Oklahoma devastated again

CNN is reporting that 7 of the children who died at the elementary school were in the basement and died of drowning. Not sure how, but that is truly tragic that they went there for refuge and died in that way.

 

That doesn't really get us anywhere.

I've just been reading the web and there are hundreds of pages that refer to the strength of brick houses over wood and dry wall, hundreds that talk about brick being the better insulator, but I can't find one that says the opposite.

 

does the websites state which are the most sustanable.

if a wooden construction property is built correctly and has the correct insulation installed its better insulated than a brick and block construction.

first thing you learn at college

Timber

Wood is used for construction purposes when cut or pressed into timber, such as boards and planks. It is a generic building material and is used in building just about any type of structure in most climates. Wood can be very flexible under loads, keeping strength while bending, and is incredibly strong when compressed vertically. Therefore, wood is an ideal building material in earthquake zones, followed by steel. The worst is bricks and mortar.

 

thats so tragic Calgary, i wonder if there was an indoor pool or if it was just through the severeity of the rain that filled up the basement,or even burst pipes.

 

All I can say in redarmy's defence is from my experience. I would say that 99% of houses here are built from timber and not brick - obviously you use the construction materials that are abundant in the area.

Notwithstanding the economics of using timber over brick, I can say that these houses are incredibly well-insulated. The coldest I ever feel inside is when I come back to the UK in winter because the brick-built houses feel damp and cold! In Canada, we have R-20 insulation in the walls and cavities to increase the insulation.

I would have a timber-built house over a brick one any day of the week.

 

Brick

Brick is a strong, durable material that has been used in homes for hundreds of years. However, brick alone has very little insulating power. Common red clay brick has an R-value of 0.2 per inch, while denser, stronger face brick offers only 0.11 per inch. The average 4-inch common brick provides an R-value of 0.80. Four-inch face brick rates 0.44. Traditional structural brick walls were built using two layers of brick, tied together at intervals with bricks turned sideways, and included a small airspace between the layers. This can slightly increase the insulation value of a brick wall. However, brick alone usually insulates poorly.

Fiberglass

Fluffy fiberglass batting or chopped blown fiberglass are two of the most popular types of home insulation in the United States. This material is made up of many tiny glass threads with air spaces between them. The trapped air helps keep heat from escaping through the material. According to Colorado Energy, fiberglass batts provide an R-value of between 3.14 and 4.30 per inch. Blown fiberglass in walls and attics provide between 2.20 and 4.40, depending on how tightly the fiberglass is packed. Fiberglass insulation loses some of its insulating power if it gets wet or is compacted tightly.

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Wood

Most homes built since the mid-20th century are wood-framed. This material is lightweight, inexpensive and provides better insulation than brick but is still a relatively poor insulator. In general, denser woods, such as oak, have a lower R-value than less dense woods, such as pine. Framing wood usually averages an R-value of around 1.25 per inch, or around 4.38 per 2x4. Most hardwoods have R-values around 0.71 per inch, making them a poorer choice for keeping heat in the home, despite their durability. Like brick, wood homes are usually augmented with extra insulation.

 

me too Calgary, when i was in Calgary it was -20 outside and toasty inside, when it was -1 in the uk it always felt cold and damp on the walls

 

They use insulation packs in wooden houses. My brother-in-law built his own cabin in Vermont, basically bought as a kit and he's been able to extend it as money allowed. I saw part still in the process of being built and there are large bags like these
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5345472722_8a25d85fc2.jpg

 

I've just done the same after reading this thread. I see quite a few saying that timber is a naturally warmer material but not that it does a better job of keeping heat in, all the sites I found say that brick does that. The also all said that brick is the stronger construction with a couple saying that timber is 'prone to natural disasters' and 'less capable of dealing with strong winds'. In fact I seem to remember watching an episode of extreme makeover home edition where they built using special materials because of the area they were in and the fact that timber framed houses wouldn't be able to handle it. It was an hurricane problem I believe.

 

But earthquakes and tornado's are two totally different things. In an earthquake the foundations move and you want a building that can move with it so you choose a flexible material like timber over bricks. But in a tornado or strong wind situation you certainly don't want a flexible material that is going to move under the wind. You want something solid that will stay put

 

Timber can be built to withstand hurricanes, but the best for that is concrete.

 

if you think brick will stay put under 200mph winds wow.

 

I think the key phrase there is 'the correct insulation installed'. It's not the wood house that's providing the insulation, it's the insulation material. The brick house provides the insulation on it's own. What a wooden house doesn't have is thermal mass. That is the key to keeping your house warm in winter and cool in summer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_mass

As I stated earlier a wooden house is advantageous in earthquake zones. But that doesn't make it stronger, it makes it more appropriate for the geographical setting. It's more flexible, not stronger.

If everyone on earth died tommorow, in 100 years most of our brick houses in England would still be standing. In America whole towns and villages would disappear as the wooden houses, without continued maintenance, would be long gone.

 

you are right about the 100 year scenario, but if no ones left why do they need to be standing LOL, They will just look an eyesore

The big problem to timber framed here is the termites.

 

I think we've argued about house construction long enough! What are we like.

 

lol you are correct we are going off the original point of the poor people of Oklahoma

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nyrhcTseU