I've Been Warning About This Stuff With The "Newer Homes"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vKz96llLiY
This is exactly the problems with these newer homes, especially the very "cookie cutter" designs in Development complexes or Residential Drives where often almost every house looks the same and is designed by many of the same builders and to same specifications.
I've seen houses built in the last 25 Years, which developed roof leaks within 5 years of being built, termite and other insect infestations, and all kinds of other "issues" that spring up in the design of the homes.
The "wood" used in Modern American Homes is also not like the old "Solid Wood" in Homes that were built before the 1970's, however the TRUE GLUT of the worst materials being used, really took place at the turn of the 21st century, and also with hiring of more Immigrants who performed the work.
Houses built in the 21st century are an absolute joke.
But while older homes even from the Colonial Era were designed in mind to last at least 200-500 years with proper maintenance, these newer homes are not designed to hold up properly for even a century.
Many of the cheapest materials and labor are often sought in the process of home-building. Many of these "junk" materials come from places like Home Depot and Lowes.
Back in the day, materials came from independent family-owned Lumber stores and small Hardware or Appliance stores and much of it was made in the USA at that time.
It ends up being a trade-off in many ways, but in some very dangerous ways at that, because while a Modern Home will be up to date with code especially with Plumbing, Electrical and Building Techniques, the problems mount from the fact that often Inferior Materials, carelessness and speed that is used in the Building Design.
But not all of that is always desirable either... For example, the Plastic Piping they now use in homes, has certain health and degradation risks, including possibilities of mold and bacteria growth compared to Copper and Brass Water Pipes, and rodents are known to sometimes chew through it.
While "old" wiring for example was also criticized for the fact that woven "cloth" insulation was often used instead of vinyl insulation along time ago, is because vinyl insulation can become brittle and crack over time especially from weather extremes, potentially causing "shorts", but more importantly was that there used to be a "design" as to why in the very old homes and electronic equipment that cloth was used, and it's because mice and rodents were less likely to chew through them, compared to plastic or vinyl insulation.
In most cases, cloth insulation wiring, while deemed a "fire risk" by modern Fire code standards, usually remained intact even many decades afterwards unless it was moved around a lot, so the risks of it still existing in an older home are greatly exaggerated.
Many new houses also have Formaldehyde and other cancer-causing materials, even things known to cause Birth Defects, while in the past with older homes, the main concerning materials were Lead and Asbestos.
Obviously, if someone really wanted to pay for it, they could have a home built to all the right specifications and materials to be like the old style houses, but then look at how much more that would cost the average person who wants to buy a home?
A $500,000 House could easily become over $2 Million or more in using higher quality materials but with everything else the same.
An average home in the USA will cost half a million dollars, and is bound to come with troubles, but the new houses being built, someone would be lucky to be able to even get a life of 50 years living in these houses without major issues making them unlivable, or without needing to consistent major renovations.
Even the type of Door Hardware I've seen nowadays, is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE, and is even FAR WORSE that what is available in the Year 2000.
Even in Europe, Most Modern Apartments, Hotels and Housing contains this HORRIBLE wood plank flooring, rather than hardwood being used, even if it's used over the concrete, and this type of wood is very horrible compared to Natural Hard Wood, and it cannot even be gotten wet for even a couple of minutes, otherwise it gets destroyed and starts to warp and show immediate damage. Yet it's become "the craze" in Europe and even in use a lot here in America as well. The way things sound when things drop on the wood planks, along with how slippery they are to walk on, make them absolutely HORRIBLE.
Hard wood is SIGNIFICANTLY more forgiving when you wash your floors or if you even happen to spill a drink, whereas that godawful plank flooring is not. It begins to warp and look unsightly within minutes.
The bottom line though, is that people would STILL be paying for a house that is OVERPRICED, whether they have the cash for it outright, or take out a mortgage which is even WORSE.
Iam not able to comment it seems
ReplyDelete@Hi,
DeleteYour comments were approved, which comments were you unable to leave?
