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All the old growth forests have been mostly depleted, but isn't it still possible to find recycled old growth wood?
My old house, the Craftsman bungalow, had original heart pine floors throughout. Although you might be able to find recycled old growth wood of that type, it would be extremely expensive. Those floors were still pristine even at 92 years old. Now my current house, although only 61 years old, has all plaster walls inside. You'd still be able to find the materials, but good luck finding a craftsman to apply them at an affordable cost.
I guess the bottom line is, why worry about building a house that will last two hundred years, when most houses become obsolete in much less time due to changes in taste, style, energy concerns, "the neighborhood going south", etc..
I remember reading once that your average high-priced McMansion is built to last all of 30 years.
My parents bought an ordinary 2-bedroom tract home in 1952, new construction, with lath and plaster. Those houses, built by that home builder, are still in good shape today. And so is the neighborhood. There were plenty of others built at the same time that are not (my dad called them crackerboxes.)
The reasons why a neighborhood goes south are complex, but shoddy construction can definitely be a contributing factor.
I guess the bottom line is, why worry about building a house that will last two hundred years, when most houses become obsolete in much less time due to changes in taste, style, energy concerns, "the neighborhood going south", etc..
Or, the neighborhood going "north" as ours is.
110 year old 1100 sqft crappy houses are being scraped and replaced with duplexes.
The scraper sells for $580K and is replaced by 2x$950K units. All on a 1/13 of an acre.
I remember reading once that your average high-priced McMansion is built to last all of 30 years.
My parents bought an ordinary 2-bedroom tract home in 1952, new construction, with lath and plaster. Those houses, built by that home builder, are still in good shape today. And so is the neighborhood. There were plenty of others built at the same time that are not (my dad called them crackerboxes.)
The reasons why a neighborhood goes south are complex, but shoddy construction can definitely be a contributing factor.
If you are referring to building lifespan, that’s not quite an accurate interpretation.
The lifespan of a building is the number of years it is anticipated to fulfill its original purpose. It doesn’t mean the building is literally falling apart at that point.
Look at shopping malls as an example. Most were built in the 70s and 80s, and we see them being abandoned now, 40-50 years later. In most cases the structures are fine, it is simply that we have changed how we live, and those big boxes with central corridors are no longer wanted. They need to be demolished or substantially renovated.
Same think with mansions and brownstones from the 1880s -1920s. What used to be single family homes for wealthy people have now been converted into multiple apartments.
The 1950s era tract houses? Same thing is happening. Structurally they are fine, but in some cases they are being demolished to make way for larger homes, the garages are being turned into additional living space, additions are being constructed, central air added, single pane windows being replaced with modern units, etc.
All over the country we see houses being remodeled to allow for in-law apartments, auxiliary time home dwellings in the back yard, etc.
A 30 year McMansion is no different. The wood frame has a finite life to be sure, but it is longer than 30 years. We simply expect changes to accumulate over time to the extent that in 30 years most people live differently than they do now, and McMansions need to be altered.
When I sold my 50 year old house, one potential buyer told me that she liked Pergo better than my original red oak floors because Pergo came with a 10 year warranty. Fifteen years later, the house came back on the market; listing boasted about the original floors.
Few people understand or appreciate solid old materials. I'm glad the OP isn't one of them.
In my corner of flyover America, there are numerous beautiful limestone houses, churches, offices, commercial buildings, etc still left from the late 19th/early 20th century.
Let's say $$$ and time was not an issue, would one even be able to find the architects and skilled labor necessary to build a similar structure today?
You can still buy limestone blocks, yes. You can still find masons to build a house. Cost is typically 3X that of a wood framed house. No idea what the limestone blocks would cost. My fear would be acid rain.
Personally I don't see the allure over a wood framed, limestone or brick exterior. Brick notable isn't all that great at preventing moisture, and is a poor at insulating.
If I were building a house with an unlimited budget I'd probably have stick built with brick or stone exterior.
There are houses built entirely of wood nearby me that are 300 years old.
You can still buy limestone blocks, yes. You can still find masons to build a house. Cost is typically 3X that of a wood framed house. No idea what the limestone blocks would cost. My fear would be acid rain.
Personally I don't see the allure over a wood framed, limestone or brick exterior. Brick notable isn't all that great at preventing moisture, and is a poor at insulating.
If I were building a house with an unlimited budget I'd probably have stick built with brick or stone exterior.
There are houses built entirely of wood nearby me that are 300 years old.
Unlimited budget? Timber frame construction with SIP (structural insulated panel) envelope. Maybe a fieldstone facade.
It is architecturally beautiful, will last many decades, has really high insulation values, and is extremely versatile as far as floor plans and remodeling.
Yeah as long as you got money. There is a lot of money in old barn or construction wood.
I don't understand the enamorment with "old growth wood." The grains are tighter because there was a mini ice-age in the 1800's. Things didn't grow as fast. Sure, if we're talking about a piece of furniture, that's lovely, but we're talking about a stud hidden in a wall.
Doug Fir is Doug Fir. Commonly available in parts of the country. Or White Pine, more likely the wood depending on where you are. Here, it's Yellow Pine.
IF you have a low-rent builder he's likely to use the cheapest available wood, if you pay more and ask/insist you get better wood, if you really wanted I'm sure you could frame the house in Oak.
I don't understand the enamorment with "old growth wood." The grains are tighter because there was a mini ice-age in the 1800's. Things didn't grow as fast. Sure, if we're talking about a piece of furniture, that's lovely, but we're talking about a stud hidden in a wall.
Doug Fir is Doug Fir. Commonly available in parts of the country. Or White Pine, more likely the wood depending on where you are. Here, it's Yellow Pine.
IF you have a low-rent builder he's likely to use the cheapest available wood, if you pay more and ask/insist you get better wood, if you really wanted I'm sure you could frame the house in Oak.
The grain is tighter for several reasons. Old growth trees had to compete with larger, existing trees. They got less light and water as they grew, so they grew more slowly, resulting in a closer grain and a denser, harder wood.
Commercially farmed lumber comes from stands of trees that are all the same age. The trees grow very quickly without competition from larger timber. Wide grain patterns result in softer wood.
Old growth timber was often quarter-sawn, resulting in lumber with a more consistent grain patter, with less splintering because of the sawing pattern.
Finally, you can get much larger boards from old growth trees because they were larger.
Old growth wood is superior to secondary growth in every way. Yes, a spruce 2x4 is sufficient with modern framing technique because of the redundancy, but it is inherently weaker. For any finish wood, old growth is simply far superior.
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