wood houses, why?

[unclehobart]

Hurricanes don't ever make it to the west coast. The water is too cold.

 

[Luis G]

Not on the east but, I remember when i saw some areas of Florida all destroyed because of a hurricane.

wouldn't be better for them to build something more solid?
If there's no apparent risk for natural disasters, wood houses can be very nice, but in some areas it is just a waste of money.

 

[PT]

I don't think concrete houses fare alot better when you're talking hurricanses, the walls may still be standing, but the top can still get blown off and all your possessions sucked out.

 

[Luis G]

the "top can" is also concrete and steel.

 

[PT]

I don't know why, but you just don't see that too often up here. Is that the normal construction down there? Normal construction for houses is wood frame, some brick with an interior wood frame, a few just brick, but the majority still have a wood roof with shingles.

 

[unclehobart]

It also depends on how its all bolted together. The concrete houses in Florida failed because the basic constuction was sub par. The walls were poured slabs loosely connected at the corners and the roof was merely laid in place without so much as a single nail. It was just held together by its sheer weight.

Steel roof, wood roof... it matters not. The basic laws of pressure and areodynamics turn all rooves into airplane wings under hurricane force winds. The pressure differential lift combines with the increased air pressure from the inside of the house* to make for a quasi bomb to blow off the roof.

*Most modern houses are built rather air tight and don't allow for air to enter and exit quickly enough to correct for the quick changes in barometric pressures associated with a hurricane.

 

[Luis G]

I don't know why, but you just don't see that too often up here. Is that the normal construction down there? Normal construction for houses is wood frame, some brick with an interior wood frame, a few just brick, but the majority still have a wood roof with shingles.

common construction here is steel, brick and concrete for the whole house.

In cold areas (2,500m+ over sea level), some people use wood interiors, but the house is built the same.

edited.

 

[Luis G]

Steel roof, wood roof... it matters not. The basic laws of pressure and areodynamics turn all rooves into airplane wings under hurricane force winds. The pressure differential lift combines with the increased air pressure from the inside of the house* to make for a quasi bomb to blow off the roof.

*Most modern houses are built rather air tight and don't allow for air to enter and exit quickly enough to correct for the quick changes in barometric pressures associated with a hurricane.

Now that i think about it again, i realized that most houses over there have the roof inclinated, and it goes beyond the border of the wall. That type of construction indeed is vulnerable to fast winds.

We don't build like that, we rather use flat roofs with the borders of it perfectly matching the walls, but then again we don't get snow.

btw, insteresting stuff about modern houses, i'd like to read further, if you have a link that is.

 

[unclehobart]

Aahh... so Your house construction is like a castle cubed roof? I like that idea. Very solid. Probably resistant to artillery fire.

There are no real links to give you that could explain it easily. Every state, county, community has their own building standards and building codes. Its a nightmare. You are limited in what you can do. Its... stupid.

 

[unclehobart]

Do you have a camera, Luis? I'd like to see a picture of your house... or at least the roof... or even a few pictures of the roof styles in your area.

 

[Luis G]

yes i have a camera, i will take pics of the roof and some other constructions as soon as the sun goes down a bit, 'cause my roof has a white water-proof coat that reflects heat and sunlight.

 

[Mirlyn]

me too

 

[Luis G]

house1

 

[Luis G]

house2

 

[Luis G]

house3

 

[Luis G]

roof

 

[Luis G]

most of you probably have no idea what these are.

They are water holders, to insure proper pressure in the house, they are located in the roof.

 

[Luis G]

houses near 1

 

[Luis G]

houses near 2

 

[Q]

The concrete houses in Florida failed because the basic constuction was sub par. The walls were poured slabs loosely connected at the corners and the roof was merely laid in place without so much as a single nail. It was just held together by its sheer weight.

Do you have a source to verify this information?
In 15 years of construction I have NEVER seen a poured concrete wall. I have NEVER seen a wall that was not reiforced with rebar. Hurricane straps have been code for many years. Not even a crazy person would put a roof on a structure without attaching it. Pitched roofs are made with trusses fortified with galvanized steel.