Kammekor wrote:Still... Dealing with +40 and -10 (-20?) temperatures during one year wouldn't brick be much more convenient and energy efficient? Keeping this house warm in winter will be quite an effort, just like keeping it bearably cool during summer. Even when painted white.

Now I understand why the foundation could be that simple. A stone / concrete house would never survive on a foundation like that.

Wood frame houses deal with this in several ways. Outer frames get insulation, then a breathable house wrap that allows moisture and heat to escape. Also all the houses have central aircon and heating units, with duct work piping it into every room. Roof gets vented to allow heat to escape and insulated against cold.

In the north, where there is heavy snow, high levels of insulation are used, warming is through an oil furnace with duct work through the floor. Some old houses still use double walls, so there’s an air gap.

The cost to repair and the flexibility to renovate over the life of the house (decades/centuries), as well as the speed to put up framing, makes wood frame the choice for houses in the US.

Pre-built frames for small houses can be brought in by truck and then put together (raised) in a day on a concrete slab. Habitat for humanity does this kind of process, as well as other tricks to rapidly build houses for the homeless.

In honor of Independence Day, we visited the great lady, the USS Texas. Last of dreadnoughts, she fought in both World Wars on both sides of the world. Closed for months for minor repair, opened only today, then will be brought to dry dock never to return to her original berth.




Below decks had a display of uniforms and other items worn and donated by various members, including a scrapbook of each person.

Plus him.



Turns out lots of Texans came to give a final tribute as well.









It was hot and humid with on and off drizzles.



Happy 4th of July.

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 7:28 pm

Kammekor wrote:

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 6:47 pm

phuketrichard wrote:wish i could build with wood rather than bricks & steel

Bricks and steel make a a sturdier structure.

No one does that here because of the disadvantages.

Is a wooden house convenient in Texas' climate?

Wooden houses are convenient for the US in general.

1) shorter building times.

Wood doesn’t need set like concrete and it’s lighter than hauling bricks and steel. Brick face (1/3 to 1/4 brick) over stucco can give a brick look.

2) easier repair, remodeling, demolishing.

Once set, bricks and steel beams are difficult or impossible to move. No changing the interior structure after construction. Remodels, expansions, fixing pipes or moving wiring is a nightmare.

There are plenty of disadvantages, of course.

I could see the advantage of prefabricated buildings in this situation, panels of such built in a factory, with insulation and electrics, transported to the site, with a short overall instillation of building time.

2 weeks after the foundation poured.



These last 2 weeks have been 50-70% chance of rain everyday. These guys move fast rain or shine!

And the two big cars, minimalist at work, keeping your footprint small, everything's bigger in Texas

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Tue Jul 06, 2021 6:47 am that house is just for the 2 of ya?
wow

You will have successfully stoked the ego with that post.