized metal studs; it was attacked by termites that actually ate the paper off the surface of the sheet rock, which can easily happen in a CBS house.

Almost every house in Florida has wood interior framing and wood roof trusses; these are just as vulnerable to termites, and the roof is just as vulnerable in a storm.

My new house will be wood frame using 2x6 studs on 16" centers, sheathed and sided with HardiPlank. It will be constructed on 30" stem walls with an engineered wood floor instead of a concrete slab. It will withstand storms as well as any other house built to code, will be treated for termites, and will be more energy efficient than a CBS house because wood is a natural insulator plus the 2x6 walls allow for much more insulation space.

It will also cost a bit less than a comparable CBS house, and I'll gain a tiny bit more floor space because the walls are at least 2-1/4" thinner than CBS.