Text 12999, 33 rader
Skriven 2008-03-16 08:02:40 av Bob Ackley (1:300/3)
  Kommentar till text 12913 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: Hurricanes
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Replying to a message of Robert Bashe to Björn Forsström:

 BF>> What's the difference between an American house and mine/yours if
 BF>> they are hit with a hurricane like Katrina?

 RB> Have you ever seen an American frame house, the usual kind? And do you
 RB> really want to compare that with a solid brick construction? I think
 RB> you'd be amazed what the latter could withstand.

Ordinary frame houses in the US used to have wall studs on 16" centers, for
years now they've been of 24" centers.  In the US the lumber dimensions aren't
what one would assume, either, a 2x4 board actually measures 1.5x3.5 inches,
1/2" plywood is actually 7/16" thick, etc.  A lot of plywood has been replaced
by similarly dimensioned 'structured' lumber called OSB, which is basically
wood
chips and sawdust held together with a glue of some sort.  While the outside of
the house usually has a plastic sheet 'building wrap' under the exterior
siding, that
siding is usually vinyl or structured wood sheets similar to masonite.

If I were going to build a new house I'd build it of poured concrete and
concrete
block into the side of a hill, with a wraparound butyl rubber vapor barrier,
and
wind up with at least five feet of dirt on top of the roof.  It'd be open on
only
one side, and that side would have state-of-the-art insulating doors, windows
and walls.  The heating and cooling costs would be about as close to zero as
one can get in this area, and no drafts no matter how hard the wind is blowing,
plus it'd be weatherproof - absolutely no worries about tornadoes.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+
 * Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)