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Stone, Wood, Brick Or Steel?

Stone, Wood, Brick or Steel?

How do people decide wether to build their home out of Stone, Wood, Brick or Steel?

Steel Brick Wood Stone

Its all about money versus value. Overall, brick is a great value but is more expensive. Wood is much cheaper but doesn't last as long, but also allows more flexibility than brick or stone. Steel houses are cheap and strong, but tend to have an echo quality to them that I don't like. When it comes down to it, brick and stone last the longest for the money and I would like to build a house out of brick when I get the chance.

Stone, Wood, Brick Or Steel? Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

I agree cost is a factor but I think so is convenience. Wood homes last as long as brick or maybe longer but take more to upkeep. Brick takes far less work annually than wood siding, but wood is often chose as it is warmer than brick and many prefer the softer look in areas where many vacation (ie cottage county).

Steel Brick Wood Stone

If money is not an issue I often find people will build with steel and brick. Low cost housing seems to usually look at wood, but for me it is such a danger because of being toppled over from tornadoes / earthquake, termites, etc.

Steel Brick Wood Stone

I must ask JB how are you brick homes built then as here they be a frame with a brick face (one layer) so as far as a natural disaster or bugs I see little advantage. Old brick building here used to be two layer of brick then an air gab for sound and insulation value and a single brick on the inside with framing so as to support the finished wall.

In a town called Barrie in the 80's several tornadoes ripped through leveling all brick and wood homes in the path( I am unsure if any steel commercial structures we in the path), in my area there is little threat of such disasters.

I have found a program called bees (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability) I will play with it and see what outcomes I get. I am getting the thought that what might be good in a warm or moderate climate might not be good in a climate that sees large temp flux. I would really like to find a conclusive answer to this.

I have little exposure to steel aside commercial building. I know out west steel floor beams are fairly common in newer structures but I understood that this was to allow more flexibility in the floor plans more than safety or longevity in the building its self.

Stone, Wood, Brick Or Steel?

Krakyn, most homes here are built with concrete and either cement or clay blocks that are then plastered to a smooth finish. In other words only a serious earthquake could move them. Some people also use heavy steel I-beams as the main frame, but I have found that only the more affluent do this as it just a matter of reducing the time. Floors are also cast with concrete so there are no squeaking sounds.

Stone Wood Brick Steel

Interesting JB, I could see a unreinforced wall like you are describing standing up to earth quake, but would not the unreinforced walls not crack and crumble as bad or worse then wood? I would like also to keep in mind wood made today is not of the same quality as the old homes made here years ago which leads me to think a steel home is best and cost of wood is quickly rising reducing the issue of cost of steel.

Also do you place an insulation layer then an interior wall to make the house better insulated? I realize cold is not and issue but what of heat? I could see houses partially underground being an interesting venture in a hot climate but the earthquake might pose a real big issue on that, same as a typhoon or Hurricane.

We seldom see a poured concrete floor in a home it usually is just the foundation (which is unreinforced typically on newer homes). The cost of pouring two floors in concrete would be very expensive. It sounds like the homes are well built to last. New homes here I was told by some big contractors are now designed for a life expectancy of 25 to 40 years at which point they feel the urban development will cause them to be torn down and higher density housing or commercialization of the land will occur. I used to attend annual meeting were engineers and contractors got together to talk about green housing and sustainability of housing. never once was natural disasters talked of due to our climate here I would assume.

Stone Wood Brick Steel Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews

Well, it depends on the contractor that builds your home. For instance some contractors when building a concrete column will do so only after all the walls have been erected. In this way when they make the casing for the column and pour the concrete - the mixture fills both the column and enters into the wall itself thus tying them together. This makes a formidable wall that can stand many earthquakes less than 6. Generally houses here are far superior to those of North America as far as strength, but maybe not as far as appearance.

As far as insulation - there is none. Some houses have ventilation blocks to allow for hot air to be exchanged with cool air - but mostly older houses do this since air condition is common.