Anyone have any comments on the pros and cons of wood framed houses over block homes in Florida. I am having a battle with the ignorance of realitors concerning this matter. Wood frame will stand up to block in high winds as long as the trusses stay on and the walls don’t come loose from the slab. Same with block. Termites get into wood frame homes if the soils are too close the the bottom plates. They get into block through stress cracks and if the soils are too close to the bottom plates. Wood insulates better and flexes in storms. Florida is the limestone capital of the world – that is why there is block homes – not for engineering reasons. I am pro both wood and block – one is not better (however, I built my home wood frame for engineering and design reasons. I am trying to sell it – Any comments on this issue?
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I might agree with you, but the realtors know the market. You are fighting a perception that is part fo the culture and you are not going to change that just to sell the house. Don't forget that FL is one of the hardest hit RE markets in the country this past year too.
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You are right however why can't an understanding of good engineering have more importances than a perception. America is getting dumb.
As a former Hoosier and > 30 year Florida resident, I beg to differ. Indiana is the limestone capital. Florida may have limerock for your driveway but not limestone that I'm aware of except in the panhandle where we've got some actual caverns. Besides, the block homes here are concrete block, not structural limestone.
CB homes were usually built more cheaply and are harder to modify and alter compared to wood frame houses. They were not as well insulated. I think it is wrong to use wood framing in FL because of termites. I recommend ICF.
Go for the block. I started as a carpenter in Florida and the stick frame homes are shoddy. Fine Home Building did an excellent article on in the archive called "Storm Watch" or something like that. It explained that most pre-Florida boom homes were ranch BLOCK homes with hip-jack roof made of heavy timber fastened to the block. Good against termites and hurricanes. This is what Floridians, when there used to be such a thing, preferred and developed as a localized utilitarian design. The other stuff, I know from hands on experience, is mostly sub-par.
The block homes are as much for engineering as anything else. Virtually all piling homes in Florida are frame and virtually all south Florida mono slab homes are block. It's what people want, why fight it?
The story of these guys has also formed opinions against stick building in high winds like hurricanes...
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Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?