MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Re: It's beginning to look a lot like garage-mas...

> It is about strength to weight and cost.
>
> A 10-15 ft run of wood is fairly light and more importantly flexible. Buildings are
> not static. They literally float in the dirt. But considering dirt is also fairly
> unforgiving the house flexes.
>
> For example at the top of the Sears tower (or whatever it is called these days) you
> can feel the building sway in the wind. Same thing with the balloon type construction
> done these days. As the wind blows on the house they move a bit.
>
> If you build a building that is too tight it would literally tear itself apart in a
> few years. Build it to wobbly and it will do the same.
>
> Also cost is a big issue. Wood is still relatively cheaper. A steel i-beam costs
> quite a bit. So a standard size house would cost 10x for the same size.
>
> Concrete while good for insulation is actually a fairly crummy building material. It
> can take a HUGE amount of static stress. But when it goes it shatters. Wood bends
> quite a bit before giving out. Concrete is also *VERY* heavy. So you cant hire a
> small work crew to put your house together. Start using steel i-beams and concrete
> you need to hire cranes, metal workers, and cement workers to put it together.
>
> So material wise wood is *MUCH* cheaper both cost wise and labor wise.
>
> If you want insulation, buy insulation. The 1 1/2 inch foam core board is a R-8
> (which is 'ok') or fiberglass batt insulation (starts at r-10). It is also pretty
> flexible, light and cheap per sq ft (all key in construction). However it is not very
> strong so not used for primary load bearing in construction. Most insulation is not
> about thickness but about creating air pockets. For example triple pane windows.
> Usually 3 or more layers of air (which btw is an excellent insulator).
>
> If you are getting 400 dollar gas bills get more insulation and seal up around the
> windows a bit better. But as someone else mentioned make sure you have good air
> transfer to the outside, or you could end up with a 'sick' house. Also if it is an
> older house (1980s down) it probably is all single pane windows. Just replacing the
> windows can save you a lot (both summer and winter).

Ok i get the costs relevancy.

Two things that are _very_ common around here for construction. First is porous/gas concrete bricks - good insulation in itself, even without styrofoam on the outside, and relatively light. Second important thing is triple-glassed windows (at least doubled are also often used). They are often made from a plastic frame, because wood is even more expensive.

But building a house here is very expensive; that's why we mostly rent apartments instead of paying it up for 20 years.

I guess it's also the same like so many other things different between EU/US (be it clothes or cars, for example): more durable/more heavy-duty and with focus on quality, but of course waaaay more expensive.