Are old houses stronger than newly built one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never buy something built out of today's new growth 2x4/pressed board/tyvek. These houses will not last more than 20 years, totally disposable.

Oh you would if you could

You can keep telling yourself that, to justify your life choices and make you feel better about yourself. That doesn’t make it true. My dad is an architect and my husband is an engineer. We are building our new home and they are both in agreement that we wouldn’t be able to build this great of a home a few decades ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the wood is usually stronger which makes for a stronger house - old growth vs. new growth. You can do things like add more studs - every 12 vs. 16

LOL. I hope people don't actually believe stuff like this..

I hope you aren't a contractor. I live in a house built at the turn of the Century. The old growth wood is magnificent, and when we did our renovation and had the walls etc open, all of the construction team marvalled at it.

We live in a 50's house and DIY a lot. There is a huge difference in the wood we have pulled out vs. the new stuff we buy.

No one gives a shit about wood. The best stuff is engineered or steel anyways

Majority of the homes are built with wood studs, not steel.

[Anonymous]

New construction is cheap and flimsy. Particle board. I’ll take brick and cinder block.

[Anonymous]

I think new houses are as strong as old when they are built.

There is a question about how they will age. They rely on resins in OSB for their structural integrity, and these decay over time faster than mortar, solid wood etc.

For a 20 year or thirty year lifespan they will be fine. But then you will need to knock down and start again, while my 1930 brick house will still be strong.

[Anonymous]

All these problems like leaks, settling etc...all happened with old homes but that time passed long ago. Old homes are not stronger than new homes, there were no computer engineering calculations, or sealed envelope tests. There were no water proofed basements and drainage plan calculations. There were no hurricane resistance calculations. Please stop being stupid, just cause you have plaster or a different style of all wood vs engineered wood trim doesn't make it stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these problems like leaks, settling etc...all happened with old homes but that time passed long ago. Old homes are not stronger than new homes, there were no computer engineering calculations, or sealed envelope tests. There were no water proofed basements and drainage plan calculations. There were no hurricane resistance calculations. Please stop being stupid, just cause you have plaster or a different style of all wood vs engineered wood trim doesn't make it stronger.

Why don't you go ahead and punch your drywall. Then come over and punch my plaster. Report your findings back here so we know which is stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never buy something built out of today's new growth 2x4/pressed board/tyvek. These houses will not last more than 20 years, totally disposable.

Oh you would if you could

You can keep telling yourself that, to justify your life choices and make you feel better about yourself. That doesn’t make it true. My dad is an architect and my husband is an engineer. We are building our new home and they are both in agreement that we wouldn’t be able to build this great of a home a few decades ago.

Is your dad a residential architect. Is your husband a structural engineer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these problems like leaks, settling etc...all happened with old homes but that time passed long ago. Old homes are not stronger than new homes, there were no computer engineering calculations, or sealed envelope tests. There were no water proofed basements and drainage plan calculations. There were no hurricane resistance calculations. Please stop being stupid, just cause you have plaster or a different style of all wood vs engineered wood trim doesn't make it stronger.

LOL at waterproof basements. We live in an older neighborhood in Arlington with no basements because the original builders knew there were springs through the area. In the last 20 years a number of the homes have been torn down and the new builders constructed houses with basements. Everyone of those houses has flooded multiple times and they have multiple sump pumps that constantly pump water onto the streets. It is a problem in winter when water freezes. You can have every calculation done but if a builder is too stupid to know you can’t pump out a natural spring, you have a water issue.

[Anonymous]

Lived in a cinderblock town house. Circa 1970 building. Immediate next door Neighbor had a fire that gutted their house. NO fire came through to my house. I was impressed. Cinder block indeed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never buy something built out of today's new growth 2x4/pressed board/tyvek. These houses will not last more than 20 years, totally disposable.

Oh you would if you could

You can keep telling yourself that, to justify your life choices and make you feel better about yourself. That doesn’t make it true. My dad is an architect and my husband is an engineer. We are building our new home and they are both in agreement that we wouldn’t be able to build this great of a home a few decades ago.

I agree ... new build is better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never buy something built out of today's new growth 2x4/pressed board/tyvek. These houses will not last more than 20 years, totally disposable.

Oh you would if you could

You can keep telling yourself that, to justify your life choices and make you feel better about yourself. That doesn’t make it true. My dad is an architect and my husband is an engineer. We are building our new home and they are both in agreement that we wouldn’t be able to build this great of a home a few decades ago.

Is your dad a residential architect. Is your husband a structural engineer?

They are computer systems architect and engineer.

[Anonymous]

I think an old home that has survived all this time without (evidence of) problems such as a wet basement is absolutely a better investment than a new build. Wiring and plumbing can be brought up to code (Which we did on our 1954 brick house). I definitely feel that my older home is more solid than new construction.

You do you.