I noticed this in London several years ago, these horrible 'new build' condo apartment buildings that had been only up a few years with the outside wood panelling all grey and warped and already looking like it should be torn off and replaced. You are right about the pipes-it could be a big money maker for them to 'build back better' and replace all the copper pipes for whatever reason they choose to invent. I already have this in my flat because of the new 'fire regulations' which meant I had to have 'Fire doors' installed this year which messed up my plans while I waited months for the work to get done. I also read they are now replacing gas pipes with plastic and there has been a subsequent increase in mysterious 'explosions.' I also heard from a tradesman last year that the type of plaster they used to use in bygone days was much better (in the UK) because they used to mix the plaster with cut horse hair which made it much more strong but they dont do this anymore so the plaster is much more prone to cracking. Also, as you mentioned, he confirmed to me that the quality of the wood was much better and the wood they use now is 'speed grown' wood that is of a much worse quality all round. A few years ago I had some young 'couple' move into a flat above me-who proceeded to undertake 'works' which sounded like they were building the pyramids above me for 2 months. After this I suddenly started to hear all kinds of knocking sounds throughout the day and every single footstep and all kinds of noise through all hours of the day and night- I could even here the moron man-baby male playing video games half the night- after a while I realised that they had removed all the rubber soundproofing from the floor and replaced it with the usual 'craze' cheap wooden flooring, which had basically broken all the housing rules. Luckily I was able to move out of that place after a while as living under those morons was literally unbearable.
ReplyDelete@HUMAN PASTE,
DeleteYes, there is a multi-faceted agenda with the Plastic Piping even for incoming water supplies that they now use. While Vinyl or Plastic Pipes have been used for some time with the "Water Out" in many homes, and while still not as great as Iron Pipes, it's more of a concern with the Water In, especially as far as how the Water can become contaminated and because there is a constant supply.
A large part of promoting it has to do with "cutting costs" and because of the rise in copper prices, but also laziness on behalf of the Plumbing industry, because more welding is required when using Metal pipes, along with "perfection" in measurements, whereas there is flexibility with using the Plastic Pipes to a degree. Though technically, things have changed to where even Modern Plumbers don't necessarily need to know how to weld or as often with other tools that can even be used with Copper pipes, but the problem is the Industry is now moving to where the Installation & Repair companies are moving away from even dealing with Metal Pipes, unless it means removal and replacement with Plastic Piping, and this also means a much greater profit margin to overcharge even for the Plastic Pipes, compared to what they can upcharge over the Copper Pipes with how much Copper costs these days. But the worst part is that the Sales staff at these companies will always tout the "positives" of using the Plastic and never the potential downsides, and even the lack of longevity or other issues that can arise with Plastic Piping in the future. They are trained to think a certain way, and it's amazing how much they will try to convince someone to change out to the newer shit.
But it also relieves these companies from having to fully train "new" and "younger employees" from some of the old methods and complexities involved with plumbing systems, as the new plastic stuff kind of allows you to cut corners with how you install it, less work involved, but at a cost.
That is also true about the Plaster. The Plaster in my home is made of the time with the cut horsehair, and is higher quality than the modern kinds they use, nevertheless, even this hot summer this year had taken a toll on some portions of the plaster in my home with the brutal humidity, granted it's bound with how old it is and it will start cracking and falling apart from the ceilings in particular.
What time frame do you consider the golden age of homes in America?
ReplyDeleteI agree with these newer homes. They lack soul. Boring, cookie cutter trash on the inside and the outside.
Housing market is propped up by you know who, our favorite big nosed bankers...of course.
And it is very surprising to see so many goofballs in more expensive houses, as many of them refinance, to cover their mortgages...bunch of assholes that raise the price for those of us that are more responsible.
The game never ends with these mother suckers. They just want to continually money change until they get it all, and you are left living like a total slave. Which is exactly what we are seeing now.
@Joey Aragon,
DeleteI'd say between the early 1900's through the 1970's, however we do have some historic houses even over here which were built in the 1600's or after. So long as they are maintained, they are very solid, just "small" and usually with very short ceilings.
I live in an old house that was built before WWI, and while the old homes have their challenges, I've seen just how problematic many newer homes really are, even though they can look very amazing and up-to-date.
Thank you for the insight, PSA...its too bad we live in a world that values the quick buck over quality.
Delete@Joey Aragon,
DeleteYeah, for sure... The #1 thing I am angry about where quality is being sacrificed over a quick buck, is especially in Food First, then after comes things like tools or equipment. What's going on with the Food, especially since 2020 in addition to the prices going up, really has me very angry.