I didn't expect this post to turn into a conversation on building techniques.
Here's
a link to my blog for those that want to see more pictures. Beginning in Nov. of this year there are pictures of every step of the framing. I'll be happy to answer any questions.
For the questions that have already been asked:
Looking at the images of the terrible hurricane damage in south east USA this evening Terry's comment was that the houses are all wooden. Are we right in thinking that brick/stone building stronger than timber when it comes to severe weather?The tornados like those that ripped through the SE states this weekend will rip apart ANYTHING! NO house can withstand a direct hit from an F4 or F5 tornado. Ditto for the extremely strong hurricanes that sometimes hit the coastal areas. Brick or stone built with mortar might fare better in a weaker storm, but not by much. Houses built of cement block or of poured concrete are much stronger. Block can be affordable to build but are also ugly and have other disadvantages. Poured concrete is more expensive, so usually only done on custom homes. Both are more likely to be built in hurricane prone areas- which also happen to be the hottest and most humid areas, so have an extra advantage against rot. As an example of the kind of forces these storms can produce, my grandpa once saw a piece of straw driven straight through a piece of lumber as if the straw was a nail. Thankfully storms at the extreme end of the spectrum are not common. This week's was literally off the charts re: the damage and how long the tornado lasted. Where we live, tornados are often spawned by thunderstorms, but they merely threaten a lot more often than they cause damage. The very powerful ones are rare this far north. Our new house will have a room that is reinforced to withstand storms, and that only because we did not include a basement.
Also what is vinyl siding? Is it the same as the cladding that is on so many of our higher rise buildings and which was responsible for the dreadful fire at Grenfell Tower a couple of years ago?I had to look up that fire, and no, it's not the same. Vinyl siding is literally strips of heavy vinyl (plastic) molded to look like wood clapboards. It's the most common type of siding used in the US. Each strip appears to be 2 or 3 strips of wooden siding, and they are applied in an overlapping fashion that makes the whole wall appear to be painted wood lap siding. It's also available in a
variety of other styles. Ours will be a board-and-batten style.
Interesting about the construction materials, big construction timbers are very expensive in the UK Big construction timbers are very expensive here, too! That's why the US building industry has come up with other ways to provide strength without using old-growth timbers. If you look at the pictures on my blog, there are 3 types of timbers that are more than just regular construction lumber. Around the stairway there are several 6"sq posts to support the second floor. The same type hold up the front edges of the porches. These are easily within the size of typical harvested trees, so not an extreme cost. Across the top of these stairway posts are 2 laminated beams. These are like a heavily glued plywood, stacked a foot high, and cut into slices like a layer cake. These can be made in any length. The longer ones can get pricey, but we didn't need to span any extreme distances. The extra strength around the stairs is because we wanted to use the space below the stairs for special purposes and did not want normal framing there.
The third type of beam for heavy loads is in the front wall with the double stack of windows. These are not anything special, just multiple lengths of 2x6 nailed together for extra strength to support the windows and roof. In most houses, the strength to span wide spaces comes from engineered trusses, which you can see supporting the entire second floor and the roof. The types of construction that require the huge beams- usually called "post and beam" or "timber frame"- are reserved for larger buildings such as barns, or huge custom homes that desire a rustic look.
Building codes can vary greatly across the US. Climate plays a part, as does the proximity to civilization. Out in the middle of nowhere there can be zero building codes at all, especially in the south. (Let the buyer beware in those areas!) In northern states there are likely to be requirements for roofs to hold a significant weight of snow, and a minimum amount of insulation. Our county has enough code requirements to make one want to scream, but as I see our house come together, I'm glad the codes are there. WE certainly wouldn't know what to watch for to be sure the builder does quality work.