Flimsy new builds?

[Anonymous]

There is a massive new build going up in our neighborhood, a size that sells in the $2-3 million range. It looks so flimsy! Entire above ground framing is just boards and particle board. Do people not worry about how solid these new builds are? We are a bit shocked and wonder what we are not understanding.

[Anonymous]

Some builders, not all, cut corners on things that cannot be seen after the structure is finished. Building code is minimum quality, not good quality.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you sure you’re not confusing particle board with OSB? To a layperson I suppose they look alike, but very different applications for construction.

I’m not saying that there aren’t builders/contractors cutting corners. But, having been through the process of building myself, I learned some surprising things about materials and standards.

[Anonymous]

Standard production homes are built to
Code. If you want higher quality construction op, you need to reach into
Your wallet for a custom plan.

[Anonymous]

OP, what did you think the house would be made of, if not boards?

[Anonymous]

Not OP.

There are many better options than plain OSB/plywood boards.

Purely as an example, ZIP System is better than plain boards. Other options also exist. Code does not require these better options, of course, but code is "minimum acceptable" rather than "good".

[Anonymous]

My house was built around 2000 and instead of OSB sheathing there is some type of flimsy fiber board under the vinyl siding. I doubt that it's more than 1/8" thick. Not sure if it's a quality product, but it looks like glorified cardboard lol

[Anonymous]

Par for the course these days. Buyers are looking for flash, and for maximum square footage, not quality and durability.

You couldn't give me one of these cardboard houses. Nothing but grief in the future with those.

As for what houses should be made of if not manufactured boards wrapped in plastic, try brick. It'll pay for itself in energy efficiency and durability. I love not having to deal with water leaking under vinyl siding and rotting out the plywood (almost guaranteed with today's construction standards.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Par for the course these days. Buyers are looking for flash, and for maximum square footage, not quality and durability.

You couldn't give me one of these cardboard houses. Nothing but grief in the future with those.

As for what houses should be made of if not manufactured boards wrapped in plastic, try brick. It'll pay for itself in energy efficiency and durability. I love not having to deal with water leaking under vinyl siding and rotting out the plywood (almost guaranteed with today's construction standards.)

Over what time horizon? I'll answer for you: more than one lifetime. That's why it's not being done. People no longer have any expectation that their children or grandchildren are going to occupy their homes. So why would they build for paybacks measured in the dozens or hundreds of years?

There are Mennonite families living in stone farmhouses in the Cumberland valley that are 250 years old. Their families have lived in them for generations. But none of us are running that program. We're on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

They’ve been using cheap products for many decades. I live in a house built in 1970 that is in a neighborhood of $1-1.3 million homes. You would be shocked by how crappy the build quality is. We bought our first home in the 90s and looked at new construction. Some builders cut a lot of corners. One thing we saw frequently was cheap siding and put together kitchen cabinets. DH is in the commercial construction industry and always comments when he sees houses, apartments and condos going up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Par for the course these days. Buyers are looking for flash, and for maximum square footage, not quality and durability.

You couldn't give me one of these cardboard houses. Nothing but grief in the future with those.

As for what houses should be made of if not manufactured boards wrapped in plastic, try brick. It'll pay for itself in energy efficiency and durability. I love not having to deal with water leaking under vinyl siding and rotting out the plywood (almost guaranteed with today's construction standards.)

Over what time horizon? I'll answer for you: more than one lifetime. That's why it's not being done. People no longer have any expectation that their children or grandchildren are going to occupy their homes. So why would they build for paybacks measured in the dozens or hundreds of years?

There are Mennonite families living in stone farmhouses in the Cumberland valley that are 250 years old. Their families have lived in them for generations. But none of us are running that program. We're on DCUM.

My utilities are less than half per square foot what folks who live in newly build status-houses pay. Not total. Per square foot. Because I have bricks and thick framing and plaster, and they have cardboard. And I paid less for my house because it's not a Mcmansion, so to your question about over what time horizon? Now. The time is now.

[Anonymous]

Who is the builder?

[Anonymous]

I've seen three new build houses in our neighborhood have to be rebuilt within months after they were occupied. There was a huge lawsuit over a similar situation on Foxhall: https://washingtonian.com/2022/04/13/a-real-estate-nightmare-on-foxhall-road/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Par for the course these days. Buyers are looking for flash, and for maximum square footage, not quality and durability.

You couldn't give me one of these cardboard houses. Nothing but grief in the future with those.

As for what houses should be made of if not manufactured boards wrapped in plastic, try brick. It'll pay for itself in energy efficiency and durability. I love not having to deal with water leaking under vinyl siding and rotting out the plywood (almost guaranteed with today's construction standards.)

Over what time horizon? I'll answer for you: more than one lifetime. That's why it's not being done. People no longer have any expectation that their children or grandchildren are going to occupy their homes. So why would they build for paybacks measured in the dozens or hundreds of years?

There are Mennonite families living in stone farmhouses in the Cumberland valley that are 250 years old. Their families have lived in them for generations. But none of us are running that program. We're on DCUM.

My utilities are less than half per square foot what folks who live in newly build status-houses pay. Not total. Per square foot. Because I have bricks and thick framing and plaster, and they have cardboard. And I paid less for my house because it's not a Mcmansion, so to your question about over what time horizon? Now. The time is now.

Well yeah, I'll grant you that. If you buy an older, smaller house made of brick then yeah it's cheaper to buy and maintain. But the conversation was new build materials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen three new build houses in our neighborhood have to be rebuilt within months after they were occupied. There was a huge lawsuit over a similar situation on Foxhall: https://washingtonian.com/2022/04/13/a-real-estate-nightmare-on-foxhall-road/

Ahem... https://www.redfin.com/DC/Washington/1522-Foxhall-Rd-NW-20007/home/9939317